How Americans Celebrate the New Year
Are you curious about how Americans celebrate the New Year? And, maybe, you think that they do not celebrate it at all, giving preference to Catholic Christmas?
But you will be almost right. Why almost? The fact is that unlike Russians, for whom the New Year is a family holiday, for Americans it became a holiday more public than home. Maybe the fact is that the holiday holidays are not connected with the onset of January 1, but with Christmas. It is on this day that they give gifts, gather at a common festive table with the whole family and make wishes. And, of course, they meet Santa Claus.
And by the New Year, which comes, as expected, on January 1, they already have time to "breathe out" a little( about like us, to the old new year).Therefore, on the evening of December 31, the Americans no longer want to sit at home and go to festive festivities. The most noteworthy of them are held in large cities, but in smaller towns New Year can come at all almost unnoticed. Exceptions are only those who are accustomed to New Year celebrations, that is, immigrants from Russia and CIS countries.
New Year's traditions
Although the New Year's Eve has its own traditions that were born in America thanks to the large number of Europeans who moved here over the past 200 years. Firstly, it is a festive table with champagne( although, after it is not going to a large family and do not eat up to the dump).Secondly, the seeing-off of the Old Year( it is customary to depict it in pictures in the form of a gray-haired Old Man) necessarily ends with the fulfillment of the song "The Old Good Times," written back in the 18th century. And, thirdly, exactly at 12 o'clock in the morning fireworks take off into the sky, and the signals of many cars are deafening the district. This is how the wonderful baby - New Year - comes to this world in America.
But the festive Christmas tree from Americans is not New Year's, but again - Christmas. Yes, and decorate their house is not only inside, but also outside. In the course are bright colorful garlands and Christmas figures, from which whole scenes are created.
But where do those who live in the big city go for the New Year?
In a cafe or on a parade?
New Year's Eve many of them spend in a restaurant, cafe or theater together with friends. And since Americans celebrate the New Year is not too active, the children can sleep quite quietly during this night( under the supervision of a nanny, while parents arrange a romantic dinner), because they already received gifts for Christmas( they do not give gifts to the New Year in America).
But the residents of New York were lucky much more than their compatriots from other cities. The New Year's Eve there turns into a New Year's parade, the main participant of which is a huge glowing ball, descending from the top of the tower in Times Square and dying exactly at the 12th stroke of the clock. And although the ball moves only 1 minute, for the spectacle in the square is going to several thousand people, and a few million - watching the show on TV.
The New York ball has its own festive "competitors" - the symbols of the cities: a piece of cheese in Plymouth and a huge peach in Atlanta.
No less exciting is the New Year in California. There, in Pasadena, the Parade of Roses is held annually, which, strange as it may sound, was originally dedicated to. .. ripe oranges. After the Parade of Roses, one more traditional action begins - a football match among teams of various colleges.
Philadelphia also has its own tradition - the Pantomime Parade, lasting for ten hours and under the direction of the King. Boring in such a bright and cheerful spectacle, more like a performance, simply does not happen.