IUntil the reign of Tsar Peter I the Orthodox Church celebrated the beginning of the new year the 1st of September. The celebrating the new civil year and the Church were closely intertwined. The 1700 in Russia celebrated twice. First on 1 Sep. At the end of 1699 Peter I issued a decree "on the celebration of the new year." He was ordered to postpone the beginning of the year from 1 September to the 1st of January 1700. Peter I ordered to decorate the house "pine, spruce and juniper branches on samples exposed in Gostiny Dvor; in the sign of fun each other be sure to congratulate happy new year".
The decree of Peter I about New year celebration
On red square was arranged fireworks. With time the setting and decorating the Christmas tree has become a favorite not only for children but also adults. The tree was not only at home but also in the city squares and big shops. However, the tree decorating was considered a Christmas action and after the Revolution of 1917 with the beginning of persecutions on Orthodoxy a Christmas tree became in disgrace. To put it in the house has become dangerous. But in 1930s the government began to actively create new rituals for the holidays, to abolish the Orthodox holidays.
And the tradition of decorating the fir tree
Soviet New Year party
came back. On the top of firs instead of stars of Bethlehem appeared a five-pointed star.
And the Soviet people began to decorate the fir tree at home, drive the kids on public New year festivals. The biggest of which was the new year celebrations in Moscow Kremlin.
Currently, Russia is actively reviving Orthodoxy, but we have a tree remains a symbol of the New Year holidays. At the end of December we decorate the fir, noisily and happily celebrate the New year, then January 6 comes the Christian Christmas. The fir tree stays decorated at least until 13 January, when we a little less noisy celebrate Old New year. And from that moment we can start to clean up the decorations and throw out unnecessary tree. However, some trees stays until it dries.
We usually fir trees growing in pots and planted every spring at Dacha.
At the moment the New year - the most favorite and popular holiday in Russia.