Dressed-up tree, decorated house, rich table with various goodies, gifts. All this is an integral part of the New Year. However, the modern realities of the celebration differ in many respects from the period of the existence of the USSR. Moreover, there was a time when the New Year, with its main attribute, was completely banned.
History
The history of the birth of the New Year holiday in the USSR is very interesting and very unusual. It’s worth starting in 1917. It was then that Russia changed the Julian calendar to the Gregorian. For this reason, the New Year's holiday moved in the midst of the Christmas Lent.
This fact came to the liking of the Bolshevik-God-fighters. After some time, the party began to oppose Christmas, and the New Year fell under the wave of the ban.
For more than 5 years, Soviet society has spoken only about the negative point of view about the Christmas holidays and New Year. but another surge of aggression occurred in 1928, when an announcement appeared in the Pravda newspaper on the distribution of sets of Christmas decorations. The anti-religious community took up arms against the publication, filling the editorial office with angry letters, some even offered to close the newspaper.
Gradually, the scandal with Christmas toys was forgotten, and in the mid-30s of the last century, ideologists began to talk about the Christmas tree as an important part of the New Year holiday, without mentioning Christmas. Thanks to this, in 1935, by order of a member of the Presidium of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR Postyshev, the first mass matinee was held in Kharkov for young children. And almost a year later, it was decided to legitimize the New Year, as this holiday is nationwide and is celebrated by the working people.
Already in 1937, the New Year holiday began to be celebrated in full swing. At different points in Moscow, two large Christmas trees were installed. And on January 1, a carnival took place in the House of Unions. From this event, the tradition of decorating the premises in the New Year's style began.
In 1938, when considering the installation of the main tree, Stalin made it clear that it was wrong to divide the New Year tree into the main and non-main ones. At the same time, an action was organized to deliver gifts to remote corners of the country. Experienced pilots and paratroopers not only showed their skills, but also congratulated compatriots on one of the main holidays of the country.
New Year in 1945 was a bright and joyful holiday for the Soviet people. The height of the main Christmas tree was 26 meters. In the role of Santa Claus appeared artist Preobrazhensky. For him, this status held for many years. On the main staircase, young guests were met by animators in costumes. Children most remember the hare orchestra. Different attractions worked in the lobby. In general, the holiday was one of the best. And only in 1947 it was decided to declare January 1 officially a day off.
After Stalin's death, the New Year tree was allowed to be placed in the hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. Invitations to the matinee were sent to children by mail. One of the guests was Mark Orlovsky. His father died at the front during the Second World War. All the kids who came to the matinee were happy about the holiday and the opportunity to freely walk around the Kremlin.
Much time has passed since then, the Soviet Union collapsed, the common territory was divided into different states. However, there was much in common between them, and first of all - the New Year holiday.
How was it celebrated and when did it start?
From 1918 to 1935, the New Year holiday did not have an official status. Everything changed only in 1936. But despite night walks, January 1 remained a working day.
Only in the post-war time did New Year become a real holiday. Christmas decorations with the symbolism of the USSR appeared on sale. The people themselves came up with interesting toys made of paper and other materials. The main thing is that there was a rallying between people, everyone became one big family. Grandparents who have survived to this day recall with nostalgia the post-war New Year celebration. On this magical night, scarce dishes appeared on the tables, gifts were waiting under the tree, and most importantly, the closest relatives gathered at the festive table.
Shopping for the festive table began in a few weeks. In advance, a few days before the celebration, they placed and decorated a Christmas tree, decorated the house. By the appointed time, the owners of the house were meeting guests, everyone was seated at the table. Noisy conversations and farewell to the outgoing year proceeded under interesting films, for example, “The Irony of Fate, or with a light steam!”.
Before the battle the chimes were filled with glasses, glasses, glasses. The Secretary General appeared on the screen with information about achievements for the year and congratulations to the people on the upcoming holiday.
As soon as the chimes began to beat, everyone shouted “Hurray!” In one voice. Then on the TV screen they turned on the “Blue Light”, everyone started dancing, singing, having fun. The transfer ended at about 3 a.m. After it included the program "Melodies and rhythms of foreign pop."
Events in honor of the New Year were also organized at enterprises. Instead of a lunch break, employees glued snowflakes on the windows, rehearsed rooms for a corporate concert. People with artistic talent painted a wall newspaper and holiday posters. Union leaders agreed on a venue and time for the event. Surely at a holiday there was Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden.
But whatever one may say, New Year in the Soviet Union was considered a children's holiday. In Soviet times, schoolchildren began to rest on December 31, but for adults it was a normal working day.
Morning performances in schools and kindergartens
New Year's party was an important part of the life of school and preschool institutions. Not only children were preparing for the holiday, but also educators with their parents. Moms sewed costumes at night, dads created accessories. Children learned poems, and then told them to Santa Claus near the festive Christmas tree.
An individual program was prepared for each new matinee. New characters, performances, contests were studied. In each new performance, Santa Claus or the Snow Maiden got into trouble, and the children had to save them. At the end of the holiday, Santa Claus gave children gifts - sweets in a beautiful package.
They tried to arrange New Year's party in the gardens on the eve of the weekend. In schools, the event was organized a few days before the holidays, which lasted almost 2 weeks.
What was prepared on the table?
The shortage of many goods in Soviet times led to huge queues in stores. And for sure to get the goods they are interested in, the housewives in droves attacked the food stalls in advance.
Green peas were very popular. This product was an integral part of Olivier salad. And also in the list of popular goods for the New Year's table there were cervelat, boiled sausage, salted herring.
Particular attention was paid to drinks on the festive table. Alcoholic products of various strengths were taken from the windows. But the most common was Soviet champagne. Soviet people preferred selling home-made compotes to their own juices.
As a hot dish, chicken and potatoes were baked. Only hens were considered deficient and were given a maximum of 2 carcasses per hand.
Not a single New Year's table was left without a large bowl of aspic.
Mandatory salads were Olivier, Herring under a fur coat, Vinaigrette, and Mimosa.
What did they give?
On the eve of the New Year, everyone around us congratulated each other "with the coming." And for the closest people they prepared gifts.
Dear and beloved women were presented with perfume, and men with eau de toilette. Wives were given cufflinks or a tie to husbands. Children were presented with sweet sets.
Particular attention was paid to greeting cards. They were an integral part of any gift.
The main thing was to choose the congratulatory insert correctly and with taste. On the reverse side of the cards there were sections where the sender and the text of the wishes were indicated.
How to decorate the interior?
An important part of the New Year's interior is the holiday tree. Various toys were hung on it, decorated with tinsel, rain. However, in Soviet times, Christmas-tree decorations did not have a wide variety. In the early 40s, they made toys from cardboard and pressed cotton wool. A little later they began to produce plain glass balls.
Toys in the form of lanterns, houses, birds and watches looked very beautifully and effectively on the Christmas tree.
Having achieved success in the space industry, the country also noted this in the decorations for the Christmas tree - Christmas toys appeared in the form of rockets with the symbols of the USSR. Besides, a series of clothespins was released, and the friendly Soviet people gave them to their friends.
Necessarily decorated houses and apartments. Of course, there was no abundance of New Year's decorations for the interior, so the citizens connected their imagination and created masterpieces with their own hands. Snowflakes were cut out, colored paper beads were made, and an artificial rain was mounted on the ceiling.
Customs and traditions
The main tradition of the New Year is the appeal of the head of state to the Soviet people. All residents of the country with glasses in their hands listened to congratulations and parting words of the Secretary General.
Another tradition is to cook dumplings with a surprise. A coin was put inside, and whoever comes across it will be rich in the New Year.
Another interesting custom of the Soviet era is the exchange of postcards with strangers.
See more about the new year in the USSR in the next video.
