American style Christmas tree. how many toys do you need? Christmas mood! How Christmas trees are decorated in different countries of the world

The New Year comes to Russian homes with the smell of pine needles, kilograms of bright tinsel, cheerfully winking garlands and, of course, a beautiful Christmas tree. This is exactly the kind of holiday we understand, love and look forward to. And what attributes of festive decor accompany the New Year in different parts of the Earth? I propose to gallop across Europe and find out how representatives of other countries decorate their homes.

Sweden

In preparation for the New Year, Swedes decorate literally everything: walls, doors, window sills, windows. They carefully place light garlands on the windows, giving them the shape of animals, houses, toys... About four weeks before the holiday, they place special candles or electric lamps on the windowsills. Every Sunday, one candle is lit - milestones in anticipation of the holiday. True, recently traditional candles are increasingly being replaced with energy-saving lamps, because the Swedes are very sensitive to environmental issues and savings.

England

In Great Britain, the Christmas tree is always decorated for the New Year. And the British decorate their houses with bouquets of mistletoe - since ancient times, people believed in the magical power of this plant. The fireplace is decorated with large painted felt socks (Christmas Stocking) - one per child - where Santa Claus puts gifts.

The festive decor of the inhabitants of Foggy Albion is dominated by red - the color of the heart, the main organ of our body, blood and life. A variety of heart-shaped figures decorate the Christmas tree.

During the holidays, the house can completely change curtains, sofa cushions, kitchen napkins and tablecloths to red ones.

Germany

For the New Year in Germany, houses are decorated with colorful garlands, pine wreaths and Santa Claus figurines. Four weeks before Christmas, German homes display an Advent wreath consisting of mistletoe, with four candles that correspond to each Sunday of the coming Christmas. They often make various Christmas decorations themselves and paint the windows with festive scenes.

Green and red colors predominate in German New Year's decor.

USA

Americans begin preparing for the New Year almost a month earlier than us. It happens that the Christmas tree appears in the house at the end of November. In America, it is customary to place a spruce tree in the corner of the room, but so that it is visible to all guests and family members. Most often, plain Christmas tree balls are used, and in small quantities. But in America they really love garlands, which decorate both the Christmas tree and the entire house, the facade and the area around the house. Sometimes on the American New Year's tree you can see large bows made of red satin ribbon. The top of the green beauty is necessarily decorated with a star (symbol of the Star of Bethlehem) or an angel - America is one of the most religious countries in the world.

Another traditional New Year's decoration in the United States is a cane-shaped candy cane, most often decorated with red and white stripes. Often, holiday decor is complemented by an unusual plant - poinsettia. Moreover, what many take for flowers are actually red-colored leaves.

Japan

In preparation for the New Year, the Japanese traditionally make kadomatsu (a pine tree at the entrance) - this is a kind of greeting to the deity of the New Year holiday. It is made from pine, bamboo, rope woven from rice straw, and decorated with fern branches, tangerines or a bunch of seaweed and dried shrimp. Each of the details of this decoration is symbolic.

The Japanese decorate their houses with bouquets of willow or bamboo branches with mochi hanging on them in the form of flowers, fish, and fruits. These decorations are called mochibana, painted in yellow, green or pink, attached in a visible place or hanging from the ceiling at the entrance, so that the New Year deity - Toshigami, upon entering the house, immediately begins his duties: taking care of the hospitable hosts in the coming year . In every Japanese house on New Year's Day, three branches appear: bamboo, so that children grow up quickly; plums so that the owners have strong helpers; pine trees so that all family members live as long as the pine tree. To ward off evil spirits, the Japanese hang wreaths of straw (or just bunches) in front of the entrance to their houses. A mandatory attribute of the Japanese New Year is the tangerine tree and tangerines, symbolizing happiness, health and longevity.

China

For the New Year, the Chinese decorate the house with pine and cypress branches (symbols of immortality and nobility). At the entrance they always hang branches of blossoming peach, which scare away evil spirits. The house is also decorated with flowers. And above the door, the Chinese attach five long strips of paper, which mean five types of happiness: luck, honor, longevity, wealth and joy. According to ancient tradition, by the beginning of the New Year's celebration, the house should sparkle with cleanliness. Cleaning usually starts from the threshold and ends in the middle of the house.

Instead of a Christmas tree, a Tree of Light is installed in China. It is decorated with flowers, garlands and lanterns. The main color of the Chinese New Year - red - symbolizes life and the beginning of spring, and the New Year itself in China is called the Spring Festival.

Iran

In Iran, a few weeks before the New Year, wheat or lentil grains are planted in small pots. On Nowruz, green sprouts (sabze) will decorate the festive table, becoming a symbol of the eternal rebirth of nature, which is no coincidence, because the first day of the New Year in Iran is the first day of spring according to the Persian calendar. Next to the greenery they place the Holy Koran (a later addition to the tradition), and if the family is not religious, a volume of Hafiz, a poet whose beautiful poems about love are known by heart by every Iranian. A mirror is placed nearby - a symbol of purity and tranquility of life, in which the light of candles is reflected - a symbol of happiness. Also on New Year's Day, it is customary to paint eggs (a symbol of fertility), which Iranians do with great pleasure.

Sometimes in Iranian homes before the New Year you can see a vessel with water in which an orange floats - it symbolizes the Earth in the ocean of space.

Denmark

New Year's decor in Denmark is a combination of simple holiday decorations with restrained colors, natural materials and a special Scandinavian charm in the selection of decorative elements that is difficult to describe in words. This is the abundance of white color, symbolizing snow and coolness, wood as the main material in the manufacture of jewelry, animal motifs (decorative deer heads, deer figurines or antlers), monochrome decor, an emphasis on the combination of many textures and textures. In Denmark, it is customary to decorate larch for the New Year. And the Danes' favorite New Year's decorations are pine cones, fir branches (carefully placed in jugs of water), glass figurines, wreaths and stars made from dry vine branches.

Some people cannot imagine the New Year without snow and a Christmas tree, while others cannot imagine the New Year without hot sand under their feet and exotic plants that can be decorated no worse than a Christmas tree.

Greece

On New Year's Day in Greece they decorate the pomegranate tree. And the pomegranate fruit is a mandatory attribute of the New Year's holiday in every Greek home. In Greece, there is a custom according to which at exactly midnight the head of the family goes into the yard and breaks a pomegranate fruit against the wall. If the grains scatter throughout the yard, the family will live happily in the New Year.

India

In India, mango or banana trees are decorated for Christmas. And houses are decorated with mango leaves and poinsettias (the most beautiful spurge, “Christmas star”). Clay oil lamps are placed on the walls and edges of flat roofs.

Australia and New Zealand

In Australia, at Christmas and New Year, it is customary to decorate houses and give each other a plant that is a relative of the European mistletoe - Nuitsia. It is called the Christmas tree because of the bright yellowish-orange flowers that appear around the New Year and reach 10 meters in height. A metrosideros strewn with scarlet flowers can also become a New Year's tree. It is also decorated with figurines of koala bears and kangaroos dressed as Santa Claus.

The Christmas and New Year holidays are approaching. And although it’s only November, the real rush to buy Christmas trees is already beginning in North America. How are they grown in the United States? Workers at a farm in Jefferson, North Carolina, will cut down about 65,000 Christmas trees this year. In addition, it was this farm that supplied a 6-meter spruce for the White House this year. In North Carolina, there are about 1,500 Christmas tree farms that grow 35,000 acres of Christmas trees, delivering 50 million fluffy green beauties to markets each year.

(Total 24 photos)

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1. Young growing Christmas trees on a farm in West Jefferson in North Carolina. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

2. Inocencio Hernandez took a smoke break while cutting down Christmas trees at Omni Farm in West Jefferson. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

3. Julio Hernandez cuts another Christmas tree at the Omni farm in West Jefferson. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

4. Hernandez and Rosales walk through rows of Christmas trees looking for a suitable tree to cut down. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

5. The tree is put through a strapping machine to prepare it for transport to Omni Farm in West Jefferson. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

6. Workers use a strapping machine to prepare the trees for later transportation. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

7. After strapping, the trees are placed in a truck for transportation to the Omni farm. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

8. Loading Christmas trees. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

9. Jose Mendoza makes Christmas wreaths from torn branches of Christmas trees, so popular in American homes. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

10. Numerous Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri (Pursh.) Poir.) - Christmas trees grow on the hillside at Omni Farm in West Jefferson. This tree is a species of spruce native to the eastern mountains of the United States. Fraser fir is a subspecies of balsam fir. The tree is very popular as a Christmas tree for its color and beauty.(CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

11. Abraham Plaza carries a Christmas tree into a tractor trailer to be sent to the farm. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

12. Valenciy carries a Christmas tree for loading into a tractor trailer. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

13. Gimlin walks through the spruce plantings in search of suitable trees to cut down. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

14. Hernandez is also looking for spruce trees suitable for cutting down. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

15. A farm worker uses a chainsaw to saw off the lower dry branches of a spruce tree to give it a marketable appearance. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

16. And now everyone took the Christmas tree together and dragged it... (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

17. Christmas trees are waiting to be shipped from the farm to stores in North Carolina. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

18. Each tree has a Christmas wish tag attached to it. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)24. And this Christmas tree will also soon decorate someone’s house and delight the owners and their children with its Christmas beauty. (CHRIS KEANE/REUTERS)

It’s always interesting what habits and traditions are in other countries. New Year is no exception; in this article we tell you how New Year's trees are decorated in Western countries.

The New Year tree, beloved by everyone since childhood, in Europe and America is called completely differently - Christmas tree, literally - “Christmas tree”, because the pagan custom of decorating a Christmas tree was successfully dedicated to Christmas, and any evergreen tree can serve as a symbol of eternal life: in Africa, believers decorate baobabs, in Latin America - palm trees.

In Europe, fir is preferred for its lush, neat branches and beautiful shape; in the countries of the former USSR, there is a high demand for spruce and pine, which are cheaper and, unlike fir, smell stronger of pine. In America, in addition to spruce or pine, cypress and holly trimmed to look like spruce are used.

Brought up by “godless people,” residents of the post-Soviet countries are accustomed to celebrating the New Year with the forest beauty, so even on December 31, there is a brisk trade in Christmas trees on the streets. It’s a completely different matter in Europe or America: already at the end of November, in anticipation of the holiday, Catholics decorate houses, streets, shops, and on December 25 you can’t buy a Christmas tree, but you can find abandoned unsold coniferous trees on the streets. As a rule, Europeans and Americans do not remove the Christmas tree until the New Year or even until Epiphany on January 6th. But in the homes of Russians, if you believe the anecdotes, the prickly guest may linger until the May holidays.

Red balls symbolizing apples of paradise, luminous garlands, ribbon bows, Christmas gingerbread, animal figurines - the primary colors predominate on the European Christmas tree: red, green, sometimes white or blue. Europeans decorate richly, but restrainedly. Tinsel - the so-called “rain” - is practically not popular either in America or in Europe. Americans always hang candy canes on the tree - a traditional Christmas delicacy, paying attention not only to decorating the tree, but also to the interior as a whole - the whole house is shining with lights, socks for gifts are hung on the fireplaces, glowing figures of deer and snowmen stand at the threshold. The front doors of houses greet guests with wreaths of mistletoe, fir branches, and holly.

In the USSR, toys were different, without reference to religion: fruits and vegetables, fairy tale characters, astronauts, snowmen, little animals, icicles, pine cones. They hung everything they had on the tree, and on top they threw a vertically falling “rain” of foil in all shades of the rainbow, and for many this Christmas tree decoration became a tradition. Some people to this day carefully decorate the Christmas tree with old, dear toys, others - in accordance with Western traditions or to their own taste.

The environmental movements that gained strength made their own adjustments: from the mid-twentieth century. Sales of artificial Christmas trees have increased - about 70% of families in the United States use them. They cost more, but last for many years. For those who are willing to fork out the cash, manufacturers even offer spruce trees with built-in garlands and pine-scented sprays. In Europe, artificial spruce trees have much fewer fans, and recently it has become popular to rent a live spruce tree in a tub or buy it and then plant it near your home. In Russia and the CIS countries, preference is most often given to a real Christmas tree - after all, the New Year always smells like resin and tangerines! Therefore, even the happy owners of “reusable” Christmas trees bring into the house several branches that smell like pine and create a festive mood!

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In almost every corner of the globe, both adults and children are waiting for New Year's miracles. It is during the New Year that people make their deepest wishes and wait with great faith for their fulfillment.

Each nation has its own traditions that foreshadow good events, and website I decided to find out what, besides ashes, in champagne can bring good luck in the new year. And at the end of the article, you will find unusual traditions that are born in individual families and, perhaps, passed down through generations.

1. Canada

In Canada, they begin to prepare for the New Year quite early - the streets are decorated at the end of October, and Christmas trees are put up in houses at least a month before the holidays. The most popular Christmas tree decorations are an angel or star of Bethlehem on the top, as well as striped caramel candies in the shape of a staff.

New Year, unlike Christmas, is usually celebrated with friends, and people usually choose active recreation. The most popular New Year's entertainment is ice skating. It is also not customary to give expensive gifts; most often they give modest souvenirs or handmade crafts.

Thrill-seekers can take part in the tradition "polar bear bathing". On New Year's Day, walruses dive into cold water. It is believed that such a ritual will help attract success, prosperity and give a supply of health for the year ahead.

2. USA

It is customary to give feasts and gifts at Christmas, and on New Year's they organize sales and return gifts that did not fit to the store. Most decorations are removed for the New Year, and the tree is replanted in the ground rather than thrown away.

One of the most important New Year's symbols in the USA is a baby in a diaper. It is believed that a child ages within 12 months and at the end of the year passes on its responsibilities to a new baby.

And of course, the main tradition, which has become known all over the world: on December 31 at 23:59, a huge ball is lowered from a 23-meter height in Times Square. The ball “falls” for 1 minute, and people count down the last 10 seconds together. When the ball reaches its lowest point, the new year begins.

3. Mexico

In Mexico, holidays begin on December 12, the day of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and are accompanied by carnivals. But on December 25, the streets become noticeably empty - according to a centuries-old tradition, this day should be spent with family.

On Christmas trees you can often see decorations in the form of calavera - this is a very important symbol for Mexicans in the form of human skulls. And the New Year cannot be imagined without a piñata - this is a traditional fun in the form of a clay star filled with sweets. The piñata symbolizes earthly sins, so whoever can break it with their eyes closed will will catch luck for the year ahead.

5. Cuba

At 12 o'clock, on New Year's Eve, residents of Cuba in advance collecting water into all the dishes in the house and pour them out the window. Thus, Cubans wish the New Year a path clear as water. In the meantime, the clock strikes 12 times, you need to make it eat 12 grapes, and then prosperity and good luck will accompany the entire next year.

Instead of a Christmas tree in Cuba, they decorate a local coniferous plant - araucaria. And on the eve of the holiday, children write letters with their deepest desires not to Santa Claus, but to the good wizards - Gaspar, Baltasar and Melchor. The celebration in this country takes place in an atmosphere of carnival, fireworks and good mood.

6. Ecuador

Ecuadorians believe that if you manage to put on yellow underwear before the clock strikes, then you should not expect financial difficulties in the new year, and if you wear red, then there will be happiness in your personal life. Those who want to travel, while the clock is striking, they must run around the house with a suitcase or large bag in hand. Also, on New Year's Eve, you can get rid of all the sad moments that happened in the past year; to do this, you need to throw a glass of water outside, with which everything bad will break into smithereens.

7. France

The French bake a cake with one bean in it. Whoever gets this bean is announced "bean king" and everyone must follow his orders until the end of the holiday. And French winemakers always clink glasses with a barrel of wine and wish it a Happy New Year.

8. Japan

It was Japan that gave the world traditions that have become one of the most important: celebrating the New Year in new clothes, building ice sculptures and castles. But the most unusual tradition has not yet taken root among other nations - Japanese people buy rakes before the New Year to “raise more happiness.”

8. Germany

But Germany gave the whole world the tradition of decorating the Christmas tree for the New Year. And the Germans also believe that Santa Claus rides a donkey, so the children put hay in their shoes for a treat.