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Compiled by Isroel Akerman
Is it the same New Year?
The immigrants who have arrived to Israel from the Soviet Union, besides all other differences of the of "the new life" also surprisingly noticed, that The New Year here is Rosh Ha-Shanah. It is celebrated in the autumn, and except for some grandmother’s stories did caused of the big emotions at the majority of newly arrived.
And here that, habitual, "native" and favourite The New Year is not marked, and 1st of January in Israel are the most usual working day if it does not fall on Saturday. Especially "advanced" not-religious Israelis celebrate something not so cheerful, called "Sylvester".
Well and where round dances around of a New Year Tree, amicable shouts: "Yolochka, zazhgis'!" (New Year Tree, let’s shine!), a smell of needles and tangerines?! Where everything, what so was firmly printed in memory?!
For my generation (born in Soviet Union at the end of the sixtieth - beginning of the seventieth), tired of "the red days of the calendar" (communist holidays), The New Year was a special holiday, practically the only one without subbotniks and demonstrations, just for family, private and even intimate.
Celebrating stiles varied. Someone celebrated with friends, and some in a family circle. People were drinking champagne by the beat of the Kremlin Currants (Chiming clock) from the TV and than the feast began. Some than had another "traditional hundred grams" (of vodka) and took his seat on front of TV to watch "the Blue Spark" show (special night show just for New Year), and others rose from the table and went out of the apartments limits at around two o’clock to have a nice walk by the night city, around the New Year Trees established in all squares. There it was possible to have fun, dance, move round dances, to meet friends.
As people expect happiness in life in general, that night hopes were special. And all it had been hopes for a miracle... And actually there had been nothing else to hope especially...
Up to what we superstitious people were! Bielived in signs pretty often. And in The New Year's night - specifically. Oh how many were them! The main one - "The way the New Year you will meet, so that you will lead", but also to pay back all borrowed money (that frequently was not so simple), to try on new things, to give gifts... The main thing that the desire thought by the beat of the Kremlin Currants was executed...
But here has passed time and changes had begun on the sly. And here from in the beginning prospering socialism, and then and from Soviet Union collapsing on eyes one behind one Jews have gone to other contries!
For last fifteen - twenty years from former Soviet Union to Israel, the USA and Germany to be permanent residents had left thousand and thousand of Jews. Years have passed that people would accustom on a new place, but "Russians" (that how me and you, those Jews, are called) appeared to be strong enough to keep habits of "the old country".
In previous years in Israel The New Year had not celebrated, lik in the Europ. But already at the end of the eightieth Israel had seen the whole lines to the stores hastening to buy fruits, "the Soviet champagne", caviar and all products for well-known "olivie" salad.
And at the present time? The whole industry starts to work eraly before the
holiday. Artificial New Year Trees and toys start to sell already at the end of November.
And right before 1st of January they start to Bring already the real trees.
People set New Year Trees, hang up toys, cover tables, and is closer to midnight they are
switching on the Russian telechannels. All as "Russian" Israelis drink a "traditional" glass
of champagne by the beat of the same old Kremlin Currants, but now with the help of a cable
television. All it is so is simple, as though they did not leave anywhere.
Also have old style fun with might and main. Only weather here not exactly of the Russian
New Year...
But if in Israel nobody interferes "Russians" to celebrate "their change point of the year" what already to speak about other countries...
In America to follow the Kremlin Currants it is more complex.
When they in Moscow beat, people still either at work or on the road from there.
But the 1st of January is a day off and it is possible to celebrate without hust.
In fact in the country constructed on traditions of Protestant Christianity and tolerance to
all religions it is even easier.
And here comes again in the full force, beat of the Kremlin Currants and the Blue Spark
from TV by "the Old traditions", which now is possible to watch recorded on Russian channels
of cable or satellite TV. In addition to it the local traditions will join to create more
possibilities: for example to whatch how exactly at midnight the crystal ball will get broken
apart in the New York's Times Square.
Well and if someone has a some extra money it is possible to celebrate and at a restaurant. Booking at numerous Russian restaurants and night clubs begins a long before the holiday season, therefore there will be no empty seats. Champagne will flow like a river, food – get whatever you wish, and the dancing, the dancing all the thru the night. Celebrants will come home only at daybreak, tired, but pleased.
In Germany, on the native land of Lutheran protestants, a The New Year's
holiday also called "Silvester" and getting celebrated very noisy. The integral part The
New Year's celebration are fireworks and making is as much as possible noise everywhere.
One may carry out a holiday with family or with friends, honouring all same
"old traditions" or as many of local population do - simply go to the streets.
Closer to midnight they would come to city square, close to the city town hall with big clock
on the tower. The crowds "armed" with bottles of champagne and glasses are pulled together.
With the first beat of the clock the sky lights up a grandiose fireworks which roar merges
with noise of bottles getting open and hissing of foam. People drink, frequently directly from
a bottleneck, and then, by local tradition, smash bottles off by the asphalt or road stone.
It is obvious, that is completely not randomly both in Israel and in Germany the 1st of January called same name. On the other hand in some Jewish communities this is day of mourning.Why so?! And where is the solidarity with "entire civilized humankind"?
It is not a secret for anyone, that by the legend, Jesus was born on 25-th of
December, and on 1-st of January (as usualy in Jewish families on the 8-th day) it had been
made a circumcision and he has received his name.
This date also is the beginning counting of years accepted in the Georgian calendar.
But it appears, that celebrating of The New Year on this day began much earlier when Jesus
appeared, as so to say, when he had not been even in the projects!
In 46 BCE, Roman emperor, Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE), has established a
new calendar, having named it by his own name (Julian calendar) and 1st of January as
"The New Years Day". Cycle of Julian calendar will consist of three 365-day's years, for
in which the 366 days leap-year follows. All the name of the months in the calendar until now
refer to as names of Roman idols, except for August, which had been renamed later on by emperor
Oktovianus Augustus (63-14 BCE), who has considering himself to be a god.
January carries a name of Roman idol Janus (that one well known by his two faces) which
was considered as the god of doors and a gates, with one face of this idol looked forward
(as though in the future), and another one to the back (as in the past). Caesar considered,
that month to a be good "door" of a year.
And Caesar has celebrated the 1-st The New Year, suppression of the Jewish revolt in Galilee. Witnesses speak, that blood flew on streets.
And at this time in Rome pagans celebrated The New Year, arranging ritual drunk orgies in their temples since trusted that thus they can rise up to a level of gods, in their opinion created the World from chaos.
With distribution of christianity, date of pagan festival has been kept in a Christian calendar. When at emperor Constantin Rimskaja imperija has accepted christianity (313-315 BCE) and became "Sacred", mother of emperor, Elena, has insisted to preservation of tradition of celebrating of the New Year of the Roman idolaters.
On March, 21, 325 BCE under the direction of newly appointed Roman pope
Sylvester I (304-335 BCE), that, whose name carries day, has been called Council of Nicaea.
The purpose of creation of this Council was to remove disagreements concerning uses of icons.
But the second Council of Nicaea of church in May 787 years CE had been called in order to correct the
iconoclast heretics. Council has proclaimed twenty two canons (rules) relating to points of discipline.
According to this canons the christianity grew and developed.
Many of decisions of the Council and the laws accepted by him, had spitefully anti-Semitic character and have been accepted under the insisting of pope Sylvester, chairman as the owner. But one year prior to creation Council of Nicaea , pope Sylvester has convinced emperor Konstantin to forbid to Jews on pain of death residing at Jerusalem.
It is necessary, that Pope Sylvester I has died on 31-st of December. After some years it has been ranked to "sacred". Christian "saints" day to which Christians give it a tribute of memory and as celebrate if in their opinion it has made something great is given to everyone. In honour of Roman popes "sacred" Sylvester I have been named day on 31-st of December and it refers to "Saint Sylvester Day".
There were two more Roman popes by name Sylvester, but speech now not about them.
During the Medieval and Postmedieval periods, this night on 1st of January for Jews of Europe always meant the big danger. In heads of Christians simply it was not stacked, that those Jews who have not accepted Jesus, have not recognized in it the prophet (see article about prophecy), live near to them, let alone that this day their "idol" trimming has been made.
As go through they of it could not, this day in history is full of every possible tragical events and projaleny antisemitzma: burnings of books of m of synagogues, public tortures and burnings on fires, pogroms and it is simple murders.
There is an opinion, that the tradition to arrange The New Year's fireworks proceeds from zarev from these fires.
In Middle Ages in calendars of the most part of Christian Europe existed two The New Years. Except for all of known date connected with rozhdniem and Jesus's trimming existed eshe one day of the beginning of year - 25th March - " Day of Announcement" - day when under the legend, an angel Gabriel has informed Mariji, that she has become pregnant from the god and will give birth to the son.
Besides because of wrong structure Julian calendar and often mistakes in rasschetah leap-year, to the middle of 16-th century the error made 14 days. Actually solar year makes 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds that is equaled to 365.2422 days. Actually error Julian calendar, was not big, but because of it the calendar "slided" behind of seasons approximately for 1 day in century.
In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII (a.k.a. "Ugo Boncompagni", 1502-1585), had left traditional Julian calendar. The new calendar has been established, called subsequently Gregorian and differs from Julian calendar that last year centuries is not leap (if only it does not share precisely on 400, i.e. 1600, 2000, etc., but does not share on 4000) and The New Year begins with 1st of January, date established by early pagans in a month of Janus-January.
Now this date had been officially set by the Law.
Here are some more decrees accepted by the same Pope Gregory XIII. In The New Year's Day 1577 it has established the decree, that all Jews of Rome, under fear of a death penalty, should listen closely to the obligatory sermon on necessity of transition in christianity which was given in the Roman synagogues after a pray on Friday in the evening by Christian priests who specially for this purpose there came. And a year later, and The New Year's Day 1578, it has signed the law, on the tax which Jews have been obliged to pay on support " Houses of Transformation" - places of translation of Jews in christianity. Well and under The New Year 1581, it ordered, the army of the Roman pope have confiscated all sacred literature of Roman Jewish community. Thousand Jews have been killed during this campaign. A glow of fires of the burnt books, have once again illuminated the The New Year's sky.
As is known, to Russia the New Year had been imported by tsar Peter I in 1700, together with the New Year's tree, borrowed by Martin Luther from pagans (see article about a Christmas Tree).
After October Revolution of 1917 bolsheviks have declared that celebrating of the The New Year is a bourgeois and religious vestige. Long years The New Year have been forbidden together with Christmas Trees, by Grandfather Frost (Russian analog of Santa Clause) and other attributes of the holiday and was not celebrated. And only since January 1st of 1937, in many respects due to party figure P. Postyshev, celebrating of The New Year in the USSR was officially authorized by the special decree of the Communist Party and the government, but without religious ceremonialism, only as a secular holiday. But still the 1st of January remained a working day therefore as The New Year has been declared as a children's holiday. Only after currency reform in 1947 it became the day off.
Most likely not casually rehabilitation of The New Year appeared Joseph Vissarionycha's the most successful invention. The New Year really was in the USSR the unique ideologically non-loaded holiday, a holiday for all. And such it also was embodied in memory of all post World War II generations.
Specially having made a holiday "non-loaded", the Soviet party heads have easily achieved that the holiday has quickly lost any painting (both religious, and ideological - can be even contrary to someone's desire) and has turned to day (actually night) empty fun.
So all the same it is celebrated? "Saint Sylvester Day" - day of memory Roman popes? Date of "change of year" and memory of cardboard small baskets with the enclosed note " Thanks comrade Stalin for our happy childhood"? Or it is for the rivers of the Jewish blood and a glow of the burnt synagogues? And it immersing in boundless thoughtlessness of orgies of the Roman idolaters can is simple
Something lives in each person, that forces him/her to keep our people of that to what they have got used, to observe customs and traditions, even realizing that from these "traditions" they and have thought up the most part. The The New Year celebration is probably the best the proof.
Former Soviet Jews appearing in the democratic countries worldwide, continue to cling convulsively to a holiday which to Jews not has no attitude, and drags behind itself a long loop of tragedies during all history of Jewish people. Having replaced cultural wealth of people love to values of the European culture, on a fertile field of the democratic countries where 1st of January the day off or are bashful called "Sylvester", they with a head over immersed in emptiness of impetuous fun, in new hopes and expectation of The New Year's miracles.
But only the miracle will not occur like that, and expectation of this miracle frequently leads to the disappointment which comes after that holiday...
As, in reality, nothing in this World not casually likely and that fact that the Khanuka precedes that gojskomu to The New Year, at all sluchaen. And what such a Chanuka, in what its essence? The word "Chanuka" means "renewal", and the holiday is the Holiday of Lights, memory of the Miracle of burning oil in the Menorah of the Great Jerusalem Temple.
So let's think what is better - to sing songs and watch the candles burning or to sit having stared in the TV with a plate of salad in your hands?
Well and to make a decision romantics it is necessary - to forbid or force you begins nobody. The good think that in the democratic country we live...
While working on this article following materials had been used:
Last update: December 15, 2003
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