Plush pug or "Lexus" under the Christmas tree. How to celebrate the new year in America Happy New Year and Merry Christmas

Do you know what is the most important difference between us (Russian speakers) and Americans? And the fact that they have a Christmas tree, and we have a New Year's tree 😉 Of course, this is a joke (about the main difference), but in general there is some truth in this. Christmas in America, as well as in Western Europe, is celebrated annually on December 25th. This holiday is eagerly awaited by both adults and children. And this is not at all surprising, because its atmosphere is present in everything: decorated streets and houses, waiting for Santa and gifts, an abundance of goodies on the festive table. All residents are preparing very strongly for Christmas, Christmas songs are sung around and gifts are bought. During this period, the largest amount of money, toys, food and other things are donated.

Christmas in the USA is a family holiday and gifts are given for Christmas, and not for New Year. Moreover, gifts are opened in the morning after waking up. They treat the new year very calmly - basically it is a holiday for the younger generation with noisy parties. The entire festive table is prepared only for Christmas. There are no signs "as you meet the new year, so you will spend it." And there is no New Year's address of the President in the USA either 😀When the clock strikes 12 times, the main square of the city is shown live on TV and people watch how a crystal ball or a star descends through the building in time with the chimes.
Christmas trees are more preferred live, but artificial ones are also popular. Live Christmas trees are really very fluffy and beautiful (as if they were specially grown perfectly even).

Rains and tinsel are not hung on the Christmas tree. The priority is toys and lights. A star or an angel is placed on top of the Christmas tree. Christmas trees begin to be installed from the end of November, and already on December 26-27 you can see green beauties thrown into the trash. So for "ours" in America, this is very successful - you can buy a Christmas tree and toys at good discounts 👌 Also, Americans love to decorate their homes for any festive occasion. During the Christmas holidays, these are wreaths on the doors, an abundance of lights around the perimeter of the house and all kinds of figures installed in front of the house (most often these are inflatable snowmen, deer, Santa).
Ugly sweaters are one of the symbols of Christmas in the States. Kits for them are sold in many supermarkets for about $30. They include a sweater - two designs to choose from and embellishments with glue. In bars or in offices, they organize competitions for the most terrible sweater 😂

Traditional dishes of the Christmas table are turkey or ham with cranberry sauce (they love this business both on Thanksgiving and Christmas). Before the start of dinner, it is customary to read prayers. In addition to the family holiday in the United States, there is a corporate culture of celebrating Christmas. Corporate parties are held from mid-December.
And of course Secret Santa is one of the most common traditions in America. Usually secret Santa is played by friends or at work, but recently social networks have also been connected - uniting not only different cities, but also other countries and continents. The essence of this game is as follows: the amount of a gift is negotiated, for example $ 20, and people write their names on pieces of paper and dump them into a container. Then they alternately draw each other's names (without admitting who fell to whom) and give gifts.

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Americans are the nation that gives and receives the most gifts at Christmas. In addition to gifts, many Americans bake livers, pies and other spices, which are distributed to neighbors and friends on the eve of the holiday.
And in small American towns there is a glorious tradition. There it is customary to visit each other and sing old Christmas songs. Children dressed in angel costumes sing Christmas carols and praise God.
And of course, everyone says Merry Christmas to each other 🎄

New Year and Christmas in America updated: March 30, 2019 by: Anna Oleksyuk

New Year's holidays are celebrated all over the planet, and US residents are also not left out. Since the United States is a multinational state, many traditions originate in the culture and history of other peoples.

When is New Year celebrated in America?

In the United States, the new year begins at midnight from December 31st to January 1st. And if Christmas is a home, family holiday, then the New Year is fun with friends or colleagues, noisy parties.

Parades are held throughout the city, the most significant one takes place in Time Square, New York. By the way, this is where many Americans tend to get on the last day of December. At 11:59 p.m., a special spectacle begins in Times Square - the lowering of the ball of time.

How is New Year celebrated in America?

Residents buy firecrackers and flashy accessories to get attention. And most nightclubs organize parties.

The New Year is preceded by a more significant holiday for Americans - Christmas. Therefore, the streets and buildings are already decorated with lights, garlands and fairy-tale figures. There are fir trees in all central squares.

The houses are also decorated, both inside and out: with various deer figurines, snowmen, garlands, and toys.

A baby in diapers is one of the symbols of the New Year among Americans. This character is present at all festive festivals and on many postcards.

American New Year: Traditions and Customs

Americans love to make a wish list of things to do for themselves, such as buying a car, joining a gym, going on a diet, winning a medal in a competition. Notes are saved, they are taken out at the end of next year and summed up.

People prefer to roam the streets all night and spend time in entertainment venues. Noisy events are held in every park and institution, so it’s unrealistic to get bored.

What is customary to give for the new year in America?

Americans present serious gifts to each other at Christmas, and for the new year, these are usually trinkets and souvenirs, clothes, and sometimes gift cards. It is customary to give large gifts with a check, this allows you to hand over the item in the future if the item did not live up to expectations.

Preparing for the New Year and Christmas in America id="1f16cd0c">

Christmas and New Year are just around the corner, which means that any respectable American has not only bought and packed gifts, but has already forgotten where he put them in anticipation of the holidays.

Preparations for Christmas begin in the US in the summer. It is a fact. Even the Hallmark TV channel (generally obsessed with Christmas) puts on a Christmas movie marathon in August.

And many families arrange "Christmas" in the summer - this is an occasion to gather all the relatives and there is a weekend away.

If you are preparing gifts for someone, then do not forget to put a check in the holiday package. No, not the one where it is indicated how much you paid for a pair of socks, but a special "gift" check, according to which the goods can be returned to the store, receiving instead a certificate for the purchase amount.

Now, before Christmas, it is offered to everyone at the checkout, and during the year you can just ask for it yourself.

In general, a gift certificate to a particular store is a way out of the "I don't know what to give" situation. Works very well with the male half of relatives.

If you have a small child, then expect three categories of gifts - clothes, toys and books. And get ready for the fact that there will be a lot of gifts.

Packaging is a separate epic. If the gift is in a package, then light multi-colored paper is placed on top. But often it is on Christmas that the offerings are placed in a cardboard box, and only then they are wrapped in paper and bows are molded.

In America, Christmas is not celebrated on December 25, it is celebrated throughout December. The house is decorated with themed toys (snowmen, deer, candles), a Christmas village and beautiful candles are arranged, garlands and socks are hung in front of the fireplace, and most importantly, a Christmas tree is put up. Often not alone.

The Christmas dinner itself can also take place on any date in December, because there are many relatives and you need to visit everyone with guests, include corporate parties, children's parties, fairs, photos in the shopping center with Santa in the schedule ...

And the main tradition is postcards.

The first wave is before Christmas. Either a family photo or a photo of a child is placed on the postcard. Cards are made according to a template, printed and sent to all relatives and friends.

The second wave is after Christmas, so each gift should be responded with a letter of thanks.

Today I would like to highlight the culture of gifts, talk about how it is customary to give gifts in America, what they prefer to give and how gifts are presented for various events in life. The culture of gifts in the United States is significantly different from the Russian one, there are special subtleties that you need to know.

Of course, the main holiday with many gifts is. Only on this holiday, Americans are ready to fork out for a good gift, or even more than one. At Christmas, it is common to give several gifts to close relatives. For example, one or two small and one significant. It can be a juicer, a sound system for a TV, electronics, household appliances and much more. Usually before Christmas, store shelves are littered with merchandise with reckless discounts. Most of the technology and electronics are bought just in the period after Thanksgiving, before Christmas. During this period, companies receive unheard-of profits, and buyers, like crazy, sweep everything off the product shelves. This is how the year ends, with profits in the pocket of large corporations, thanks to smart marketing, and satisfied customers, confident that they bought the goods for next to nothing 🙂

Often give postcards

Americans often forget to peel off the label or hide the value of the product from the recipient of the gift. There is nothing shameful in this. Usually a check is attached to the gift, in case the gift is not liked or does not fit. It will always be accepted back or exchanged for something else in the store. There are special gift vouchers that do not indicate the price of the goods. You will learn the value of the gift only when you return an inappropriate gift.

Typical brooms from the supermarket :)

Purchased roses here have absolutely no fragrance, however, like many other flowers, they are grown on chemical fertilizers using modern technologies. But such flowers stand for a surprisingly long time. Complete with a flower broom comes a bag of nutrient mixture, which is diluted in ordinary tap water. Such a bouquet can stand for about two weeks!

Gifts for the occasion and the birth of a child is a separate conversation. When you are invited to, they additionally announce in which store the future young family looked after gifts and registered. The scheme is simple - come to the indicated store, name the couple in love and you will be printed out a list of goods they like. Your task is simple - choose a gift depending on your budget. After buying a gift, this product is automatically removed from the list, and no one will buy it anymore. This method is convenient and good. Personally, for me, it's a little wild that a couple dictates what exactly they want to get for the wedding. No matter how, the gift should be a surprise. Sometimes the bride and groom choose very expensive stores where the cost of goods is too high, and, it would seem, only a modest gift can be purchased on a good budget. For example, four wine glasses, since the cost of one glass can reach up to $20.

Before often do vadding shauer (Wedding Shower). The name of the party can be translated as a stream of gifts. The meaning of the party is simple - you bring a gift, again ordered in advance by the future husband and wife, and congratulate them on the upcoming significant event in their lives. At parties like this, two parties get to know each other. Not only relatives, but also friends invite to the party.

Such showers are carried out at the birth of a baby. Friends and relatives bring gifts for the baby. The hosts offer light snacks and drinks for guests. A similar event is called a baby shower.

Of particular importance is the appearance of the gift, how beautiful, elegant the packaging looks. Gifts without wrapping are not accepted. This is considered bad manners. Let it be an ordinary gift bag with a lot of wrapping paper inside, but an unwrapped gift in America is not a gift at all. There is only one point - the gift should be a surprise, and I completely agree with the Americans. After all, you must admit that giving gifts is no less, and sometimes even more pleasant, than receiving them! Give gifts to each other more often!

New Year's Eve has been celebrated in the United States since the 17th century. This tradition was brought to the American continent by colonists from Holland. New Year's Day is a public holiday in the United States. January 1 is an official holiday. But still, the main winter holiday for America is Christmas. The holiday of Catholic Christmas has a spiritual religious character. On this holiday, believers must attend church. And they celebrate the holiday with their family, most often in the parental home. Unlike Christmas, New Year is a secular holiday that is celebrated with friends in restaurants, cafes, casinos or just on the streets and squares.

The brightest, solemn and crowded celebration of the New Year takes place in New York at Times Square. For more than a hundred years, there has been a tradition to lower the so-called Times Square Ball from the tower of The New York Times on December 31 at 23.59. This famous attraction was invented by the first owner of the tower in 1907. New Yorkers liked it so much that since then every year this ritual descent, which has already become a good tradition, is performed. A huge sparkling ball, fixed with a special cable, solemnly descends during the last minute of the outgoing year to the jubilant cries of the people gathered on the square and the audience of millions of viewers. It is said that the number of viewers watching this attraction reaches a billion people around the world.

The Tournament of Roses and Pantomime Parade festivals are very popular among Americans and numerous tourists who come to the United States for the New Year holidays.

The Tournament of Roses has been held every year since 1890 on January 1st in Pasadena, California. As the name implies, the main theme of the parade is the flower festival. This colorful and grandiose show was conceived by the people of Pasadena to demonstrate the beauty and wealth of their warm state, as opposed to the snowy January New York. Preparations for the parade go on throughout the year, and the holiday ends with the traditional Pink Ball football match.

The Pantomime Parade was first organized in Philadelphia by immigrants from Ireland. This grandiose and very long ten-hour show is a colorful parade of artists, musicians, singers, clowns, mimes and dancers marching through the streets of the city and demonstrating their art to numerous spectators. Tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world come to Philadelphia to look at this grandiose bright spectacle on January 1 of each year.

The custom of celebrating the New Year with a glass of sparkling wine or champagne has taken root in the United States, but they don’t give gifts for the New Year, because. a huge number of gifts have already been given for Christmas. Much attention is paid to decorating your home for Christmas in America. Depending on their financial capabilities, Americans strive to decorate their house or apartment to the maximum, this is not limited only to the installation of a Christmas tree, they use a huge number of electric garlands, figures of baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the Magi, Santa Claus and various fairy-tale characters . Often these figures are life-sized and can move. The spectacle is fascinating and accessible to everyone, in the case when they are exhibited by the owners in front of their homes. Sometimes there are overt or covert competitions between house owners - who is better, smarter, more beautiful, wittier and more expensive to decorate their house and yard for the holiday. It is clear that all this beauty remains until the New Year holiday. Therefore, by the New Year's Eve, all of America sparkles and shimmers.

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

taken from lelik.by

What holiday are happy for both adults and children? What day of the year is considered the most magical and fabulous? Of course, the New Year. Such ordinary and even gray everyday life suddenly begins to play with colors, wearing shades of multi-colored garlands and lanterns. Familiar streets change their appearance beyond recognition, and the expectation of fun, feasts, miracles and ... gifts begins to glow in the faces of passers-by! In our country, anything can turn out as a New Year's surprise, from a magnet with the image of Santa Claus to the latest smartphone model. In many other countries, certain things that are “customary” to give are used as gifts. Knowing the preferences of citizens of different states, you can repeat the traditions of certain peoples in your own country. It will be very entertaining and fun to present, for example, new Year gifts in Japanese style or use the ideas of Italians, French, Swedes.

New Year's gifts in the USA and England

taken from heaclub.ru

America and Great Britain are worth mentioning separately, since the approach to choosing gifts here is radically different. The differences are based on the approach dictated by the history of development and mentality.

USA

Residents of the state on the eve of the New Year and Christmas holidays are preparing to spend significantly. Here it is customary to give gifts to relatives and friends with expensive things, clothes and accessories. It has to do with the mentality of the country. Children after reaching adulthood begin to lead an independent lifestyle, and often do it away from their parents. For this reason, family holidays are events that happen only a couple of times a year. Among such celebrations is the New Year. Since relatives rarely see each other, they consider it their duty to give something very necessary, fashionable and worth a lot of money. It can be expensive cigars, perfumes, branded clothes, vintage wine or valuable souvenirs. The average cost of purchased items ranges from $50 to $800.

It is interesting that all gifts are given with checks. Pretty practical and well thought out. The recipient will be able to return to the store an item that he considers inappropriate or unnecessary to him. This tradition is too different from ours, where many try to hide the value of the gift. Firstly, this is a surprise, and secondly, it is somehow ugly and uncivilized.

The Americans also consider the presentation of such a New Year's surprise as a gift certificate to be the best way out. The recipient will be able to purchase the goods he needs in a certain store and not bother with the return of unsuitable ones. By the way, the tradition of giving certificates is gaining popularity in our country.

In America, not only a beautiful and expensive gift is also important, but also visually attractive packaging. A variety of cases, boxes, thick holiday bags and wrapping paper in several layers are considered a mandatory attribute.

England

In this country, expensive and exquisite gifts are considered the height of indecency. Residents are accustomed to presenting each other with approximately the same value gizmos. An Englishman will never buy an expensive piece of jewelry or a valuable souvenir for the New Year. They believe that the demonstration of warm feelings, emotions and affection is not in buying expensive things, but in the attention of one person to another. The presentations are:

• cups and spoons for tea;
• beer mugs;
• key rings;
• inexpensive figurines and souvenirs;
• aroma candles.

When a family gathers on New Year's holidays, the distribution of gifts occurs with the help of lots. The British can not do without sending New Year's cards to relatives and friends.

Necessary and simple gifts

taken from bonuseventus.ru

The list of countries whose inhabitants are supporters of donating things that are needed in everyday life or thematic things is quite wide. It includes states that value homemade gifts, inexpensive beautiful candles and souvenirs, and paired items.

Denmark

Residents of the country never bother with the selection of presents. For them, it is not material goods for the holidays that are important, but the very solemnity of the moment. The Danes stock up on excellent mood and go to visit, taking with them a couple of beautiful candles or unpretentious souvenirs. Denmark is one of the most active countries in terms of consumption of candles. They are presented here in different shapes, sizes, colors and designs.

Children do not run to the Christmas tree to look for their present. They try to find him in an apartment or house. A popular children's gift is a fabric or wooden Christmas tree, from behind which a troll peeps out. This character is considered in Denmark the very soul of the tree.

Sweden

The country is located near the Arctic Circle, where it gets dark early. In order to bring light and warmth to the holidays, the Swedes give each other hand-made candles. Such new Year gifts symbolize friendship, joy and intimacy.

By the way, residents of our country can also please each other with homemade presents. As a gift for a boy or girl, a candlestick made of a spruce cone covered with sparkles or acrylic is suitable. An ordinary candle, decorated with braid, ribbons and rhinestones, will also be a beautiful gift.

Children together with their parents can create an original candle. To do this, you should have a form for its manufacture, wax, wick and decor (dried flowers, sea pebbles, shells, coffee beans, etc.). Believe me, such presents will turn out to be no worse than Swedish gifts, and certainly better and more pleasant than store-bought ones.

With your own hands, you can make a box for a girl, a stand for pens and pencils for a boy, a postcard, a Christmas decoration made of beads or beads, and much more. The main thing is that in such a case there are like-minded people, time and desire, and the matter will remain small.

Portugal

Do-it-yourself gifts are appreciated by the inhabitants of this country. These can be embroidered pictures or tablecloths, knitted scarves, hats and socks, carved wooden dishes or candlesticks. Each such item, according to legend, brings warmth and comfort to the house, protects the owners from waste and bad people.

Ireland

Residents of this state believe that only children should be presented for the New Year. It is for them that this time is associated with magic and miracle. Adults are not too pampered with presents. Children are presented with figurines of angels, as well as saints - Mary, Jesus.

The Irish do not forget to please with attention and a small monetary incentive those people who helped their families throughout the year. For example, money can be presented to the postman. When visiting, Irish residents take a cooked dish with them, as well as a bottle of wine.

Italy

In the country of passion and cheerful leisure, such a gift as wine is considered popular. For an Italian, getting a bottle of fine, refined, delicious wine is tantamount to a present in the form of a cashmere coat or an expensive tie. The country does not forget about a long tradition - on the eve of New Year's Eve, to give each other red underwear, symbolizing the new.

France

Banal postcards and souvenirs - this is the list of French gifts. The only thing that distinguishes this people is their craving for everything unusual, new and fashionable, and therefore some interesting and modern souvenirs are presented.

By the way, lovers of expensive perfumes can not give such a surprise to everyone. For example, only her husband has the right to give perfume to a married lady. Other people are not allowed to do this.

Germany

The Germans deservedly bear the title of the most reading nation. This is reflected in the types of New Year's gifts. As a present, everyone wants to see a book. In addition, the German will also be delighted with a gift in the form of a ticket to some country, a sightseeing tour or a proposal for a joint trip. They also give piggy banks made of porcelain in the form of pigs. Among the Germans, the process or ceremony of exchanging gifts is called "Besherung". On New Year's Eve they can't do without gingerbread, a delicious traditional delicacy.

Hungary

You can often see how citizens present each other with a book, sleds and warm socks that are so pleasant to the legs. Valued here and new Year gifts made by hand.

Netherlands and Holland

In the Netherlands, each other during the winter holidays are presented with any items that are associated with recreation and leisure. It can be CDs with your favorite music, travel photo albums, collectible figurines, tulip bulbs in pots. In Holland, children discover the gifts of the Magi (sweets) in their shoes.

Belgium

The people here are very thorough in choosing a presentation. Givers find out in advance about the tastes and desires of the person to whom they are going to give a gift. Surprises are accompanied by a card that explains their meaning. Sometimes such explanations are given orally.

Poland

Residents of the country choose New Year's presents in such a way that they cause joy and delight in a person. For women, they choose, albeit not too expensive, but beautiful and elegant jewelry and clothes. As a gift to a man, bags, purses, wallets, cufflinks, pens can act.

In Austria, as in Japan, rather practical and mundane gifts (personal care products, such as gel, soap, as well as clothes) are valued. At the same time, very unusual surprises can be found in these countries.

Originality of traditional gifts

taken from photosklad.net

Austria

Since life in the country cannot be called cheap, clothing and accessories are used as New Year's gifts. They also give piggy banks or a four-leaf clover, which brings good luck. Very unusual and unusual for us is the tradition of the Austrians to give a broom. This item is presented on the eve of the New Year, used to sweep litter out of the house, after which it is simply burned.

Japan

There is a long tradition in the state to give each other whole gift sets (“oseibo”). They can contain the most necessary things in everyday life, for example, soap or canned food, souvenirs. The Japanese do not forget about postcards with the image of the patron animal of the New Year.

And now for the oddity. In Japan, you can get a strange and interesting daruma doll (wooden or papier-mâché) for the holiday. The person who received it must make a secret wish and at the same time draw one eye on the doll. If the wish comes true in the coming year, then the second eye is also added to the doll, otherwise the gift is burned before the next year.

China

Although the Chinese give beautiful and necessary gifts to loved ones, they always adhere to the same tradition - to present a pair of items. If cups are presented, then two, if candlesticks, then a couple. This principle is based on the fact that the pair number symbolizes harmony and unity in the family. Single Chinese can be given money in a red envelope. The presented glass figurines of various designs and sizes are also valued in China.

Greece

Presents for the New Year of the Greeks are characterized by originality. Here, the inhabitants give each other a stone. The larger the stone, the higher the income the recipient wants to have. There is a whole tradition of presenting such an object, with wishes and sayings. In recent years, the custom of giving a deck of cards has also been popularized. As an addition, the Greeks also give a basket of wine, champagne, fruit.

Bulgaria

If somewhere you hear such a phrase as "dogwood sticks", then you can safely pronounce "Bulgaria". It is here that such a gift symbolizes happiness, joy, income, health and all the best that can be. On holidays, young people can go from house to house and lightly lash the owners of the dwellings with branches of a dogwood tree. It is believed that the use of a miraculous tree attracts good luck and happiness.

Greenland

If you visit this cold country for the New Year, you will see unusual gifts - ice figurines. They depict local animals, which are often walruses and polar bears.

Although the traditions in different countries differ significantly from each other, they all have one goal in common: to please their neighbor. After all, the most important thing is not the financial value of the gift, but the warmth with which it is presented. And let the presents always complement the New Year's fairy tale and magic!