New Year's Traditions in Belarus

Throughout history, the start of the year has been celebrated differently in Belarus. Our distant ancestors initially celebrated it in spring, when nature was just waking up, and then in early autumn, at the end of the harvest season. The beginning of the new working year was accompanied by traditional amusements and customs:

• festive dinner;
• fortune-telling;
• games;
• ritual songs;
• commemorating ancestors;
• caroling;
• burning the "spider" – a traditional straw amulet that hung in the corner all year long.

With the spread of Christianity, the church ensured that Christmas became the main holiday of the year, and New Year's was moved to January 1. Folk traditions of celebration gradually intertwined with religious ones.

In the early 20th century, the custom of placing a decorated fir tree in the house appeared in Belarus. And the main New Year character became Father Frost. His image is largely associated with a character from Belarusian mythology, embodying winter and snowstorms – Zyuzya. Our ancestors imagined Zyuzya as a gray-bearded old man with bare feet, living in the forest. He was believed to command the cold, frosts, and blizzards.

Throughout the 20th century, new traditions of celebration emerged, associated with the peculiarities of the Soviet era. The holiday became entirely secular, without any religious undertones. Modern New Year's traditions are a combination of Soviet customs and trends of the new era.

Modern New Year's Traditions of Belarusians

New Year's Tree.

The tree has been one of the main attributes of the holiday for over 100 years. Trees, decorated with bright balls, garlands, and toys, are set up in homes, shopping centers, city squares, and other public places. In the capital, New Year's trees are placed on October Square, near the National Library, the Palace of Sports, the Ice Palace, the Town Hall, and also in residential areas.

Festive Dinner.

New Year's is an occasion for warm family gatherings around the festive table. Traditional dishes such as Olivier salad, "Herring Under a Fur Coat", jellied meat, roasted chicken, and sandwiches with red caviar are a must. Families gather at the table on the evening of December 31st, about an hour or two before midnight, to not only meet the New Year but also to see off the old one. Sitting at the table, people share memories of the past year, watch holiday concerts, New Year's movies, and exchange gifts.

Decoration of Streets and Houses.

Already in December, New Year's illumination lights up on Belarusian streets, New Year's trees and art objects are installed, and shops, shopping centers, cafes, and restaurants compete with each other in attempts to create a cozy New Year's atmosphere for visitors. Belarusians hang festive decorations and glowing garlands on their house windows and decorate trees.

Gift Exchange.

On New Year's Eve, Belarusians give each other gifts or place them under the tree to be unwrapped on the morning of January 1st. Children write letters to Father Frost in advance to receive their desired gifts.

Festive Events.

Festive events, concerts, and Christmas markets are held in all cities and towns of the country. City residents come to such locations to warm up with mulled wine, listen to music, and celebrate the holiday under the roar of New Year's salutes and fireworks. For children in Minsk, the grand show "The Main Tree of the Country" is held annually, and children's New Year's plays and show programs are organized throughout the country.

Meeting with Father Frost and Snow Maiden.

Meetings with these New Year's characters are eagerly awaited by both children and adults. You can see Grandfather Frost and Snow Maiden at festive events, Christmas fairs, and in Belovezhskaya Pushcha, where the official residence of the New Year's wizard is located. You can meet Zyuzya, a predecessor of Grandfather Frost, in the Postavy district of the Vitebsk region, where his estate has recently been established.

New Year's Omens Believed by Belarusians

• It is believed that the New Year should be met in beautiful clothing, which should be entirely new. A new outfit symbolizes prosperity and well-being that awaits a person in the coming year.
• In the last minute of the outgoing year, it is customary to make a wish that is sure to come true, especially if you write it down on paper, burn it, and then sprinkle the ashes into a glass of champagne, which you need to drink before the clock strikes.
• Before the New Year, it is important to pay off all debts to avoid financial difficulties in the coming year.
• Belarusians believe that the way you meet the New Year is how you will spend it. Therefore, they try to celebrate this holiday with loved ones, at a richly set table, and in a good mood.