How to celebrate the New Year in Rome. Roman New Year - a cocktail of centuries-old traditions and a festive booth When do the Romans celebrate the New Year?

New Year in Rome 2019 is a very real idea for the New Year holidays and a short Christmas trip. Rome is a wonderful city to celebrate the New Year; you can also celebrate Christmas here, both Catholic - on December 25, and Orthodox - on January 7. Believe me, it will be very easy to create a program for a New Year’s tour of Rome, the main thing is that you have enough time and energy for the trip.

Weather in Rome in December and New Year

How to celebrate the New Year in Rome 2019, traditions

The Italian capital and the Vatican (a state within a state) located in it look simply magical on New Year’s Eve - bright and colorful lights, new Year decoration on houses and streets, in the evening - festive fireworks.

What did this holiday look like in ancient times? It turns out that the New Year holiday is the oldest of all existing holidays. The very first of the holidays consciously celebrated by humanity.

During excavations of ancient Egyptian pyramids, archaeologists found a vessel on which was written: “The beginning of the new year.” IN Ancient Egypt The New Year was celebrated when the Nile River was in flood (around the end of September). The Nile flood was very important because... Only thanks to him did grain grow in the dry desert. On New Year's Day, statues of the god Amun, his wife and son were placed in a boat. The boat sailed along the Nile for a month, which was accompanied by singing, dancing and fun. The statues were then brought back into the temple.

In Ancient Babylon, the New Year was celebrated in the spring. During the holiday, the king left the city for several days. While he was away, the people were having fun and could do whatever they wanted. A few days later, the king and his retinue, dressed in festive clothes, solemnly returned to the city, and the people returned to work. So every year people started life anew.

Ancient Greeks New Year Looks like they didn't notice it in any way. There was considerable inconsistency in their calendars and their relationship with time in general. The New Year began differently in different policies: In Athens it began on the summer solstice (June 21 of the new century); on Delos - on the winter solstice (December 21 of the new century), and in Boeotia - in October. Even the names of the months were different in different states. Each year in each city had its name according to the main official of that year - in Athens by the first archon, in Sparta by the first ephor, etc. The famous treaty of 421 BC. e. Between Athens and Sparta - the Peace of Nice - was dated as follows: “Under the Spartan ephor Plistol, 4 days before the end of the month of Artemisia, and under the Athenian archon Alcaeus, 6 days before the end of the month of Elaphebolion” And go figure when it was!

And the ancient Romans, even before our era, began to give new Year gifts and have fun all the time New Year's Eve all day long, wishing each other happiness, good luck, prosperity.
For a long time, the Romans celebrated the New Year in early March, until Julius Caesar introduced new calendar(currently called Julian). Thus, the first day of January became the date of the New Year. The month of January was named after the Roman god Janus (two-faced). One face of Janus was supposedly turned back to the past year, the other - forward to the new one. The New Year's holiday was called "Kalends". During the holiday, people decorated their houses and gave each other gifts and coins with the image of the two-faced Janus; slaves and their owners ate and were merry together. The Romans gave gifts to the emperor. At first this happened voluntarily, but over time the emperors began to demand gifts for the New Year.
They say that Julius Caesar gave one of his slaves new Year's Eve freedom for wishing him to live longer in the new year than in the old one.
On the first day of the New Year, the Roman Emperor Caligula went out to the square in front of the palace and accepted gifts from his subjects, writing down who gave, how much and what...

The Celts, the inhabitants of Gaul (the territory of modern France and part of England) celebrated the New Year at the end of October. The holiday was called Samhain from “summer's end” (end of summer). On the New Year, the Celts decorated their homes with mistletoe to drive out ghosts. They believed that it was on the New Year that the spirits of the dead came to the living. The Celts inherited many Roman traditions, including the requirement New Year's gifts from subjects. Jewelry and gold were usually given. Centuries later, thanks to this tradition, Queen Elizabeth I amassed a huge collection of embroidered and bejeweled gloves. On New Year's Day, husbands gave their wives money for pins and other trinkets. This tradition was forgotten by 1800, but the term "pin money" is still used and refers to money for small expenses.

In the Middle Ages, there was complete confusion in the celebration of the New Year. Depending on the countries, the time the beginning of the year was different: for example, March 25, the feast of the Annunciation, celebrated the beginning of the year in Italy, and in Southern Italy and Byzantium, and in Russia, the beginning of the year is considered to be September 1, and in many countries the year began on holidays Christmas or Easter, and on the Iberian Peninsula the countdown time for the New Year was, as it is now, January 1. The Church was categorically against the last date, since it broke the cycle of the Christmas holidays. And only by the 18th century in Europe did they come to a single date (for example, the New Year in medieval England began in March, and only in 1752 was it decided by parliament to move the New Year to January 1). By this time, modern European traditions of celebrating the New Year began to take shape. year - but I’ll tell you about the traditions in another post

The celebration of the New Year in Rus' has the same complex fate as its history itself. First of all, all changes in the celebration of the new year were associated with the most important historical events that affected the entire state and each person individually. Undoubtedly folk tradition even after the officially introduced changes in the calendar, it retained ancient customs for a long time.

Celebrating the New Year in pagan Rus'.
How the New Year was celebrated in pagan ancient Rus' is one of the unresolved and controversial issues in historical science. The beginning of the New Year celebration should be sought in ancient times. Thus, among ancient peoples, the New Year usually coincided with the beginning of the revival of nature and was mainly confined to the month of March.
In Rus' there was a proleta for a long time, i.e. the first three months, and the summer month began in March. In honor of him, they celebrated Ausen, Ovsen or Tusen, which later moved to the new year. Summer itself in ancient times consisted of the current three spring and three summer months - the last six months consisted winter time. The transition from autumn to winter was blurred like the transition from summer to autumn. Presumably, initially in Rus' the New Year was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox on March 22. Maslenitsa and New Year were celebrated on the same day. Winter has been driven away, which means a new year has arrived. It was a holiday of Spring and new life.

But even in winter, at the time that we are celebrating now, the ancient Slavs had a holiday - Kolyada is celebrated from December 25 to January 6 (Veles Day). Thus, December 25 is the beginning of 10 whole days of the holiday. This time of birth of the new Sun, as well as the “pass” of the year through the shortest and darkest days, has been celebrated since ancient times as a time of witchcraft and revelry evil spirits. Fortune telling at Christmas time is one of the echoes of the old Slavic holiday Kolyada. On December 25, as the day “sparrow’s toe” increased, people gathered to sing carols. This was supposed to be done in scary masks made from natural materials - fur, leather, bast, birch bark. Having put on masks, the mummers went home to carol. At the same time, so-called carols were sung, glorifying the owners and promising wealth, a happy marriage, etc. After caroling, they began to have a feast. In the hut, in the red corner, there was always a sheaf (didukh) with a wooden spoon stuck into it or a straw doll depicting Kolyada.
They drank honey, kvass, uzvar (a decoction of dried fruits, compote, in our opinion), ate kutya, bagels and loaves, after a feast with songs and dances they went outside to be sure to roll a burning wheel up the hill, personifying the sun, with the words “In Roll up the mountain, come back with spring.” The most persistent ones also met the real sun - on a cold winter morning.

Celebrating the New Year after the Baptism of Rus'
Together with Christianity in Rus' (988 - Baptism of Rus'), a new chronology appeared - from the creation of the world, as well as a new European calendar - the Julian, with a fixed name for the months. March 1st was considered the beginning of the new year
According to one version, at the end of the 15th century, and according to another in 1348, the Orthodox Church moved the beginning of the year to September 1, which corresponded to the definitions of the Council of Nicaea. The transfer must be put in connection with the growing importance of the Christian Church in the state life of ancient Rus'. The strengthening of Orthodoxy in medieval Rus', the establishment of Christianity as a religious ideology, naturally causes the use of “holy scripture” as a source of reform introduced into the existing calendar. The reform of the calendar system was carried out in Rus' without taking into account the working life of the people, without establishing a connection with agricultural work. The September New Year was approved by the church, following the word of the Holy Scriptures; establishing and justifying it with a biblical legend.
Thus, the New Year began on the first of September. This day became the feast of Simeon the First Stylite, which is still celebrated by our church and known among the common people under the name Semyon of the Summer Conductor, because on this day summer ended and the new year began. It was a solemn day of celebration for us, and the subject of analysis of urgent conditions, collection of quitrents, taxes and personal courts.

Innovations of Peter I in the celebration of the New Year
The tradition of celebrating the New Year was introduced in Russia by Peter I. The Tsar, wanting to keep pace with the West, forbade celebrating the New Year in the fall, by special decree moving the holiday to January 1. However, Peter the Great still preserved the traditional Julian calendar for Russia, so the New Year in Russia began several days later than in European countries. In those days, Christmas in Russia fell on December 25 (according to the Julian calendar), and the New Year was celebrated after Christmas. This meant that January 1 did not fall on the Nativity fast, which in those days was strictly observed by everyone, which means that on the holiday people could not limit themselves to food and drink. The first New Year in Russia was noisily celebrated with a parade and fireworks on the night of December 31 to January 1, 1700.

The capital then was Moscow, St. Petersburg had not yet been built, so all the celebrations took place on Red Square. However, starting from the new year 1704, the celebrations were moved to the northern capital. True, the main thing at the New Year's holiday in those days was not the feast, but mass celebrations. St. Petersburg masquerades were held in the square near the Peter and Paul Fortress, and Peter not only himself took part in the festivities, but also obliged the nobles to do so. Those who did not attend the festivities under the pretext of illness were examined by doctors. If the reason turned out to be unconvincing, a fine was imposed on the offender: he had to drink a huge amount of vodka in front of everyone.
After the masquerade, the inexorable king invited a narrow circle of especially close associates (80 - 100 people) to his imperial palace. Traditionally, the doors of the dining room were locked with a key so that no one would try to leave the premises before 3 days later. This agreement was in force at the insistence of Peter. They reveled immensely these days: by the third day, most of the guests quietly slid under the bench, without disturbing the others. Only the strongest could withstand such a New Year's feast.

Winter New Year did not take root in Russia right away. However, Peter was persistent and mercilessly punished those who tried to celebrate the New Year on September 1 according to the old tradition. He also strictly ensured that by January 1, the houses of nobles and commoners were decorated with spruce, juniper or pine branches. These branches were supposed to be decorated not with toys, as now, but with fruits, nuts, vegetables and even eggs. Moreover, all these products served not just as decoration, but also as symbols: apples - a symbol of fertility, nuts - the incomprehensibility of divine providence, eggs - a symbol of developing life, harmony and complete well-being. Over time, Russians got used to the new winter holiday. The evening before the New Year began to be called “generous.” A bountiful festive table, according to popular belief, ensured well-being for the entire coming year and was considered a guarantee of family wealth. Therefore, they tried to decorate it with everything that they would like to have in abundance in their household.
Empress Elizabeth I continued the tradition of celebrating the New Year started by her father. New Year's Eve and New Year's celebrations have become an integral part of palace festivities. Elizabeth, a great lover of balls and entertainment, organized luxurious masquerades in the palace, which she herself loved to attend. men's suit. But unlike the riotous era of Peter the Great, in Elizabethan times court celebrations and feasts were given decorum.

Under Catherine II, the New Year was also celebrated on a grand scale, and the tradition of giving New Year's gifts became widespread. On New Year's Eve people were taken to the imperial palace great amount various offerings.

At the beginning of the 19th century, champagne became popular in Russia - a drink that today not a single New Year's feast can do without. True, at first Russians viewed sparkling wines with suspicion: they were called “the devil’s drink” because of the flying cork and foamy stream from the bottle. According to legend, champagne gained wide popularity after the victory over Napoleon. In 1813, upon entering Reims, Russian troops, as victors, devastated the wine cellars of the famous house of Madame Clicquot. However, Madame Clicquot did not even try to stop the robbery, wisely deciding that “Russia will cover the losses.” The insightful madam looked into the water: the fame of the quality of her products spread throughout Russia. Within three years, the enterprising widow received more orders from the Russian Empire than in her homeland.

The reign of Emperor Nicholas I dates back to the appearance of the first public New Year tree in Russia and St. Petersburg. Before this, as already mentioned, Russians decorated their houses only with pine branches. However, any tree was suitable for decoration: cherry, apple, birch. In the mid-19th century, only Christmas trees began to be decorated. The first dressed-up beauty lit up the room with lights in 1852. And by the end of the 19th century, this beautiful custom had already become familiar not only in Russian cities, but also in villages.


In the 60s of the 19th century, French chef Lucien Olivier invented the Olivier Salad. He was the owner of the Hermitage tavern, which at that time was located on Trubnaya Square. By all accounts, this was not a tavern, but the most high-class Parisian restaurant. The main attraction of the Hermitage cuisine immediately became the Olivier salad.
Lucien Olivier kept the method of preparing the salad a secret and with his death the secret of the recipe was considered lost. However, the main ingredients were known and in 1904 the salad recipe was reproduced. Here is its composition; 2 hazel grouse, veal tongue, a quarter pound of pressed caviar, half a pound of fresh lettuce, 25 pieces of boiled crayfish, half a jar of pickles, half a jar of kabul soybeans, two fresh cucumbers, a quarter of a pound of capers, 5 hard-boiled eggs. For the sauce: Provencal mayonnaise should be prepared with French vinegar from 2 eggs and 1 pound of Provencal (olive) oil, however, according to experts, this was not the case. But, try cooking.

With Christmas in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century, the season of balls and holiday celebrations. Numerous Christmas trees were organized for children with obligatory gifts, ice palaces and mountains were built for public entertainment, and free performances were given. The most solemn moment of the New Year's Eve was the appearance of the Highest Persons in the Winter Palace.

According to tradition, St. Petersburg residents celebrated Christmas and Christmas Eve at home, with their families. But on New Year's Eve they reserved tables in restaurants or entertainment venues. At that time there were a great variety of restaurants in St. Petersburg - for every taste and budget. There were aristocratic restaurants: “Kuba” on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, or “Bear” on Bolshaya Konyushennaya. The more democratic “Donon” gathered writers, artists, scientists, and graduates of the School of Law at its tables.
The capital's elite - people of art and literature - held their evenings in the fashionable "Kontan", on the Moika. The evening's program includes a lyrical divertissement with the participation of the best Russian and foreign artists, a virtuoso Romanian orchestra; Ladies were presented with free flowers. Literary youth preferred artistic cabarets to ordinary restaurants. The most colorful of them was “Stray Dog” on Mikhailovskaya Square.

But along with such restaurants for the intelligent public, there were establishments of a completely different kind. The winter cafe "Villa Rode" appeared in St. Petersburg in 1908. Dancers and a gypsy choir performed on stage. Young ladies from respectable families were not recommended to visit this establishment.

New Year under Soviet rule. Change of calendar.
After the revolution, in 1918, by Lenin's decree, Russia switched to the Gregorian calendar, which by the 20th century overtook the Julian calendar by 13 days. February 1, 1918 was immediately declared the 14th. But Orthodox Church did not accept this transition and announced that she would celebrate Christmas according to the old Julian calendar. Since then, Orthodox Christmas in Russia has been celebrated on January 7 (December 25, old style). In 1929, Christmas was abolished. With it, the Christmas tree, which was called a “priestly” custom, was also abolished. New Year was cancelled. Former holidays turned into ordinary working days. The Christmas tree was recognized as a “priestly” custom. “Only he who is a friend of the priests is ready to celebrate the Christmas tree!” - wrote children's magazines. But in many families they continued to celebrate the New Year, although they did it with great caution - they put up the Christmas tree secretly, tightly curtaining the windows. It was probably in those years that the New Year in Russia began to be celebrated not with masquerades and dances, but with a feast. After all, they had to celebrate secretly so as not to wake up the neighbors. This continued until 1935. However, at the end of 1935, an article by Pavel Petrovich Postyshev appeared in the Pravda newspaper, “Let's organize for the new year for children nice Christmas tree". Society, which had not yet forgotten the beautiful and bright holiday, reacted quickly enough, and the “highest directive" changed. It turned out that the New Year is a wonderful holiday, which can also once again testify to the achievements of the country of the Soviets. - on sale Christmas trees appeared and Christmas decorations. Pioneers and Komsomol members took upon themselves the organization and conduct Christmas trees in schools, orphanages and clubs. On December 31, 1935, the Christmas tree re-entered the homes of our compatriots and became a holiday of “joyful and happy childhood in our country” - a wonderful New Year’s holiday that continues to delight us today.
Since 1936, the most important children's Christmas tree in Russia has been taking place in the Kremlin.
Since 1947, January 1 has again become a “red day of the calendar,” that is, a non-working day.



Dancing and masquerades were almost completely excluded from the New Year's program: in cramped apartments one had to choose: either a table or dancing. With the advent of televisions in Soviet families, the table finally won. The main event on New Year’s Day was the opening of a bottle of “Soviet champagne” to the sound of the Kremlin chimes.


For the New Year, television has always prepared an extensive entertainment program: The annual Blue Lights were especially popular. Later, special “New Year” films began to appear.

In 1991, with the beginning of the Yeltsin era, after an almost 75-year break, Russia began to celebrate the Nativity of Christ again. January 7 was declared a non-working day: Christmas services were shown on TV and Russians were explained how to celebrate the holy holiday.




However, the traditions of celebrating Christmas in Russia have already been lost. Several generations of Soviet people, brought up in the spirit of atheism, did not understand either the essence or form of this holiday. However, the extra day off was accepted with pleasure. Revival of celebration Orthodox Christmas in Russia, in a sense, jeopardized the long-standing “Soviet” tradition of celebrating the New Year. December 31st starts the last week before Christmas: according to Christian canons, this is a time of repentance, abstinence and prayer. And suddenly, in the middle of strict fasting, according to the established “secular” tradition, the most magnificent and most delicious tables are set. What “Christmas celebration traditions” are we talking about? It is unknown how this paradox will be resolved in the future, which arose due to the reluctance of the Russian Church to switch to “ a new style" So far, the confrontation between secular and church traditions is confidently winning the New Year, which has held the position of favorite for many years family holiday Russians.

New Year 2019 in Rome will be an excellent choice for those people who want to travel to Europe and immerse themselves in the holiday atmosphere. The climate in Italy is mild, harsh winters rarely happen here, so the weather will be favorable for walking around the city and exploring its sights. In addition, New Year's Rome is always fun and noisy, so when you visit it, you will get a lot of positive emotions and pleasant impressions.

New Year traditions

New Year for the Romans is a wonderful occasion to please family and friends nice gifts, so most townspeople go shopping. Trade is brisk at the end of December. Taking this into account, as well as traditional sales starting on Catholic Christmas, you will definitely be able to buy gifts and memorable souvenirs.

As for celebrating the New Year, Italians usually gather for festive table an hour or two before midnight. They remember the past year and all the good things that happened in it. At the same time, the table is literally bursting with various dishes, among which there is always smoked fish, pork, lentils and baked chicken. Vacationers' glasses are filled with champagne or beer.

You may be surprised that Italians drink beer on New Year's Eve, but this fact is easy to explain. The fact is that residents of Rome and other Italian cities consider the foamy drink to be a magic mash that can bring good luck.

After spending a few hours at home or in a restaurant, Italians go to mass celebrations. There they have a lot of fun, drink champagne and make new acquaintances, considering this a good tradition.

New Year's Eve in Rome: where to go?

Every year Piazza del Popolo becomes the epicenter of public festivities. If you decide to go, then remember that entry is only open until 22:00. Joining the crowd of people walking, you can dance to the sets of popular DJs and see performances by famous musicians. At midnight, the fun will reach its climax: vacationers will drink champagne straight from their throats, break empty bottles on the monument, explode pyrotechnics, etc.

If you would like to celebrate the New Year 2019 in a more relaxed atmosphere, then it is better to sit in a restaurant or cafe. True, this option has 2 significant drawbacks. The first of them is inflated prices. The second is the lack of a show program. This is explained by the fact that going to restaurants on New Year's Eve is not popular among the Romans. Despite this, most catering establishments are open until the morning.

It's better to do it the next day. In particular, a visit to the Vatican and the Colosseum, as well as an overview of other attractions, will give you a lot of impressions. We should immediately warn you that the Italian capital is incredibly popular among tourists, so in order to save time, it is better to pay for a trip to a museum or somewhere else via the Internet.

Rome Restaurants

We already said above that Italians do not often celebrate the New Year in cafes and restaurants. However, do not forget that you will be a tourist whose main goal is to have a good rest. Considering the task at hand, it is better to decide in advance which establishment to go to and, if necessary, book a table there.

Roman restaurants, cafes and bars are open on New Year's Eve, but their prices skyrocket significantly. If this does not bother you, and you are ready to do anything to enjoy Italian cuisine, then we advise you to book a table in advance in a restaurant with a view of either the Colosseum or Piazza del Popolo. If the idea of ​​treating yourself to something tasty arises spontaneously, then stop by any cafe. There will always be a place for visitors there. Don't count on entertainment in both cases. The maximum is “live” music. This fact is explained by the fact that most Romans prefer to have fun on the street.

As for specific establishments, the high level of popularity among tourists from different countries the world enjoys the Roman restaurant “Roof Garden Hotel Forum Roma”.

Finding it will not be difficult, because it is located just a few steps from the Colosseum. Here you can celebrate the New Year 2019, sitting at a table on the open terrace and admiring the fireworks launched into the sky. The menu includes traditional Italian dishes and a lot of desserts. The wine list will delight you with a wide selection of red and white wines. Such pleasure is not cheap - the average bill per person exceeds 350 euros.

The “Casa Coppelle” restaurant, located on Piazza delle Coppelle, is a good restaurant. Here the average cost of dinner is approximately 130-150 euros. A table must be reserved in advance with a small prepayment. Next to the Trevi Fountain is the Chianti restaurant in Via delle Lavatore. Tourists from Russia will definitely like it because its waiters are fluent in Russian. In addition, the local chef is a real guru who knows how to create unique culinary masterpieces.

More about prices

As we get closer New Year's holidays Hotel prices in Rome are rising sharply. Given this, it is worth booking a room at least a month before your upcoming trip. So, staying in a single room in a 3-star hotel will cost you 60-80 euros per night. If the chosen hotel is 5-star, then the daily cost of renting a room will be at least 160 euros.

As for other expenses, in inexpensive Italian cafes the cost of breakfast is 3-10 euros, lunch – 5-10 euros, dinner – 8-15 euros. If you go to a restaurant aimed at foreigners, then you can safely multiply the above figures by 3-4 times.

You can plan your New Year 2019 trip to Rome yourself. In this case, it is possible that you will spend 800-1000 euros, of which a third will be spent on transport costs, but at the same time you will be able to save on accommodation and excursions. If you decide to buy a ready-made tour, then you will have plenty to choose from, but even the most budget option will cost you no less than 80 thousand rubles.

Thus, New Year holidays in the Italian capital is a great opportunity to have a good time and forget about pressing problems. It should not be missed under any circumstances!

Watch the video of what Rome looks like on New Year's Eve:

Ancient Egypt

In Ancient Egypt, the New Year was celebrated during the Nile flood, when the sacred star Sirius was rising (it is difficult to indicate the exact date - the range is somewhere from July to September), and the first season of the ancient Egyptian year - “akhet” - began. The flood of the Nile was called the arrival of Hapi, the god of the Upper and Lower Nile, who gives abundance. This was a sacred time for Egypt, because drought would threaten the very existence of this agricultural state. Therefore, with the rise of Sirius, a new period in the life of the ancient Egyptians began, who by that time had finished sowing.

Preparations for the New Year began long before the spill. The temple farms fattened sacrificial bulls and birds and stored oils and resins. Even the poor tried to sew new clothes and aprons for national holidays. People bought fabrics, sandals and incense for anointing. The priests calculated the day the water would arrive, and on the eve of the appointed date, people crowded the embankment, eagerly awaiting the flood.

The people vigorously welcomed the arriving waves that came from the south, plowed the river, spread out, went north, and behind them came more and more masses of water. In front of the crowd of people stood the priests of the temples. On the thresholds of poor huts and on the marble steps of palaces - everywhere people joyfully greeted the life-giving waters.

On the day the Nile flooded, sacrifices were made to Hapi; papyrus scrolls with lists of gifts written on them were thrown into the river. Statues of the god Amun (with whom Hapi was sometimes identified), his wife and son were placed in a boat. The boat sailed along the Nile for a month, which was accompanied by singing, dancing and fun. The statues were then brought back into the temple.

Even during the celebration of the New Year, the Egyptians had a custom of filling special vessels with “holy water” from the overflowing Nile, the water of which at that time was considered miraculous. In addition, freed from work, the Egyptians visited friends and relatives at this time, and together with them they commemorated their ancestors and praised the gods.

The Ancient Egyptian New Year is often associated with another cult - the goddess of love and music Hathor, daughter of the solar god Ra. Two nights before the New Year, the high priest and his assistants performed a ritual cleansing of the statue of the goddess in the Temple of Hathor in Dendera. And on the night before the New Year - the “night of Ra”, when the battle of the sun god with the gods of darkness took place - a solemn procession was held, in which the pharaoh and his wife participated along with the priests. The statue of Hathor was carried on a sacred boat and installed in a gazebo with 12 columns, symbolizing the months of the year, on the roof of the temple. With the appearance of the first ray of sun in the new year, the curtains opened and sunlight poured onto the goddess - a mystical blessing by the god Ra of the daughter Hathor, the temple and the whole world.

Babylon

4000 years ago, New Year was celebrated in Ancient Babylon. Here it came with the first new moon (as soon as the first thin month appeared) after the vernal equinox, which was considered the first day of spring. Indeed, the arrival of spring is a very logical time to start a new year. This is the time of rebirth, planting seeds and flowering.

During the holiday, the ruler was stripped and sent out of the city, and for 11 days everyone did whatever he wanted. Moreover, every day was celebrated somehow in its own way. Then the king returned at the head of a large procession, dressed in beautiful clothes. Everyone returned to work and behaved decently. Thus, every year people began new life. As we see, new year tradition making a decision to change something in your life in the coming year has its roots in Ancient Babylon. By the way, at that time the most popular solution was to return borrowed agricultural equipment...

Ancient Rome

For a long time, the New Year began for the Romans on March 1st. In 46 BC. Emperor Julius Caesar introduced a new calendar - one that is still used today, and the New Year moved to January 1st. And so that the calendar coincided with the movement of the sun, Caesar “extended” the previous year from 365 to 445 days.

January is a symbolic month for the start of a new year, because it got its name in honor of the two-faced Roman god Janus. God looks back to the past year and forward to the next.

Roman festivals in honor of the New Year were called Kalends. People decorated their houses and gave each other gifts. The slaves drank with their masters, and for several days the people did whatever they pleased.

Ancient Slavs

Among the Slavs, the pagan New Year was associated with the deity Kolyada and was celebrated on the Day winter solstice. The main symbolism was the fire of the fire, depicting and invoking the light of the sun, which, after the longest night of the year, was supposed to rise higher and higher. The ritual New Year's pie - loaf - was also shaped like the sun. In addition, it was associated with fertility, which is reflected in its name, which is etymologically related to the word “cow”. In ancient times, the loaf was prepared by priests using various rituals and special archaic tools, such as ritual millstones for preparing flour.

When cleaning up on the eve of the holiday, the girls carefully swept the trash from under the table - after all, if they came across grain of bread, it promised marriage next year.

Many New Year's rituals performed by children who depicted the new year. Children walked around the courtyards and sang so-called “carols” - magic spells for well-being in homes, for which they were generously given gifts. “Caroling” was often accompanied by “dressing up” as a goat, cow and other animals that embodied fertility.

Since ancient times, in Rus' they believed that the events of New Year's Eve would be projected into the coming 12 months. So it was not recommended, for example, to do hard and dirty work, otherwise the whole year would pass in hard work without rest. And in order to enjoy new things all year round, on New Year’s Day they put on all the most beautiful, new things and even tried to change their clothes several times. A good custom for fashionistas and coquettes!

Ancient Persians

The ancient Persian holiday of Nowruz was celebrated on the vernal equinox from March 21 to 22 and meant the beginning of spring and the sowing period. The word “Navruz” is translated from Persian as “new day”. This is the first day of the month of Farvadin according to the Iranian calendar.
A few weeks before this date, wheat or barley seeds were placed in a dish to germinate. By the New Year, the seeds sprouted, which symbolized the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year of life.

We tell you how to celebrate the New Year in Italy (in particular, in Rome) in 2020. Information on hotel prices, tours and food, weather and activities, and restaurants. Reviews from tourists about the holiday in the capital.

How is New Year celebrated in Italy?

Surely many have heard about a funny tradition in Italy - throwing old things out of windows on New Year's Eve. By getting rid of unnecessary rubbish, Italians believe that they will be happy next year. Alas, the old tradition is slowly becoming obsolete; now it is fashionable to buy new things for the holiday.

The main Christmas tree of the country is installed in Piazza Venezia in Rome, another beautiful spruce stands near the Colosseum. There is a Christmas market in Piazza Navona with souvenirs, children's attractions and animators. Children are congratulated by the Italian Santa Claus - Babbo Natale - and the fairy Befana, who puts candy in the sock of obedient children and coals for naughty children.

At 9 o'clock in the evening the Italians see off old year, and after a hearty feast everyone goes to move into the street, traffic is blocked in the evening. On the streets, people noisily congratulate each other, drink sparkling wine and immediately break bottles, set off firecrackers and fireworks.

In Rome Fori Imperiali street is closed and preparations are being made for New Year's concert on-air near the Altar of the Fatherland. You need to arrive before 22:00, they won’t let you in later. On Piazza del Popolo they drink intoxicating drinks straight from their throats, and the most desperate ones jump off the bridge into the Tiber. At midnight, everyone counts down in unison, fireworks roar, champagne flows like a river.

In Milan everyone in the New Year holiday events take place in the main city square, Piazza Duomo, near the Cathedral. Young people go to the best nightclub in the city, Capodanno a Milano, while lovers of a relaxing holiday celebrate at home or in restaurants.

In Venice St. Mark's Square becomes the center of public festivities, thousands of garlands decorate the facades of ancient buildings, and a spruce tree also flaunts. Here everyone counts down the time together, and the holiday comes to the chime of the clock of the 98-meter Campanile bell tower. At midnight, everyone exchanges a kiss, and the sky lights up with bright fireworks.

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Weather in Rome for New Year

Usually the temperature here is +8...+12°С, at night +3...+5°С, sometimes it rains, so it is better to take an umbrella with you. The temperature may drop by 5-6 degrees, so you need to dress warmly - an insulated jacket with a hood or a coat. If you plan to walk around the city, then give preference comfortable shoes at low speed.

Restaurants on New Year's Eve

Rome is not the city where you should celebrate the New Year in a restaurant; it is better to have dinner in some cozy establishment and go to celebrate the holiday with everyone else on the street. If you are planning to arrive in the capital late in the evening of December 31st and there is no energy left for wild celebrations, then it is worth finding a hotel with a restaurant so as not to waste time searching for a suitable free establishment.

On New Year's Eve, most Roman restaurants are open; the cost of dishes usually increases by 30-50%. Of course, it is better to book a table in advance, especially if the place is in the Piazza del Popolo or Colosseum area. But even if you walk around the city around 19-20 hours, you can find a good place for dinner. There is no need to dress too smartly; this is not accepted here. Usually Italians have dinner and go out at 10 p.m., so the restaurant's maximum program is live music.

If the prospect of jostling in a crowd does not appeal, and a celebration at a hotel restaurant seems too boring, book a table at the restaurant Roof Garden Hotel Forum Rome five minutes walk from the Colosseum. From the open terrace you can enjoy views of the Roman Forum and festive fireworks, the program includes dancing, music, gourmet dishes (lobsters, truffles, lasagne, traditional desserts, red and white wine). The celebration lasts from 21:00 to 2:30, the cost of the New Year's banquet is about 360 euros.

More affordable prices in the restaurant Casa Coppelle in Piazza delle Coppelle. The cost of the banquet is 130 euros (without drinks), advance reservation is paid in the amount of 30%. Excellent cuisine in the restaurant Il Chianti on Via delle Lavatore near the Trevi Fountain. There are Russian-speaking waiters here, you can have dinner at a convenient time and then go outside to celebrate with everyone.

(Photo © vanil.noir / flickr.com / License CC BY-NC 2.0)

Where to go in Rome for New Year's holidays?

On January 1, Italians sleep until lunchtime, all museums are closed on this day, even restaurants open no earlier than noon. You can’t count on a tour; it’s better to walk or take a tour bus. If the weather is favorable, you can take a walk in the parks and visit the Villa Borghese. It is better to prepare for the trip in advance and read it a few days in advance.

On January 2, you can already take any excursion and see the Eternal City more closely: cathedrals, fountains, Capitol Hill, Forum, Colosseum, Vatican and other attractions. In, especially the Vatican, it is better to book tickets in advance via the Internet, a lot of time is spent waiting in lines.

Popular excursions in Rome

In January 2020, Rome will host interesting events: exhibitions in the Lapidarium, an international photography festival, and classical music lovers will be able to visit the Opera. There is no strict dress code "tailcoat and Evening Dress", but it is better to dress elegantly, without the traditional jeans and sweaters. Tickets can also be booked online. On January 6, the city celebrates the Feast of Epiphanius with costumed processions. You can find out what events are taking place in Rome.

If the New Year holidays are long enough and this is not your first time in Rome, you can travel from the capital to neighboring cities: it’s a 1-hour drive to Naples by train, and a little longer (1.5 hours) to Florence. You can visit a beautiful city on the water - read, in 1, 2 and 3 days.

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Prices in 2020

The cost of staying in hotels in Rome on New Year and Christmas increases, so it is better to plan such trips in advance. In the fall, you can book a room in the historical center with good discounts on Roomguru: a regular double room in 1-2* costs from 60 euros, accommodation in a three-star hotel will cost from 70 euros (). In a 4-star hotel you can rent a room for a price starting from 77 euros (), in a five-star hotel - from 160 euros per day.

In Rome you can have dinner for 8-15 euros, breakfast for 3-7, and lunch for 5-10 euros per person, if you choose local establishments. In tourist restaurants, dinner will cost 35-40 euros. The cost of a New Year's banquet in a good establishment starts from 100 euros, in an elite restaurant 350-450 euros. An advance payment of 20-30% of the order value is required.

Tours to Italy for the New Year - 2020

Let's look at how much tours to Italian cities cost now for the new year 2020. Prices are current at the time of publication; closer to the holidays they will most likely increase. The cost of tours is indicated for two people with departure from Moscow.

You can go inexpensively to Rimini- vouchers for 7-8 nights with departure on December 28-30 and accommodation in a two- or three-star hotel cost from 60 thousand rubles. Accommodation in a 4* hotel costs from 85 thousand rubles for two, in a 5* hotel - from 160 thousand.

And here New Year's tours V Rome they are already a little more expensive - on average from 80 thousand rubles for a week-long trip with accommodation in the city center or close to it. It costs about the same to go to Milan for New Year 2020.

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