Many domestic travelers and tourists, going on vacation to European countries, do not even realize how much the customs and traditions of Europeans differ from those adopted in Russia. In each country, for a long time, their own rules of conduct, norms of etiquette, and ways of expressing feelings, affections or emotions were formed. The same gesture or expression in different countries ah can be interpreted in the opposite way, which, at times, makes both the tourist and the resident of the country in which the traveler has arrived blush. To prevent this from happening, any person traveling abroad must certainly get acquainted with the main traditions and customs adopted in a particular country. This article is devoted to the rules and norms of behavior in various fields human activities that can be found in the countries of the Old World.

European etiquette and its features

The word "etiquette" came into wide use as early as the 17th century, at a time when King Louis 14 ruled in France. Once, at a large social reception, all guests received special cards that indicated exactly how one should specific admission. Since that time, the concept of "etiquette" began to spread rapidly outside the French state, first in Europe, and then in all countries of the world. In Western Europe, etiquette was closely associated with the customs and traditions inherent in each country, the generally accepted behavior was influenced by religious rites, superstitions, and everyday habits of people. According to many modern historians, the etiquette that exists at the moment has absorbed all the best, while being based precisely on those traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation in European states. Some norms have come down to us in their original form, others, under the influence of time, have changed significantly. In any case, it must be remembered that almost all the requirements of etiquette are rather conditional, and depend on many factors, such as place, time, and circumstances under which they may be applicable.

Why do you think it is customary for a woman to walk holding a man under her right hand?

From the time when men began to wear piercing and cutting weapons: a sword, saber or dagger, it was customary to wear them on the left. Therefore, the companion could only walk side by side on the right side. Currently, there are no such obstacles (unless the man in the family is a military man), but the tradition of walking to the right of the man is still preserved.

Globalization modern world allowed to combine and mix many traditions and customs of Europeans. This is especially noticeable when holding such a celebration as a wedding. Many European wedding or wedding traditions are quite well known in Russia, and some will surprise you with their uniqueness.

The Hungarian bride always puts her shoes in the middle of the room, in which everyone who wants to dance with her must put a coin. The same custom exists in Portugal.

In Romania, it is customary to sprinkle the young with rose petals, millet and nuts before entering the house.

Wedding Traditions in Slovakia

For a long and prosperous life in Slovakia, the bride gives her future husband a ring and an elegant silk shirt embroidered with gold. In return, the groom gives his future wife a chastity belt, a fur hat, a rosary and a silver ring.

Norwegian newlyweds plant two spruces, and Swiss - one pine.

Before the wedding ceremony, in Germany, close relatives and friends of the young people break a lot of dishes. Newlyweds from France secure their union by drinking wine from the same goblet.

Wedding traditions in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, it is customary to have a banquet before, not after, the wedding.

In England, brides put a pin or small horseshoe in their wedding dress for good luck.

Finnish brides marry with a crown on their heads.

In Sweden, the bride receives two coins from her parents: gold from her mother, silver from her father. The bride puts these coins in her wedding shoes.

Advice

Only at first glance it seems that European wedding traditions are observed less and less over time. In fact, even in large cities, brides and grooms try to hold a wedding event in accordance with generally accepted norms and traditions.

European weddings

Culinary traditions of the Old World

European traditions regarding the preparation and use of food are considered to be among the most ancient in the world. The cuisine of the peoples of Europe is very diverse, while being quite complex and refined. Each country of the Old World boasts its own national characteristics in cooking, its own traditions in its use, as well as a variety of products and spices.

Southern European cuisine is characterized by the addition of wine to many dishes. Eastern European cuisine is represented by nomadic dishes - simple and hearty. Central European cuisine is, as a rule, dishes from Hungary and Poland, and in Western Europe they love complex French cuisine, and solid German cuisine - with potatoes, meat, and beer.

Conclusion:

The customs and traditions of the peoples of Europe are in many ways different from those to which we are accustomed. Features of European etiquette apply to all spheres of life - from weddings to culinary passions. Today, the observance of traditions has become not only the personification of the rich culture and history of the country, but also an important principle for preserving its statehood and the formation of mass culture. Since the middle of the last century, the mass culture of the Old World began to gain momentum, influencing all areas of activity - from production to the life of an ordinary European. Most of all, the youth was imbued with mass culture, which began to express it in clothes, music, lifestyle, and ways of spending leisure time. The speed of spread of culture to the masses is due to the high rate of development information technologies, the emergence of a large number of media, as well as increasing the level of education.

Festive European traditions

Every year, interest in European countries from foreigners is growing at a tremendous speed. In most cases, this attraction is of a tourist nature. Conquer the impregnable Mountain peaks, soak up the sun on resort beaches, plunge into the blue abyss of the seas and oceans, see the beauty of majestic architectural structures or just relax in luxurious apartments - these are the main goals pursued by tourists from all over the world. The question involuntarily arises: “But what about acquaintance with the cultural traditions of European countries?” After all, they are the layer of culture of the peoples of Europe. Let's take a look at the most popular of them.

The origin of the traditions and customs of the peoples of Europe. European etiquette

Rules and norms of behavior have existed since ancient times, but the word "etiquette" itself appeared in France and gained its distribution throughout Europe, and then the whole world, only in the 17th century. It all started with receptions in the royal courts, which were accompanied by the distribution of so-called "labels" - cards with certain rules of conduct for guests.

The modern etiquette of Western European states was greatly influenced by well-established folk traditions and customs passed down from generation to generation. These include various kinds of legends, legends, religious rites and beliefs. Communication among themselves for political, commercial or other purposes led to a mixture of cultural traditions in European countries, which, in turn, made it possible to identify the basic rules of good manners for the peoples of Europe. Among them - a delicate attitude and respect for the customs and traditions of each country without comparison or criticism on their part, knowledge and skillful use of the titles of interlocutors, addressing by name to persons participating in a conversation with you, and others. The most popular European cultural traditions today are wedding customs and culinary arts.

European wedding traditions

Most of the customs associated with the preparation and holding of a wedding celebration are well known to us, but there are some that can be a real discovery for you.

For example, in Portugal and Hungary there is a certain rule for inviting the bride to dance. Those who want to dance with the young woman need to get a coin into one of her shoes, previously placed in the center of the wedding hall.

The custom of sprinkling newlyweds with rose petals, which is a symbol of an easy and happy life, appeared in the UK and joined the wedding culture of almost all countries of the world. Trying to make this tradition more unique, each of the countries has added its own “zest” to it. So, in Romanian wedding ceremonies, along with rose petals, there are also millet and nuts.

In the Slovak Republic, there is a tradition of exchanging gifts between future spouses. The bride gives her lover a ring and a silk shirt embroidered with gold threads. The groom's answer should be a silver ring, a fur hat, a rosary and a chastity belt with three keys.

At Norwegian and Swiss weddings, a mandatory custom is the planting of trees: two spruces and one pine, respectively.

The beginning of the ceremony in Germany is accompanied by the beating of dishes by friends and relatives of the bride in her house, in the Netherlands - by a festive banquet, and in France - by the newlyweds drinking wine from goblets, symbolizing happiness and love.

In addition to the traditions directly related to the marriage procedure, great attention is paid to complementing the wedding images of future spouses. So, for English brides, it is very important to have a horseshoe or a pin on the wedding dress, which is a sign of a happy marriage, and a crown should be present on the heads of Finnish young people.

The peculiarity of the wedding traditions of European society lies in the uniqueness of each of them, as well as their popularity among modern Europeans.

European culinary traditions

Traditional European cuisine is assembled from amazing culinary recipes national dishes peoples of Europe. At the same time, each European state can boast of individual culinary masterpieces.

On the territory of Central Europe, the most popular dishes of Polish and Hungarian cuisine, the crown recipes of which are goulash, strudel, vegetable soup with dill.

Eastern European cuisine was formed under the influence of the cooking customs of the nomadic peoples who inhabited this territory in the old days. The most famous among the culinary dishes of Eastern Europe are borscht, dumplings, pies.

A special place in the culinary arena of Western Europe is occupied by French cuisine, which is an example to follow in many countries around the world. A feature of the culinary masterpieces of France is the use of wines and spices in almost any dish. Unlike the French, their neighbors - the Germans - prefer to eat potatoes, meat and beer.

The culinary traditions of Northern Europe are extremely diverse. The most common dishes of the cuisine of European northerners are creme brulee, chocolate fudge, duck in orange sauce and chicken huntsman.

Southern European cuisine is in many ways similar to Western European, especially French. It is also popular here to add wine to most dishes, but at the same time, it is also mandatory to serve it separately on the table before the start of the meal.

Introduction to modern European culture

In addition to wedding and culinary customs, modern European culture contains a huge variety of traditions associated with all spheres of human activity. Any foreigner who has received a European Union passport can get to know them better, join or even become an integral part of them. Romania is in the greatest demand for European citizenship. Obtaining Romanian citizenship is the fastest and cheapest way to integrate into European society today.

They try to make the wedding magnificent, but elegant, without vulgarity and unnecessary fuss. Many European wedding traditions are adopted by other countries to make the celebration just as elegant and stylish.

Many beautiful wedding traditions were borrowed from European countries. For people in England, Germany, France, Spain and other countries, marriage is a reverent and romantic event, which is intertwined with many customs and memorable moments.

The essence of the rites

Peoples with a rich history have accumulated a whole storehouse of different traditions, signs and superstitions, some of which relate specifically to the wedding. Whatever the culture of the country, marriage has a special role, and since ancient times there have been special procedures for its preparation and conduct.

Many of the wedding traditions in Europe have been forgotten, others have changed, and only a small part has survived to this day in its original state. With the advent of Christianity, the separate features of peoples began to be forgotten, and common patterns began to appear in the customs of different cultures. This does not mean that people have lost their individuality - they only interpreted the same faith.

Now even those wedding ceremonies in Europe that have been preserved since ancient times are rarely seen at holidays. Including conservative Europeans began to give preference to the celebration.

Old customs can be found only in those cases when the bride and groom want to pay tribute to their ancestors, and even then such rituals are only a formality and do not carry a sacred meaning.

Most often, the observance of wedding traditions can be found if the future newlyweds decide to organize their marriage in a particular style. For example, popular, French, and.

What and where exist

Among all European countries, the most rich in customs associated with marriage are England, Greece, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Ireland and Sweden. Most often, stylized weddings are arranged in accordance with these concepts.

In England, for example, the bride must wear four obligatory things to the wedding - something new (the dress itself, underwear), something old (family jewelry, shoes), something borrowed from a friend or relative (clutch, bracelet) and something blue (garter, hairpin). It is believed that in this case the girl will attract good luck and favor. higher powers. According to another English tradition, a little girl from among those invited to the wedding goes ahead of the bride and strews her path with rose petals.

In Greece, there is a wonderful custom to present gifts to guests, and they are purchased with the money of the groom's family. Another wedding tradition in Europe is the wedding, which takes place on Sunday, and on Friday they bake bread, while showering flour on everyone who wants to get a little happiness and good luck. The kids invited to the celebration have a special role - they are allowed to jump on the bed of the newlyweds so that they have many strong and healthy children.

In Germany, there is a wonderful custom: when newlyweds get married, they drink a glass of wine together. First, the groom drinks, and then the bride, after which she throws the glass behind her back. If it breaks, the spouses will have a long and happy life. According to another tradition, any of the male guests can try to “steal” the hero of the occasion during a banquet. If he succeeds, he is entitled to three whole dances with the bride.

wedding planner

In order to create an unusual and bright atmosphere at the wedding, in addition to the outward resemblance to the style, you can also adopt some of the wedding traditions of European countries.

Elena Sokolova

Reader

Most European traditions are aimed at attracting happiness, good luck, financial well-being and healthy children into the married life of young people.

Karina

In France, they are very sensitive to pre-wedding preparations. Literally every detail of the newlyweds' outfits, including even a belt or tie, is hand-sewn to individual measurements, and there are practically no bridal salons in this country. The whole French wedding is divided into three stages: a wedding in a church, a cocktail party and the main banquet. Not all guests are invited to each of these events, instructions for this are placed in the envelope with the invitation.

Many Italian customs are followed to this day. For example, the custom of carrying the bride across the threshold of the family home in her arms originated in this country. The name of the honeymoon was also invented by the Italians - back in Ancient Rome newlyweds used honey for 30 days after the wedding to make life together sweet and pleasant.

Interesting! An Italian groom asks for the hand of his beloved from her mother, not from her father. If you are planning a European wedding, you can follow the tradition.

In Spain, despite the ardor of the nature of its inhabitants, young people who decided to get married were treated strictly. After the engagement, the bride and groom were closely watched, the maximum that they were allowed to do was hold hands, and then not in public.

The Spaniards created their male and female communities, one might say, according to their interests. Then such groups intersected with each other, and the girls could get acquainted with the boys, and the main criterion for choosing the second half on both sides was housekeeping.

The Irish are accustomed to celebrating a wedding on a royal scale. It is noteworthy that in most cases, matchmaking takes place in early January, as lovers try to get married before Shrovetide. Then Lent begins, and it is impossible to play a wedding according to the laws of this country.

An interesting tradition in Ireland is the Aitin Gander ritual. On the appointed day, the groom comes to the house of the bride's parents, where the young man is treated to a baked goose. Everyone who is involved in the organization of the wedding, up to the priest, is invited to the party, and all together they discuss the pressing issues of preparing the celebration.

Sweden has quite free wedding traditions. Girls and boys met at dances on weekends, after which the latter accompanied their chosen ones home and did not hesitate to stay the night. Because of this, often weddings took place when the bride was already pregnant, or even after the birth of a child. Interestingly, society did not condemn this, but, on the contrary, supported it, because this served as proof that the girl was healthy and capable of giving her husband heirs.

Interesting! Find out what are. This can be a nightmare...

Other countries

There are no less interesting and funny traditions in the rest of Europe. If desired, such customs can be observed at your own wedding in order to surprise guests and make the celebration individual.

For example, there are the following traditions associated with marriage.

Such customs do not carry anything bad, therefore, if you want to bring them to life, you can safely experiment.

Intersections with Russian customs

In each culture, the wedding will acquire new details and customs borrowed from other peoples. The most striking confirmation of this is It is believed that the unmarried girl who catches him will be the next to marry.

Previously, there was no such tradition in Rus', although it was similar in meaning. All the girls who had not yet started a family danced around the newlywed, and she closed her eyes and circled in the opposite direction. Whom she will show when she stops, she will marry next. And, by the way, Russian girls didn’t give the bouquet to anyone at all, keeping it in the family for good luck.

It is interesting that in many European countries and in Russia there is a similar The parents of the newlyweds bring fire from their home to help the newlyweds light their own. In the modern interpretation, the hearth is replaced by ordinary candles, since not everyone even has a fireplace.

If a European wedding is organized, traditions and customs make the celebration elegant and romantic. Many couples strive to plan their marriage in a Western manner, avoiding vulgar ransom, vulgar contests and other inappropriate events. Such customs will not only diversify the celebration, but also make it memorable for guests.

on the topic: Calendar customs and rituals of the peoples of Northern Europe

Introduction

The customs of peoples is one of the most important and most constant topics of ethnographic science. Only in modern times was the view born that customs are not only an object of idle curiosity, naive surprise or indignation: they can also be the object of serious scientific study. For the first time this view was expressed by writers of the 18th century: Lafito, Montesquieu, Charles de Brosse, and others. Classical ethnographers of the evolutionary direction - Taylor, Loebcock and others - considered the customs of peoples as some classification units that have a tendency of independent development, along with elements of material culture , beliefs, etc. The English functionalists - Malinowski, Radcliffe-Brown - saw customs ("institutions") as an inseparable part of the whole, which they called "culture" or "social system". Culture in a wide sense of the word - everything what is created and is being created by mankind, from tools to household items, from habits, customs, the very way of life of people to science and art, morality and philosophy. Now the cultural layer covers almost the entire planet.

"Custom" is any established, traditional and more or less generally accepted procedure for performing any social actions, traditional rules of conduct. The term "custom" is close to the concept of "rite" ("ritual"), and in many cases these two concepts are even equivalent. But the concept of "rite" is narrower than the concept of "custom". Every ritual is a custom, but not every custom is a ritual. For example, wedding or funeral, Christmas or Shrovetide customs are established ceremonies. But there are very few in which there is nothing ritual: for example, the custom of shaving a beard, the custom of washing hands before eating, the custom of neighborly mutual assistance, the custom of single inheritance. The most interesting, but also the most difficult to study, are precisely the customs of the ritual type: those that are expressed in traditional actions performed in the prescribed manner and in a certain form. As a rule, these customs-rituals have a certain symbolic meaning, that is, they serve as a "sign" of some kind of representation, some kind of social relationship. The main task of research in such cases becomes - to find the meaning that is hidden in this custom-rite. To understand the meaning of these rites and to find out their origin is the goal of ethnographic study. Folk customs are extremely diverse, and it is difficult to fit them into any system of classification. And even if we take not all customs in general, but only customs-rites, then they turn out to be very diverse and difficult to classify.

In this paper, we will consider the calendar customs and rituals of the peoples of Europe in the winter. The calendar customs of the peoples of Europe were strongly influenced by the Christian Church with its annual cycle of holidays, fasts and memorable days. Christian doctrine quickly spread throughout Europe. In the IV century. the Goths, Vandals, Lombards adopted Christianity; in the 5th century Sueves, Franks, Irish Celts; in the VI century. Scots; in the 7th century Anglo-Saxons, Alle-Manns; in the 8th century Frisians, Saxons, Danes; in the ninth century southern and part of the western Slavs, Swedes; in the X century. Eastern Slavs (Rus), Poles, Hungarians; in XI Norwegians, Icelanders; in the thirteenth century Finns. The adoption of Christianity by individual European peoples was by no means a peaceful process. And, of course, the church had a huge impact on the rites and customs of all inhabitants of European countries. But the Christian faith has never been unified. Gradually accumulating dogmatic, ritual, canonical differences, which reflected political contradictions, finally led to a formal split in the churches (1054). This split had incalculable consequences for the entire cultural history of European peoples. The influence of one or another religion affected the traditions of calendar ceremonies in different ways. One of the goals of the work is to explore the genesis of folk calendar customs and rituals in Western Europe. Also reveal the ratio of the religious-magical and aesthetic (artistic, decorating, entertaining) element in calendar customs; historical transition of the first to the second. Find out what customs have survived to this day. It should be emphasized that these rituals are mostly of a folk character. The ecclesiastical element was introduced into them much later and often did not change the essence of the rites.

Calendar customs and rituals of the peoples of Northern Europe

Folk customs and rituals are an essential part of the spiritual culture of the people, reflecting their worldview, in different periods historical development. Their study is very important in the study of the processes of integration, adaptation and mutual influence occurring between different nations, since it is often in traditional rites that the ethnic tradition of peoples is manifested.

An example of the persistence of such a tradition is the preservation of ancient traditional ritual dishes in the festive menu of European peoples: Christmas roast goose or turkey, roast pork head or pork, porridge from various cereals, legumes, chestnuts, nuts, previously considered a symbol of abundance.

It is known that many rituals of the winter calendar cycle were associated with superstitions and prejudices characteristic of ancient farmers and cattle breeders in those remote times when the level of development of productive forces was very low. Of course, the original and most ancient basis of winter customs and rituals - the underdevelopment of agricultural labor, the dependence of ancient grain growers on the elemental forces of nature - has long ceased to exist. Of course, the primitive magical beliefs that grew up on this basis, witchcraft rites of fertility, etc., as well as belief in divination, mantles of all kinds - all this is in the past, and even in the distant past. And the higher the growth of productive forces in the country, the more intensive the industrialization of agriculture, the more and more various magic tricks and magical actions aimed at ensuring a prosperous year for the farmer are forgotten.

The fragments of the old agrarian rituals that are still preserved here and there in a surviving form either testify to the low cultural level of their performers, in most cases representatives of the older generation, or have completely lost their magical meaning and turned into entertainment, remaining one of the national traditions of one or another ethnic group. One can find many examples of a combination in rituals of rational methods, practical actions developed empirically by farmers over many centuries and, perhaps, retaining their significance in our time, and gross superstitious signs and beliefs, the meaning of which is sometimes even difficult to grasp. Such, for example, are two kinds of signs about the weather: some signs were due to the great observation of the peasant, his good knowledge of the surrounding geographical conditions; others are born of superstition and have no practical basis. In the same way, in rituals common in some countries aimed at ensuring the harvest fruit trees, rational actions (sprinkling - fertilizing the earth around the tree with ash, tying it with straw) are accompanied by religious prejudices: the ash must certainly come from a burnt Christmas log, straw from a ritual Christmas sheaf, etc.

Some traditional customs and rituals developed at a time when there was a lot of cruel, unfair things in family and social life: for example, in the Christmas fortune-telling, one feature was clearly pronounced - the girl wonders about the groom, about who will "take" her, where she will be "give" . In other words, the old view of a woman as an inferior being who can be “taken” or “not taken”, can be “given away” here and there has affected. In other customs, a mockery of a girl who did not marry in the past year slips.

Until recently, in some countries, crude customs of the barbaric killing of animals and birds, once associated, apparently, with the rites of sacrifice, were preserved.

No less cruel are the customs of ritual whipping of members of their community with thorny branches until blood appears.

Customs associated with the rebirth of nature after the winter solstice, with fertility spells, were often accompanied by rough erotic games.

In the past, beliefs about special power during the festive period of various evil spirits and actions based on these beliefs to identify witches, sorcerers, etc., timed to coincide with the winter calendar cycle, did great harm. Throughout the Middle Ages, many innocent people were cruelly tortured or persecuted because of these ridiculous superstitions.

Finally, it is impossible not to mention the great harm to man and some church rituals and institutions. The observance of long, exhausting fasts before each big holiday, which is especially characteristic of Catholics, caused, for example, great harm to people's health.

Over time, the old meaning of magical actions and rituals was forgotten and they turned, as shown in the material presented above, into folk games and entertainment. Gradually become an anachronism and those rigid church forms in which the clergy tried to clothe the ancient folk festivals. But after all, in most cases, these church forms have not changed anything in essence in folk traditions in the past. The customs have remained what they were, and their connection now with one saint, now with another, turns out to be mostly accidental. Yes, and the saints themselves from the legendary martyrs for the faith turned in most cases into funny folklore characters) giving gifts to children or appearing in cheerful processions of mummers.

In a word, the presence of a religious, ecclesiastical element in the winter Christmas ritual does not change anything in the purely folk and essentially secular, entertaining character of this ritual. After all, if we talk about the actually religious, church view of folk calendar holidays, then we must remember how severely, how ruthlessly persecuted the zealots of the church, Christian fanatics - Calvinists, Presbyterians, Puritans - any hint of any holiday amusements or entertainment - be it Christmas, Easter or otherwise. Reading the Bible and listening to the Christmas sermon - that's what a believing Christian should do on the feast of the Nativity of Christ. Deviations from this rule were severely punished. The Orthodox Church also looked at the matter in the same way, severely condemning "bad demonic actions and games", "night splashing", "demonic songs and dances" and other "blasphemous deeds" during church holidays. And indeed, the very spirit of Christianity, with its disregard for earthly life and with an orientation towards the afterlife, towards the salvation of the soul, the festive Christmas ritual was and remains hostile.

In the struggle for a new democratic and socialist civilization, it is necessary to protect and support everything in folk traditions that can beautify a person's life, make it brighter, more joyful and varied. In the long process of mutual influences and mutual borrowings among European peoples, a tendency to create new features of winter rituals, characteristic of all the peoples of Europe, is increasingly manifested. These new features are formed, of course, on the basis of old folk rituals and customs of European farmers, but they first began to spread among the urban population and only gradually, in an updated form, traditions penetrate the countryside.

A striking example of one of these customs is the Christmas tree. Its spread was prepared by the ancient custom among European peoples of using and winter rituals of evergreen branches, sometimes decorated with multi-colored threads, paper, nuts, etc. In its modern form, the Christmas tree, as already reported, appeared in the middle of the 18th century. in Germany and from there gradually began to spread to other European countries, having gained great popularity by now with almost all the peoples of Europe.

The custom of exchanging gifts during the winter cycle of holidays, well known to the ancient Romans, has now also become common in Europe.

In the middle of the XIX century. in England, the first colorful greeting Christmas card was printed, and today written greetings have become common in all countries; every year more and more bright art postcards are produced.

The transformation of the traditional mythological image that brings gifts to children is also interesting. Former images of saints - St. Nicholas, St. Martin, baby Jesus and others - are increasingly being replaced by one allegorical image of Santa Claus - "Santa Claus" or more often the Father of Christmas, very similar in different countries even to their own appearance. The Snow Maiden or the Fairy of Winter becomes his constant companion. The tradition of masquerading brought to life the organization of mass festivities and masquerades in the cities.

Thus, having lost their religious meaning, the rites of the winter cycle were woven into the fabric of modern social life.

Winter rituals and holidays for the Scandinavian peoples begin in November and continue until February. The biggest winter holiday is Christmas, December 23rd. Many customs, rituals and beliefs are associated with it.

Despite the fact that the majority of the inhabitants of the Scandinavian countries are Protestants by religion (Lutheranism was introduced in all Scandinavian countries after the reforms of 1527-1539), there are still customs and rituals among the people, dedicated to the days of memory of Christian saints and observed by the Catholic Church .

This fact once again shows that folk rituals and holidays are essentially very little connected or not at all connected with the church images of saints and purely outwardly, formally timed to coincide with the days of memory of this or that saint. The popularity of these saints is explained only by the coincidence of church dates with significant moments of the national agricultural calendar.

The most popular of these dates are St. Martin, St. Nicholas, St. Lu-tion.1

From the day of St. Martin (November 11) summer is considered over, and winter begins. By this time, the cattle is already in the stalls, the entire crop has been harvested, and the harvesting work has been completed. St. Day Martin - the patron saint of animal husbandry - is often associated with the harvest festival. In some places in Sweden, on Martin's day, male tenants gather in every village to sum up the annual results. Everyone is seated around a long table, on which wine, beer, and snacks are placed. A bowl of wine is circled around with the wishes of a happy year and good health.

Village women celebrate this day in a different way. They have St. Martin is associated with the end of geese grazing. Geese graze all together in the pasture during the summer. In order to distinguish geese in the fall, each hostess puts her own special marks. When grazing stops in autumn, the shepherds bring the geese to the village and breed them in the yards. This often results in confusion. Therefore, one of the next days, all the women in the village gather and go from yard to yard, choosing their geese. This "journey" is called "goose trip" ("gasagang"). After inspecting the village geese, the women arrange a feast in the evening with drinks and treats. Later, the men join the women, and the general fun continues.

The holiday is also held in homes, family dinners are held from the autumn harvest and goose meat. There is a legend that St. Martin was hiding in the barn, and the goose betrayed him, so you need to wring the goose's neck and eat him.

On Martin's Day, various fortune-telling is known, the bones of the goose are trying to determine whether the winter will be harsh or mild. On this day, all sorts of symbolic actions cause goodness, prosperity. Evil spirits are driven away with whips and bells.

Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6) is considered the holiday of children. A man with a white beard dresses up as St. Nicholas, in the clothes of a bishop, he rides a horse or a donkey with gifts in a bag behind his back (with nuts, dried fruits, mittens, etc.) and with a whip. He inquires about the behavior of children, gifts them or punishes them.

In the old days in Denmark, before going to bed on Nicholas Day, children put a plate on the table or put their shoes under the pipe into which gifts were placed. Such a custom is not mentioned in Sweden, Norway and Iceland, although it is possible that it could exist in these countries.

The big holiday is the day of St. Lucia (Lucia) (December 13). The holiday marks the introduction of light by Saint Lucy in the dark season - for Christmas. The very name Lucia comes from "lux", "lys" - light. Lucia's Day, according to folk beliefs, is the shortest in the whole year and is therefore considered the middle winter holidays. The origins of Lucia's feast are obscure; perhaps it originated in pre-Christian times. According to church legend in the IV century. Christian Lucia was condemned and put to death by pagans for her faith. The celebration of Lucia's day can be traced back for many centuries. There is a belief among the old people in Sweden that Lucie can be seen at dawn over the frozen lakes: she has a luminous crown on her head, and in her hands she holds a treat for the poor. In the old days, it was a family holiday for the Swedes, but nowadays it is also celebrated outside the family.

Lucia is a young girl dressed in white with a red sash and wearing a crown of twigs with candles. She visits the houses at dawn, carrying coffee and biscuits on a tray. In wealthy houses in the old days, maids often acted as Lucie, also dressed in white clothes and with a crown on their heads. Domestic animals also received treats: a cat-cream, a dog - a good bone, horses - oats, cows and sheep - hay. This day was once celebrated with great enthusiasm. No one in the village slept on Lucia's night, lights were on everywhere in the houses, and the villages at night looked like at dusk in the evening. In the families of St. Lucia is portrayed by the eldest daughter.

Currently, the feast of St. Lucy is celebrated collectively - in organizations, factories, hospitals, public places (cities and villages). Lucia - a beautiful girl - is chosen by voting. On this holiday, the streets of many Swedish cities are crowded with costumed companions of Lucia - young girls in white long clothes with candles in their hands and young men in white clothes and silver hats with cutouts in the form of stars and the moon, paper lanterns in their hands. On the day of Lucius, schools finish classes early and celebrate it with illuminations.

After the day, Lucii are taken with even greater zeal to prepare for Christmas.

The Christmas cycle conditionally covers two months from December 1 to February 1 - preparation for Christmas and celebration. The most important and solemn time of "12 days" from Christmas Eve to baptism (December 24-January 6). All work has been abandoned. On December 25 and 26, institutions and enterprises are closed throughout Scandinavia, and schools are on vacation.

Christmas candles are cast on the new moon, as it is believed that such candles shine brighter.

Christmas jul (jul) is still celebrated with great solemnity in the regions of Småland and Skåne in Sweden. Preparations for the holiday begin a month before it. Someone from the family, according to the old custom, should take care of new clothes and shoes for Christmas. On one of the days, two weeks before the holiday, fattened Christmas piglets are slaughtered, which usually takes place between two or three in the morning. The day before, the hostess prepares a well-cleaned or new cauldron of flour, into which the blood of animals should drain. When piglets are slaughtered, someone is near the cauldron and stirs the blood and flour until the mixture becomes thick and baked. This was most often performed by a woman over the age of 50 who was not pregnant, as it was believed that a pregnant woman in this case could give birth to a sick child (with epilepsy or a physical defect). Young women or girls with a groom were strictly forbidden to take any part in the slaughter of cattle.

When piglets were slaughtered, the hooves and nipples were buried in the pigsty in the place where the pig lay, as it was believed that this brings good luck in breeding pigs.

The most common slaughter in Sweden takes place in the middle or end of November. For this, after summer grazing and the completion of all field work, animals are placed in the yard for fattening. Usually a cow or a bull, a couple of pigs and a few sheep are prepared for slaughter. Geese were slaughtered for Christmas earlier, this happened on St. Martin or in front of him. In each village, one of the peasants is specially engaged in such a craft.

Blood sausage blopolsan (blopolsan), which is very popular, is immediately prepared from the fresh blood of animals. No less popular food is paltar (paltar) - balls the size of two fists, made from a mixture of flour with a certain amount of fresh blood, and fried in lard. Part of the meat and pork is smoked, but a significant amount is salted and not eaten until Christmas.

After cooking meat and sausages, they start brewing. This is done most often in a special building (stegerset), located next to the housing. Beer is brewed for three to four days without interruption from morning to evening. Three types of beer are obtained: actually Christmas, thick and strong, then more liquid and, finally, Braga or kvass. When making drinks at home, a fairly significant amount of grain is consumed. Almost every household has malt, and not only for their own needs, but also for sale.

Most of the time is occupied by baking bread, which also had to be done before Christmas. Bread is baked from different types of flour. First of all, huge round sedbred breads (sodbrod) are baked from wholemeal flour, weighing 6-8 kg for daily expenses. Ovens are large, so 12-15 such loaves can be placed in them at a time. Before baking, a cross is made on each of the loaves with a knitting needle in order to troll (evil spirit) or other devilry did not bewitch the pastries.

By Christmas they bake so much bread that it lasts until spring. Until the day of the Annunciation (Bebadelsedag) - March 25, baking is not done. In order to protect the bread from mold, it is buried in heaps of grain.

14 days before Christmas, they begin to prepare "Christmas firewood" yulved (julved), i.e. stakes and poles.

Baking was carried out in all wealthy houses, and beer was brewed not only for themselves, but also for distribution to the poor, watchmen, workers, and shepherds. The gifts consisted of bread, meat, porridge, beer, candles. On Christmas Eve before sunset, all the villagers gathered in the church. Upon returning home, everyone sat down for a festive treat. With Christmas comes the general celebration; there is not even a single poor house where this event would not be celebrated.

The smallest bread cake is always kept hidden from one Christmas to the next or even longer. It was not uncommon for an 80-90-year-old woman to keep a bread cake baked in her youth.

There was a belief that Christmas bread and beer, which had been stored for a long time, supposedly had supernatural powers; they were considered a healing agent against diseases of people and animals. A piece of Christmas bread or a sakakan flatbread in many places in Scandinavia is always stored until the start of spring sowing. Before the plow or harrow is lowered into the ground for the first time, a piece of bread or a horse cake is given. When sowing, a piece of bread also lies at the bottom of the seeder, and after the completion of spring sowing, the plowman must eat this bread and drink Christmas beer. They believed that in this case good harvest.

After the slaughter of cattle is carried out, beer is brewed and bread is baked, the cleaning of the premises begins - the ceilings and walls are washed, they are pasted over with wallpaper, the floors are rubbed, the stoves are painted, the inventory and dishes are cleaned. Pewter and silver utensils, polished to a shine, are displayed on shelves above the door to the dwelling. On Christmas Eve they decorate the Christmas tree. Before Christmas, everyone works without rest, especially women.

Christmas Eve, Christmas Eve (December 24), is called yulafton, yulaften, yuleaften (julafton, julaften, juleaften). On Christmas Eve before dinner, everyone is busy with small things. Workers tidy up all the outbuildings and chop wood, so that they do not deal with these matters until baptism (up to three kings), prepare torches, remove sheaves from bins, clean horses. Pets are given better and more satisfying food in order to "be with them in good relations". While the animals are being fed, the owner walks around the yard and arable land for the last time and looks to see if all the inventory has been removed. The usual opinion was that if a peasant forgot his agricultural implements on arable land for Christmas, then he was the last to harvest in the past year. This is how time passes until lunchtime.

The celebration of Christmas begins on Christmas Eve itself. In some areas of Scandinavia (mainly in Western and Southern Sweden), in the afternoon on Christmas Eve, in the old days, they arranged "dipping into the cauldron." It consisted in the fact that pieces of bread on a fork were dipped into meat broth, in which meat was cooked for the upcoming holiday, and eaten. Dipping into the cauldron took place with a certain solemnity and was considered as an entry into the actual holiday. This ceremony was called "doppa" (dipping). Therefore, Christmas Eve was called in some places in Sweden dopparedagen (dopparedagen) (dipping day) 12. After dipping, they washed in a bathhouse, put on festive clothes. By Christmas Eve until the middle of the XIX century. straw was spread on the floor (after the living quarters were put in order) and the table was set.

Around six o'clock in the evening they sit down at the table and help themselves. The treat is the same - on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year and baptism. At the evening meal on Christmas Eve, they eat Christmas ham and porridge, then fish, bread made from finely sifted flour with butter. Among the drinks on Christmas Eve, the best, strong Christmas beer takes the first place. After the meal, a large fire is made under the cauldrons in a fireplace made of thick pine wood, which gives off a large julrok (Christmas smoke) smoke. At the same time, domestic animals are released to the watering hole and fumigated with Christmas smoke. After this fire, the ashes are not thrown away, but preserved and on the second day in the morning they sprinkle it on domestic animals: supposedly this can protect them from illness, hell and evil eye. After the meal, a Christmas prayer is read. Then the Christmas presents are distributed. Instead of a Christmas tree, in many places there was a wooden pole decorated with red and green paper, as well as eight or ten candles. Candles are lit on Christmas Eve and they burn all Christmas night.

In Norway and Denmark, preparations for Christmas also begin long before it. Already in November, pigs and calves are slaughtered, and the meat is processed into delicacies of all kinds. Before Christmas, there is a semi-annual cleaning of the house and cleaning of dishes. Firewood is prepared in advance for two weeks, since all work is prohibited at Christmas time for two weeks. Looms and spinning wheels are removed and used again only after baptism.

Pets are given the best food with words magic spell. Many rituals and customs are associated with Christmas. In Norway, they tell a legend about a negligent girl who did not feed the animals on this day. The girl was sitting by the fence and suddenly heard the words “let the one who sits at the fence go blind,” and she immediately went blind. It is believed that it was the voice of a hungry cow.

Two weeks before the holiday in Norway and Denmark, rooms are cleaned, utensils are cleaned, pies and special buns are baked, wines and various drinks are prepared. In the villages, peasants clean the barnyard, clean and feed the best hay on the eve of Christmas, domestic animals, so that "they are ready to welcome a merry Christmas." Crosses are drawn on plows and harrows and tools are removed under the sheds of yards. In Denmark, there is still a belief that a wandering shoemaker can find a thing on which a cross is not drawn and sit on it, this will bring misfortune to the house. The explanation is found in the legend that "bearing his cross" stopped to rest at the door of the shoemaker. The shoemaker drove him away, and then the "bearer of the cross" threatened the shoemaker that he would wander until his return. People say that the shoemaker has been walking around Denmark for two hundred years and looking for an unsanctified plow, and if he finds it, then the curse will end and pass from him to the owner of the plow. A well-known folk legend tells that on the night before Christmas you can hear the steps of a wandering shoemaker.

Before Christmas, festive baking and making decorations for the home ends: paper clippings on the walls, stars for the Christmas tree, wooden toys, straw goat animals julebokar (julebockar), pigs julegrisar (julegrisar). Among the various figures - decorations, gifts - the goat is the most popular.

Christmas birds (rooster, dove), wooden or straw, are also popular. They often stand with a goat on the Christmas table. They are hung from the ceiling. These straw figurines are associated with ancient mythology: the goat is an attribute of Thor, the god of thunder, the pig is the god Frey, etc. Throughout Scandinavia, it is very customary to give gifts to relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Gifts are wrapped and sealed with red wax, rhymes or sayings about the use of the gift are embedded in them. They dress up a Christmas tree or a Christmas tree (fir, pine and juniper branches) secretly from children, decorate it with the national flag from above (in Norway and Denmark), small flags from below, and all sorts of toys.

On December 24, in the afternoon in Norway, as in Sweden, the family gathers at the hearth for "dipping in the cauldron" (doppgrytan). A cauldron with boiled meat, sausages or ham stands on the hearth. Everyone, including guests and servants, cuts off a piece of white bread vertored, vertered, verored, lowers it on a fork into a cauldron with meat sauce, then eats this bread with a piece of meat. They do it for happiness. They make toasts to happiness, drink mulled wine from wine, rum, spices, sometimes something else.

On December 24, on Christmas Eve, everything is ready for celebration in all the Scandinavian countries. All shops and markets are closed.

December 25 marks the climax of the winter holidays. good wishes and great joys. No matter how late they settled down on the eve of the holiday, on December 25 everyone was already on their feet early in the morning, at six o'clock.

Candles are lit in every window in the village. Ride on a sleigh with pine torches. Then the burning torches are thrown into a fire built on a high spot in the churchyard. Say the traditional holiday greeting "Godjul!". The fire is extinguished at dawn, etc.

At home, before dinner, everyone goes about their own business. The holiday on the first day is held in the family. No one goes to visit, because they believe that by doing so they bring happiness out of the house. A stranger who enters the house, however, is treated to beer.

There are almost always fish dishes on the festive table, and, above all, the Christmas cod lutfisk (lutfisk) of a peculiar preparation. The cod is first dried and then soaked to a jelly state. Baked products amaze with their pretentiousness and fantasy - figured bread, cookies in the form of figures of various animals, fourteen types of different cakes, one type for every day, and for dessert - a Christmas cake. Strong beer, punch and coffee are always present on the table. In many Scandinavian villages, especially in Norway, they dress in old national costumes, in cities - in elegant clothes. Dinner is served hot and cold. Until the beginning of the 20th century. in Norway, on Christmas Eve, someone secretly made a straw man and hid it under the table. The effigy was often dressed in men's clothing. It was called juleseen - "julesven" (Christmas guy). On Christmas Eve, food and a mug of beer were placed next to the scarecrow. This custom is still found in the mountainous regions of Norway.

After dinner, the door opens to a room with a Christmas tree, which until then is hidden from the children. The father of the family reads a prayer. Then there is a knock on the door, the “Christmas grandfather” enters - julegubbe, julemand (] julegubbe, julemand), yultomten, julenisse (jultomten, julenisse), who is portrayed by an uncle, brother or other men from the family. In appearance, the Christmas grandfather is very similar to the Russian Father Frost: he is dressed in a red hat, with a white beard, carries a bag with gifts over his shoulders, arrives in a sleigh pulled by goats of the god Thor. Children, having received gifts, thank him with a bow. After the distribution of gifts, Santa Claus dances around the Christmas tree.

After the gala dinner, dances and games begin, which continue throughout Christmas time. They dance in turn in each house. In connection with this, the very first house is consecrated in some areas of Sweden (in the Oster gotland region). In the first house, before the dances, they put on a performance. Two young girls in white clothes with beautiful shiny crowns on their heads enter the house, with refreshments on a tray. Then the next two girls, dressed in the same way, enter and bring in a bush (buske) or a small Christmas tree with burning candles. The Christmas tree is placed on the floor in the middle of the house, and all four girls form a circle around the Christmas tree and sing songs in honor of all those present. After that, the Christmas tree is put on the table and they begin to dance. Sports fans after dinner - skates, skis, sleds. On the second day of Christmas, folk theatrical performances are most often arranged. Christmas dance parties are a time for funny jokes and pranks, which are arranged by the mummers. Most often they dress up as a goat, putting on an inside-out sheepskin, and attaching horns, wooden or real, to their heads. Sometimes a lit tow or linen sticks out in the mouth of the mask, so that sparks fly around. The mummers burst into the middle of the dancers and cause a commotion. In some villages, the same people act as Christmas mummers for several years. In addition to the "masked-goats", the so-called "Christmas ghosts" yul speken (julspoken) go from house to house on Christmas. Men wrap themselves over their clothes with a large piece of linen cloth, tighten the cord over their hips, stuff straw under the cloth to change their figure, tie a long coarse woolen tie around their neck, put on a black high hat, smear their faces with soot or dark paint, pick up a stick and in this form go home. Usually a man in disguise walks with a woman or a girl; she dresses up in a large old women's coat, and puts a wide-brimmed hat on her head. Entering the house, the mummers ask what kind of work they can do. They are assigned some business, and then they are treated to beer, wine, nuts, Christmas apples. The mummers sing songs to which you can dance. After the dancing begins, the mummers go to other houses, usually choosing the most friendly and generous hosts.

Early in the morning on the second day of the holiday, the owner inspects the yard, as it often happens that, for fun, a lot of manure, garbage and snow are thrown into the barn and barn at night, especially to those owners who were offended. If they wanted to please the good owners, then, on the contrary, they cleaned the barns and sheds and put everything in order.

On the evening of the second day, fun began in the villages, festivities called “Christmas huts” yul-stugorna (julstugorna) with dances and dances. Each guy chooses a girl for dancing for the whole evening. On Christmas days, various games are organized in which people of all ages take part. They play hide-and-seek, change shoes, thread a needle with their eyes closed, guess on nuts, etc. Participants in such cheerful rural festivals love to sing popular folk songs.

In the cities, December 26 is the day of parties and visits, holidays at enterprises and organizations. Holidays suit both adults and children. Hospitality these days is special. In many places it is customary for passers-by to enter the house and share a festive meal.

From this day until January 13, meetings, dances and festivities with plentiful refreshments, visiting guests continue. At these evenings, acquaintances between girls and young people often took place.

On Christmas days, artisans and other townspeople put on the best costumes, wear masks roughly made of wood - the head of an ox, the horns of a goat. Young people walk the streets with songs, give theatrical performances.

A joyful event for people of all ages is a visit to the Christmas market. In Stockholm's famous Skansen Park (open-air museum), merchants, artisans and handicraftsmen offer their specialties: Norrland sausage, herring salad, a wide variety of cheeses, handicrafts and much more. In the evenings, dances under the Christmas tree are held in Skansen. Shops with their rich showcases are trading briskly these days.

Stockholmers have a custom to visit the graves on Christmas Eve, and the grave mound is decorated with a Christmas tree with candles burning on it. The Christmas tree is also common on Danish graves.

There is a custom on the eve of the New Year to arrange processions of mummers. The mummers often carry on a stick the head of a goat with a long tow beard stuffed with hay. A julesven (Christmas boy) is also often present here.

Christmas fun was interrupted only by a solemn quiet New Year's day. Between Christmas and New Year, no work is carried out, except for the care of animals. They strive to spend the New Year as successfully as possible so that the whole year is happy. They prepare dishes that, according to legend, allegedly heal from diseases for the whole year (for example, all kinds of apple treats for stomach diseases, etc.).

The streets of the capital before the New Year and in the New Year in the lights of illuminations and the festive decoration of green garlands of fir branches. Usually, New Year's Eve in cities goes like this: the family gathers at the festive table. At midnight, the windows open, go out onto the balconies, fire from rocket launchers, burn sparklers. On New Year's Eve, in some places they arrange a masquerade, group visits, dances, snacks at home, with neighbors.

In Western Jutland, in the form of New Year's jokes, they hide the wheels from the cart in the well or throw the pitchfork onto the roof, so prudent owners remove all equipment under lock and key in advance.

At midnight before the New Year, church bells ring for the outgoing year. In cities, on New Year's Eve, masquerades are held in public places and on the streets.

New Year's Eve dinner consists of all kinds of snacks. An obligatory dish in the seaside regions of Denmark is cod with mustard.

On the New Year, January 1, they go to church in the morning, and then celebrate at home or go on a visit. Previously, the New Year was celebrated mainly at home in the seed circle. On the festive table in the New Year, the same dishes as in Christmas. On the table there are also various cold appetizers smergsbred, smergös, smerrebred, mostly fish - salmon, herring salad. The main dish in the New Year is cod, and rice pudding with a happy twist is also considered a must. There is always a roast goose on the dining table, meat, cheese, vegetables, pies, and sweets are also served. They drink a lot of beer.

On the second day of the New Year, parties, dinner parties or festive entertainment are held (in organizations, clubs, etc.).

On January 2, on the 9th day of Christmas, old men arrange a feast. At the feast, sagas about trolls and ghosts are told. This day is called gubbdagen - "the day of the old people."

This holiday has medieval traditions. Beliefs and some customs are also timed to it, although much less than for Christmas and the New Year. On this day, according to popular belief, good spirits come with wishes to children. Three-horned candelabra are lit everywhere. Students arrange festive processions with songs and paper lanterns. Folk games are held. In the cities they depict the procession of holy kings from the east; young men and boys - in white clothes and white conical hats, decorated with pompoms and astronomical signs, carry large transparent paper lamps on long poles, illuminated from the inside. In villages, boys dress up in biblical costumes and go from house to house, singing old folk songs with wishes of well-being, passed down from generation to generation.

Three Kings Day is the end of the holiday season. They begin to remove Christmas trees and green branches from houses. At night, young girls guess and try to find out their fate. According to the old custom, they move backwards and throw the boot over the left shoulder. At the same time, they ask the kings to predict fate. The one whom the girl sees in a dream after divination will become her fiancé.

January 13 - the feast of St. Knuta, the 20th day of Christmas, the official end of the holidays. St. Knut, according to an old folk saying, drives Christmas away. In houses, windows and doors are opened to sweep away Christmas with a broom or other object. According to the existing custom, on this day in many areas of Scandinavia, traditional Christmas races are held along the snowy roads and lakes in a sleigh pulled by horses, with bells and merry songs. According to popular belief, the trolls (spirits) themselves arrange horse races on this day, led by the troll Kari the 13th. Feast of St. Knuta - the last day of a merry Christmas. The Christmas tree or Christmas tree is taken apart, cut down and burned in the oven.

So, Christmas ends on January 13th. It is said that "Knut leaves from Christmas". On this day, in the evening, the last Christmas ball is held, to which a dressed-up Whip comes. Christmas ends at 12 midnight between Knut and Felix Day (January 13 and 14). Seeing off Christmas is accompanied by mummers. In the region of Skåne (southern Sweden), “witches” (Felixdockan) are involved in seeing off: one of the men dresses up in women's clothes, or they make a scarecrow. Then the stuffed animal is thrown away. In the evening, mummers come, dressed in the most unrecognizable way - women in trousers, men in skirts, in masks, they change their voices so that they are not recognized. These are Christmas ghosts. Knut also walks around the yards with funny witticisms, for which he is treated. In the evening on a holiday, in the company of mummers, a Christmas goat comes.

From the day of Felix, January 14, everything comes into its usual order, spinning and all kinds of other household activities, work in sheds and stables begin.

The Finnish folk calendar, which had developed by the beginning of the Middle Ages, was basically agrarian, although it also retained more ancient elements related to hunting and fishing, which became side, but continued to be vital crafts for the Finnish peasants. The main occupation of the Finns - agriculture - not only determined the specifics of the folk calendar, but also contributed to the further persistent preservation of its most important elements over the centuries. Gradually, the church strengthened its position in the country and expanded its influence on everyday life people; began to come into use and the church calendar. church calendar in the course of time, it changed not only in connection with church events, as, for example, during the Reformation period, but transformations also took place in it under the influence of the folk calendar. Entering the life of the people, church holidays were connected with those dates and holidays that fell on this time according to national time. The days of church saints and holidays associated with the events of the Holy Scriptures turned out to be connected with the traditional work of the agricultural annual cycle. The rituals and customs dedicated to the church holiday were often associated with pre-Christian beliefs, contained the remains of ancient magical actions, traditional sacrifices designed to ensure the economic well-being of the peasantry.

The Finns divided the year into two main periods: summer and winter. One was the time of field work, the other was the period of homework, crafts, forestry and fishing. The initial days of the countdown were the "winter day", which fell on October 14, and the "summer day" - April 14. Each of the halves of the year was in turn divided into two parts by its, so to speak, highest point: January 14 was considered the “center of winter”, and July 14 - the “middle of summer”

It is typical for the Finnish calendar that although sometimes when determining the terms of the agrarian calendar, the weeks were named according to the saints from which they began, but, as a rule, they did without it, and the reference points for working terms were the days of the folk calendar - “winter” and "summer day", "middle" of winter and summer.

October belonged to the winter period, but the beginning of winter was not the first, but October 14, the day of St. Calista. The popular beginning of winter, designated as “winter day” and “winter night” or “winter nights”, as we can see, was two weeks away from the end of the old year, the day the field work was completed, from Mikhailov’s Day to Kalist.

One of the significant church holidays that fell in October was the day of St. Brigitte (folk Finnish forms of this name - Pirjo, Pirkko, etc.) - October 7. In some parts of Finland, this saint was very popular, many churches were dedicated to her, and October 7th was a great holiday.

St. Day Brigid in the folk calendar determined the beginning of knitting a large winter seine. In Halikko, a large fair was held on this day, called Piritta (also a folk form of the name Brigid). It was mainly the exchange of grain by peasants for fish from fishermen. folk custom ritual winter calendar

October 28 was the day of Simo, i.e. St. Simon (Sntyuprava), when, as it was believed, the winter weather was finally set.

Of particular interest is the “squirrel day” that fell in October, which was in no way connected with the Christian calendar. The squirrel has long played an important role in the country's economy, its fur was one of the important export items and served as a unit of exchange, a measure of money and even grain. In this regard, squirrel hunting was regulated very early. On wooden calendars, the day of the squirrel, that is, the beginning of the hunt for it, was indicated by a special sign. He entered the printed calendars. The day the squirrel hunt began was not the same for the whole country, which is not surprising if we recall its length from south to north.

At the end of October-beginning of November, according to the folk calendar, an important period began, lasting ten to twelve days and called "the time of division", "the time of division". In some places, this period was counted from November 1, in others from October 28, on Martynov's day - November 10 - it ended. Many customs, prohibitions, and signs are associated with this period, which in itself speaks of its importance.

To a certain extent, this twelve-day period was a time of rest from daily work. Many everyday activities were forbidden: it was impossible to wash, spin, shear sheep, and slaughter cattle. It was possible to weave nets, which was a quiet and clean work, women could do small needlework, even take such work with them when they went to visit. In general, at this time it was customary to visit relatives and friends, men gathered in companies to drink and talk. But it was necessary to behave solidly, not noisily. In accordance with this holiday period, from November 1, a free week or two began for employees. But the prohibitions of various kinds relating to this period spoke not only of its festivity, but also of the dangers that lurked in it. At that time, it was impossible to reduce one's household in any form: nothing could be given or loaned to neighbors, it was impossible to serve any of the things to the poor (probably, the ban on slaughtering cattle was also connected with this). A violator of this prohibition could undermine the well-being of his farm next year.

The importance of the “time of division” was also emphasized by the fact that young people in many places these days were guessing in order to know their future.

The weather also mattered these days. The old people used it to predict the weather for the next year. Each day of the division time corresponded to one of the months: the first - January, the second - February, etc. In addition, if the sun was shining on these days, the year should have been sunny. The appearance of the sun promised 9 sunny days during haymaking. According to signs, if the sun peeped through even for such a period during which it was only possible to saddle (or harness) a horse, the year would not be bad. But if all 12 days were cloudy, then it was considered pointless to cut down the forest in the slash area: the summer would be so rainy that the trees would not dry out and they could not be burned.

A special place in this period was occupied by the day of kekri or keuri. Currently, this day is timed to coincide with the first Saturday of November, which is a festive and free day. At one time, the official calendar set the day of kekri on November 1.

In ancient times, the year ended in September, but over time, agriculture developed, cultivated fields increased, crop size grew, new crops appeared, and harvesting, and most importantly, threshing, could not be completed by Michaelmas day. Gradually, the harvest festival moved to a later date. Along with it, the time of the beginning of the new year and the “time of division” moved inseparably, which earlier, obviously, fell on the interval between the end of the old year and the “first day of winter”.

The “partition time”, as well as the gap between the end of harvesting and the day of winter, was explained by the fact that the old lunar year, which consisted of 12 months, had a difference from the solar year, which came into use later, at 11 days. Just adding these days to lunar year could start a new year. Together with the day of the new year, a period of 12 public holidays which were given great symbolic significance.

The Finnish calendar is not anything exceptional in this regard: many peoples knew the “time of division” or the time of “alignment”. The Estonians marked the time of the partition at the same time as the Finns, although more scarce information has been preserved about it. In Germany and Sweden, this period fell in the middle of winter, when old year and a new one started.

The month of November was called in Finnish "marraskuu", which they tried to explain different ways. Currently, they adhere to the point of view that this word is based on the concept of naked, dead, empty (earth).

November has a rich working calendar, it has big church holidays.

According to the working calendar, this month it was necessary to be engaged in the manufacture of nets, it was believed that the nets made in November were stronger and more catchy than the others. The big winter seine was supposed to be completed by St. Andrew's Day (XI 30). If they did not have time to make all the necessary net fabric, then at least part of the cells on each gear should have been tied in November. November was also considered favorable for logging.

Of the days associated with church holidays, it should be noted the day of St. Martin. It is celebrated on November 10, the day of the death of Pope Martin (655) and the birthday of Martin Luther (1483). But the customs associated with this day refer to a completely different Martin - a bishop who planted Christianity among the Gauls in the 4th century, founded the first monastery in the West and is famous for the legend that he gave half of his cloak to a beggar. In fact, his day falls on November 11th. But it was on the 10th (and not only in Finland, but also in Estonia and Ingermanland) that mummers, usually children, walked around the village, pretending to be beggars. They went from house to house, sang, collected "alms" - various food - and then ate it together in some house. But Martin's Day was not only, so to speak, a children's holiday. On this day, a ceremonial meal was supposed, meat dishes were obligatory - fresh pork, black puddings. In some localities, there was even the expression “meat Martin. They served beer at the table, heated, of course, a bathhouse, went to visit each other, settled troubles - in particular, with hired workers. Apparently, this day acquired such significance because it was the last day in the “partition period”.

In the working calendar of the Martins, the day was also a noticeable date: in some areas it was the time of settlement with the shepherds, in addition, on this day they finished fishing in open water and began to prepare for ice fishing. In Southwestern Finland, women had to prepare part of the linen yarn for this day: it was believed that if there was no yarn by Martin's Day, then there would be no fabric by May.

Of the subsequent church holidays, Catherine's Day, November 25, was interesting in terms of traditions and the most celebrated. The celebration of Katherine's Day was by no means ecclesiastical. Katerina was the same patroness of sheep among the Lutheran population as Anastasia was among the Orthodox. On Katherine's day, sheep were sheared, and this wool was considered the best: thicker than summer, and softer than winter shearing. Lamb was also served at the table that day.

The last day of November was St. Andrei-Antti- 30.X1. Since Antti (Andrew), according to legend, was a fisherman, he, along with St. Peter, was considered the patron saint of fishing and fishermen. And until now, throwing their nets into the water, the fishermen say: "Give, Antti, perches, Pekka (Peter) - small fish." Some fishing societies hold annual meetings on this day. It was believed that with Andrey it was going to Christmas, and there is a saying: “Antti starts Christmas, Tuomas brings him into the house.”

The last month of the modern calendar is December, which is now called youlukuu, i.e. "Christmas month".

In December, signs related to the weather begin to concern the near future. This is due to the onset of a period of frost, blizzards, when it is important to know signs when going into the forest and in general on long trips. A sign of the approaching blizzard was the crack of ice, the crack of a burning torch, so strong that it broke. Before a snowstorm, hares appeared on the edge of arable land and dug holes for lying there; birds were beating at the window.

The cry of the crows foreshadowed warming. Of particular importance for predicting the weather was Christmas (see below). 4 weeks before Christmas begins the period of Advent, or “little Christmas. In Helsinki, a Christmas tree is set up on Senate Square, and a decorated and illuminated "Christmas Street" opens. Other cities tend to keep up with the capital. The upcoming Christmas is celebrated in educational institutions, enterprises and institutions. Two weeks before Christmas, the Christmas holidays begin in schools, the semester ends in higher education institutions, and every year an increasing number of employees and workers also receive Christmas holidays. In its character, the "Little Christmas", which began to be celebrated after the First World War and which has become a tradition since the 1950s, is completely at odds with the pious and quiet church style of the Advent period.

The day of Nicholas of Myra - December 6 - was not of great importance in Finland. In any case, the Finns did not have a custom to give gifts to children on this day, as is customary in Western Europe.

In Finland, St. Lucy was never popularly celebrated; but it is interesting in that many sayings are associated with it, the meaning of which is that the longest night of the year is “after St. Lucia, on Anna's eve." But the day of St. Lucius was not the shortest, for it is December 13th. In addition, the day of St. Anna stands before him - December 9th. However, it was possible to establish that until the XVIII century. day of st. Anna among the Finns was celebrated on December 15 (then a change was made in accordance with the Swedish calendar). Thus, the expression "the night of St. Lucy, the eve of Anna" is understandable. Why exactly this night, according to folk tradition, was considered the longest? The answer lies, obviously, in the fact that the cult of these saints came to the northern countries in the 14th century, when the Julian calendar lagged behind the true time calculation by 11 days, that is, the day of the winter solstice fell on December 14th.

Anna's Day (Finnish forms of the name - Anni, Annikki, Anneli, etc.) was considered the beginning of preparations for the Christmas holidays. There are numerous reports that the bread intended for Christmas was set and kneaded on Anna's day, and baked at night. The long night made it possible to bake two portions of bread. One of the breads - "Christmas" bread "was given the shape of a human face, it was then eaten on Christmas morning. On the night when they baked bread for Christmas, it was customary to go to the neighbors to ask for" alms "in the form of pies. They were served willingly and generously - it was believed that future success depends on it, especially in agriculture and fishing.

From December 21, St. Thomas (Tuo-masa) began to prepare the room for Christmas. Sooty walls were washed and whitewashed, ceiling crowns were hung, candles were prepared, etc. On this day, a small holiday was arranged in the evening: one could taste Christmas beer, often pork legs were served at the table - a tasty dish. There was a saying: "He who does not have Tuo-mas on the day, he does not have it for Christmas." This day was unhappy for the torpari - contracts with the owners of the land were ending. Somewhere that night they were guessing. For example, in Karjala, they stuck torches into the snowdrifts, marked with the names of all the inhabitants of the house, and by burning they determined what awaited whom in the future.

Finally, on December 25, Christmas arrived. Both the holiday and its name - youlu came to Finland from Sweden. Probably, initially the borrowing had the form yukhla, which now means a holiday in general, but in Karjala this is the name of All Saints' Day, and in Pohyanmaa it is Christmas.

Among the church holidays, Christmas turned out to be very persistent and important. This was undoubtedly facilitated by the time of celebration and the old traditions behind it. In many countries of Central Europe, this was the “leveling off period” and the beginning of the new year. Christmas coincided with the winter solstice, which determined the accuracy of the date. In Sweden at this time there was a celebration of the end of harvesting and threshing of bread and the beginning of a new year. It is precisely by the old traditions, previously associated with the day of kekri, the time of "alignment" solar year etc. explains a lot about Christmas traditions. For Christmas, such traditions as divination, predicting the weather for the whole year, magical actions to ensure the harvest and the well-being of the herd, and even family character holiday - holding it without guests - in a word, the traditional features of keuri.

Christmas Eve did not have a special name - they simply said "Christmas Eve". On this day, they worked as on weekdays, but they tried to start work early, performed it especially carefully, and ended the working day early. Already in the afternoon the bathhouse was heated, dinner was served early, and many went to bed early so that in the morning they could go to church early.

As already mentioned, the room was prepared for the holiday in advance - and on Christmas Eve the floor was covered with straw. There could be no Christmas without a straw-covered floor. 17 This custom was common in almost all of Finland. At the same time, the custom of covering the floor in the church with straw also persisted for a very long time. Regarding who brought the straw into the dwelling and how it was to be spread out, different localities had different rules.

But the main meaning of the floor covered with straw is a symbol of the harvest and ensuring the future harvest. Before spreading the straw, they threw it in handfuls up into the ceiling. If the straw caught on the ceiling boards, which in the old days were made of chipped boards and therefore with a rough surface, this portends a good harvest. We tried to have as much straw hanging on the ceiling as possible. Apparently, the decoration of the ceiling (usually above the table) with pyramidal crowns made of straw and splinter, which were common in other European countries, also goes back to this custom.

In many places, the straw was not allowed to be tangled with feet - this could lead to the fact that the bread on the field fell.

Straw was usually left on the floor for the entire duration of the Christmas holidays, from Christmas Eve to Epiphany or Whip Day. Sometimes it was changed in a certain order - for the New Year and for baptism, and on New Year's Eve they laid barley straw, and for baptism - oatmeal, or vice versa.

Christmas decorations, along with straw crowns, included elaborate home-made wooden chandeliers for candles, wooden crosses on a stand that were placed on the table.

The Christmas tree as a Christmas tree appeared in the Finnish village very late.

The evening meal on Christmas Eve was fairly early. She gave food - usually bread and beer - to pets.

In the old days, young people used to guess on Christmas night - by the burning of the torch, by the behavior of animals, by the way the rooster pecked the grain brought into the hut, they believed that one could guess their fate; believed in prophetic dreams that night, etc.

Both Christmas Eve and Christmas were spent in the circle of their families, guests were considered undesirable, just as it was on the day of kekri. The only meeting with fellow villagers and other parishioners took place on Christmas morning in the church, the only noisy moment was the return from the church - horses were usually driven to a race: whoever was the first to get home had to be lucky all year.

In the old days, food for Christmas began to be prepared in advance. When salting pork, the best pieces of meat were put aside for Christmas, and other products were stored in advance - it was believed that food on Christmas holidays should not leave the table. Even poor peasants tried their best to comply with this rule.

The second day of Christmas was St. Stefan (Fin. Tapani), the first Christian martyr, who became the patron saint of horses in Finland. Obviously, this happened due to the coincidence in time of this saint's Day with the pre-Christian holiday dedicated to the horse. In many places in Finland, it was on this day that a foal was harnessed for the first time, a young horse was ridden for the first time, etc. Almost everywhere horse races were organized on this day. It is still remembered in Southern Finland that the Tapani day used to begin with one of the young men riding into the living quarters and sitting on the horse while it ate a bucket of bran or oats. In many places, a special “Tapani bread” was baked for this day, which was eaten before the start of the competition. In some places, Tapani bread was eaten only by men, and this had to be done in the stable.

From Tapani, various entertainments for young people, games began, and mummers appeared. The mummers went at any time from Stefan's Day to Knut.

There were two kinds of them: "goats" and "star children".

Among the mummers, called "whip goats", "Christmas goats", there were various figures and masks of animals. First of all, these were goats - people in turned-out fur coats, with horns and tails, a "Christmas crane", as well as a rider on a horse. Men dressed as women, women as men, blackened their faces with soot, etc. The mummers went from house to house, started games, played scenes; they were fed.

The second group of mummers, "star boys" or "Stefan's boys", is apparently a borrowing from medieval mysteries. This procession went with candles, one of the boys carried the Star of Bethlehem. The procession was attended by figures depicting King Herod, a soldier, the "Arapian king." The traditions of walking "star children" were preserved mainly in Häme, as well as in the vicinity of Oulu, etc.

According to old Finnish ideas, the central winter month was double. January and February were called big and small or first and second.

January was a relatively easy month for the peasant. In January, they continued to harvest wood, prepare fishing tackle, women spun and wove.

The celebration of the New Year on January 1 was adopted by the Finns in the 16th century. Prior to this, as already mentioned, the year began after Michaelmas Day, gradually moved towards the end of October, and at one time was apparently celebrated on November 1st. From the time the New Year began to be celebrated on January 1, on the eve of it and on the first day, the features characteristic of such a date passed. On the eve began to guess.

As before Christmas, the floor was covered with straw on New Year's Eve. On New Year's Day, they were guessing at it, throwing it up. If the straw caught on the poles, then this promised crops.

Everyone had to behave with dignity on New Year's Day - as he did everything on this day, so it will be throughout the year. Many signs were connected with the weather on January 1.

January 6 - baptism, which was called loppiainen, a term derived from the word "end", that is, in meaning - seeing off Christmas days. Epiphany was not a big holiday in Finland, since everything that was connected with the end of the Christmas period was transferred to Knut's day (January 7 or 13. Knut's day until 1708 fell on January 7, then was moved to 13.1. According to tradition, it was considered that Knut's day is the end of the Christmas holidays; sometimes it simply depended on the welfare of the peasant to finish them a week earlier - on January 7 or later - on the 13th.

On the day of Knuth, it was possible to start the usual work, but on this day

there were also some Christmas games - there were again mummers, "Knut's goats" or "Knut's wanderers", etc. They went from house to house to "wash barrels" - to drink up Christmas beer.

In a narrow way, we have seen that the Finnish folk calendar has stably preserved its features of the agrarian calendar over the centuries. The latter manifested itself in the fact that the year was divided into two halves according to the work - summer and winter, while spring and autumn were not particularly distinguished.

Conclusion

At the end of this work, we can say with full confidence that the Western European peoples attached great importance to holidays. Each holiday involved certain preparations for it, which could take longer than the holiday itself. And all the processes associated with the festive preparation were surrounded by many signs and superstitions that forced people to prepare for the holiday in this way and not otherwise.

In addition, the holiday, distracting people from everyday worries, family troubles, life difficulties, gave psychological relaxation, and spending time together, active communication created the illusion of equality of all people, albeit for a short time, relieved social tension in society.

Holidays, which attracted many people, also provided opportunities for boys and girls to choose a marriage partner, and joy and fun relieved the natural tension between young people.

It can also be said that all folk holidays were closely intertwined with church holidays, as a result of which they mixed and adjusted to each other.

Some ancient holidays were integrated into the Western European culture of modern times, and continue to exist to this day, thereby giving people a good and cheerful mood, a “holiday mood”.

Literature

1. Bromley Yu. V. "Created by mankind" - M .: Publishing house of political literature, 1984. - 271 p.

2. Vdovenko T.V. Social work in the sphere of leisure in the countries of Western Europe - St. Petersburg: SPbGUP, 1999. - 162 p.

3. Dulikov V. Z. Social aspects of cultural and leisure activities abroad - M .: MGUK, 1999. - 107 p.

4. Kiseleva T. G. Theory of leisure abroad. - M.: MGIK, 1992. - 50 p.

5. Mosalev B. G. Leisure. Methodology and methods of social research.

6. Socio - cultural activity: searches, problems, prospects. / Ed. T.G. Kiseleva, B.G. Mosaleva, Yu.A. Streltsova: collection of articles. – M.: MGUK, 1997. – 127 p.

7. Tokarev S. A. Calendar customs and rituals in the countries of foreign Europe - M .: Nauka, 1973. - 349 p.

Christmas and New Years are the perfect time to visit Europe. German Christmas markets, a papal performance, grand New Year's Eve parties, a visit to Santa's residence in Lapland - each of the European countries can make your Christmas special.

In European countries, they attach more importance to Christmas Eve, which must be spent with the family. Therefore, even at Christmas, many restaurants, bars, cafes and shops are open here. Often New Year's festivities begin only with midnight bells, and after that everyone has fun until dawn.

This itinerary is based solely on what can be seen in different countries. You will have to travel by plane to these wonderful places, but low cost airlines usually offer fantastic discounts during the winter months. So, such a trip will not cost fabulous money.

In late November/early December, head to Salzburg for the Advent Singing Festival. Christmas markets in Germany usually close on Christmas Eve. So hurry up to get your portion of spicy mulled wine. Paris and London are also great for the Christmas holidays. In these European capitals, many illuminated displays are installed every year - come and see for yourself!

Visit Santa in Lapland and then head to Finland to see the Northern Lights. On New Year's Eve, make your way to Scotland to take part in the traditional Hogmanay celebration. In early January, visit Spain for the Day of the Three Kings or, as it is otherwise called, the Day of the Three Wise Men. It is on January 5 that a ship with three travelers arrives in the cities of Spain, and the streets are filled with artists, buffoons and circus performers.

And although December is very traditionally considered the low season, the Christmas holidays are an exception. Therefore, we recommend booking hotel rooms in advance.

Italy

What is it like to be in Italy for Christmas? To imagine, you should learn more about the Christmas traditions of this country.

It will surprise you that Italian children do not write letters to Santa Claus to ask for gifts. These touching messages contain declarations of love for parents. The Christmas dinner here is called "The Feast of the Seven Fishes" because each table should have seven different seafood dishes. Meat is not served at Christmas. Also, be sure to wear red underwear on New Year's Eve. This should bring good luck in the new year.

Germany

Many German Christmas traditions are now spread all over the world. It was here that they began to decorate Christmas trees and hang wreaths of coniferous branches on the doors. Festive markets run all over Germany until Christmas Eve. Here you can buy souvenirs, fragrant mulled wine, traditional pastries: vanilla crescents with hazelnuts, cinnamon stars, macaroons and gingerbread. For dinner, it is customary to bake a goose, and dumplings and cabbage are served as a side dish.

In Austria, in the South of Bavaria, as well as in Munich, an unusual Krampus procession takes place on two Sundays in December. Krampus is the evil counterpart of Saint Nicholas. Instead of a bag of gifts, Krampus has chains in his hands, a bunch of birch twigs and a bag in which he will carry naughty children to hell. In recent years, this interesting tradition has become increasingly popular. Germans and tourists dress up as Krampus, who looks like a goat, and go for a walk through the streets of the city.

If you are traveling with children, then we recommend that you visit the Christmas markets, see the performances of artists, jugglers and gymnasts. Be sure to try the German stollen. This is a traditional candied fruit cake that will win you over with its magical taste!

Switzerland

Is there a better place for Christmas than the Swiss Alps? The Christmas markets in Switzerland are not as nostalgic as those in Germany, but are nonetheless very popular.

Basel has the largest open-air Christmas market in all of Switzerland. Here you will find charming handicrafts and lots of sweets. Zurich has four Christmas markets every year. The largest indoor market in all of Switzerland starts on December 8th. And on December 17, the annual festival of floating lights will be held here.

In Bern, the largest Christmas market is located among the houses built in the 15th-17th century. You will be able to make pleasant purchases and admire the medieval architecture. The Bernese Christmas market at Waisenhausplatz is open until December 29th, which means it stays open longer than most and will keep you warm with mulled wine almost until New Year's Eve.

Portugal

In this country, the obligatory attribute of Christmas is the so-called Janeiras. These are small groups of people who go from house to house, singing traditional songs and sometimes accompanying themselves on musical instruments. It is more customary for us to call this phenomenon “carols”. Usually groups of friends or neighbors carol in Portugal.

The Portuguese attach great importance to nativity scenes. In the village of Penela, up to five different nativity scenes are installed annually, some even use 3D technology. There is also a Christmas train running here, as well as an amazingly detailed model railway with 10 trains. Thematic workshops on making New Year's toys are held daily. The Christmas market will delight you with souvenirs and treats, and magicians, jugglers and clowns will not let you get bored.

Austria

One of the world's favorite Christmas songs was born in Austria. "Silent Night" or Stille Nacht is performed all over the world, although in a slightly different way than Franz Gruber's original version sounded.

If you are lucky enough to be in Salzburg in early December, be sure to visit the Advent Singing Festival. In 2017, the Salzberg Advent Singing Festival will be held for the 70th anniversary. For the first time performers from all over the world came here in 1946. Next year the festival will return to its roots, its theme will once again be the revival of the post-war world. Visit this touching event and you will never forget this encounter with art.

France

Did you know that since 1962, every child in France who sent a letter to Santa, or Noel as they call him here, got a reply? As in all of Europe, December 25 is a non-working day that all French people tend to spend with their families. And children find gifts under a festively decorated spruce. The doors of houses are traditionally decorated with pine wreaths. And in Alsace, it is customary to richly decorate the house with garlands and luminous figures.

Young French people often spend New Year's Eve in the clubs of Paris or other major cities. But France offers unique alternatives for celebrating the New Year. You can enjoy a romantic cruise on the River Seine, admire the torchlight procession or go on a tour of the city of Avignon, which will enchant you with festive illuminations.

UK and Scotland

The main attribute of New Year's Eve in London is fantastically beautiful fireworks. Most clubs in London organize special parties on New Year's Eve. And restaurants arrange a gala dinner with a show program on New Year's Eve. You can also take a cruise on the River Thames or attend a New Year's Eve themed ball at the famous Torture Garden.

Nowhere do they celebrate the New Year as cheerfully as in Scotland they celebrate the traditional Hogmanay (Hogmanay). The Scots adopted this custom from the Varangians, who had fun on the shortest day of the year. Immediately after midnight, it is supposed to go to friends and family to congratulate everyone, moving from house to house.

It is considered a good omen if an attractive brunette crosses the threshold of the house first in the new year, in whose hands there should be coal, whiskey, shortbread cookies and a chocolate muffin. In return, such a visitor receives a full glass of excellent whiskey, because the guest portends good luck, prosperity and prosperity. It is believed that this belief appeared at a time when the blond Vikings made their raids on the homes of the Scots. So it turns out that a brunette on the threshold of the house is a harbinger of happiness.

Climate in Italy

Italy is called sunny, but the weather here is very capricious. The country is located on the Apennine Peninsula. Despite the small area, the terrain varies significantly between regions. It is because of this, and also because of the significant length from north to south, that the climate in Italy has a number of features that cannot be ignored when planning a trip.

Transport in Italy

No trip is complete without transportation. Trains and planes, buses and sea connections - all this is an integral part of travel. To visit the best corners of sunny Italy, it is better to get acquainted with the culture of the country, it is worth not only laying the route, but also getting acquainted with all the intricacies of local public transport and traffic.

What to bring from Italy

When we hear “shopping in Italy”, we most often think of fashion boutiques, then we think of olive oil, pasta, cheese; someone may have associations with Venetian glass or carnival masks. So? Next - we bring to your attention a list of popular, original and simply interesting souvenirs and other products that may interest you, and some even turn out to be very useful.