Nicron #106 13 января 1999

Miscellaneous - that is prepared for the New Year in different countries.

              Kitchen

        How and what to celebrate New Year

(C)?



   In different countries celebrate the New Year in different 
ways, according to national circumstances. 


   Long before New Year's mistress begin to think about how 
original dishes to surprise your household and guests. However, 
plenty of New Year's feast is a relic of paganism, when a lot 
of dishes prepared to appease the many spirits. According to 
ancient beliefs, it was thought that the more food on New 
Year's table, so happy to be next year. 


   What kind of traditional dish on the table in the New Year's 
Eve? Each people have developed their holiday drinking habits.



   Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian New Year's Eve sweet porridge 
and stewed fruit. Also on the table at the Russian and 
Ukrainian pig adorned with horseradish, fried chicken, homemade 
sausage, Goose with apples.


   At the beginning of the century in Russia was circulated 
this custom. Under New Year's farmers baked dough figurines 
depicting cows, bulls and other animals. And when a girl comes 
home and young men who went at Christmas with the singing 
greeting pesenkolyadok, the owners of their gifts to these 
figures, as well as nuts and sweets. In the north of 
Arkhangelsk and Vologda regions and today sometimes bake for 
New Year's table figure cookies the secret of making which goes 
on from generation to generation, from grandmothers to 
granddaughters. 


   In Moldova, the need to bake the New Year with a pie pies
cheese, pumpkin or apples. A number of dishes on the table must
should correspond to the numbers 7, 9, 12. On the first day of 
the year will certainly throw the Moldovans at home and in 
those houses where they are going to visit, the grain that year 
was abundant and fruitful. 


   In Latvia, greeting the New Year, you need to eat at least 
one pea. Then the coming year will certainly bring luck and 
prosperity. 


   In Armenia, on the festive table among other delicious 
dishes is always a dolma. This dish is similar to our cabbage 
rolls, beef only Armenian women wrapped in cabbage is not, as 
in grape leaves. 


   In Georgia, the first day of the year is not made to walk in 
guests without an invitation. The owner himself is calling 
those with whom he associated the concept of good. Such an 
invited guest should be the first in the new year to cross the 
threshold of the house where he had been summoned, and be sure 
to bring a sweetness.



   In Japan on New Year cooked food only from products that 
bring happiness. It is believed that seaweed gives joy, roasted 
chestnuts - success in business, peas and beans - health, 
boiled fish - peace and good spirits, herring roe - a happy 
family, many children. Help themselves, sedately sitting around 
low table, with no noisy conversations and drinking songs. 
Nothing detract from the thoughts and arguments about the 
coming year and own future.



   In France, the hostess must submit to the Christmas and New 
Year dinner champagne, oysters and roast chicken or turkey. 
Owners of small cafes organize a lottery in which before 
midnight you can win a battered bird, pig or lamb.



   But in Austria, Yugoslavia and Hungary, you will never be 
served New Year's dish of poultry. Otherwise, according to 
popular belief, the house fly happiness. 


   The vine is considered among the inhabitants of southern 
European symbol abundance and a happy family home. Therefore, 
the Portuguese, Spaniards, and after them, and Latinos need to 
catch a Chimes eat twelve grapes. At the same time be under

twelve strokes think of twelve desires.


   In Italy, except grapes symbol of health, welfare and
longevity are also nuts and lentils.


   Christmas cakes are baked in Romania, Australia and 
Bulgaria. Pies, these are not simple, but with surprises. Who 
gets roasted in the test coin, nut, pepper pod, he probably 
will get next year, his family or get lucky. 


   According to custom, in Poland the Christmas Eve dinner is 
prepared twelve meatless dishes and no meat. Cook them in 
vegetable oil, no other fats do not apply. That evening, 
necessarily serves the fish (especially carp prized as a symbol 
of family happiness and prosperity), mushroom soup or borsch 
with ears, barley porridge with prunes, gnocchi with butter and 
for dessert - chocolate cake. Drinks are prepared from a 
variety of dried fruits and berries.



   In the Czech Republic and Slovakia, New Year's menu is 
almost the same, only the cereal - barley. Yes even necessarily 
serve strudel - layer cake with apples, the pride of every good 
housewife. By tradition New Year's table is decorated and 
delicious dish with carp. 


   British housewife on Christmas Day and New Year's suit 
pryamotaki contests culinary skill. But whatever the tricks 
Englishwoman in the fabrication of various dishes on the 
festive table must be cheesecake and cake. And after delivering 
a Christmas toast traditionally consumed a huge mug of beer, to 
which the snacks are sweet marzipan fruits. 


   The inhabitants of Scandinavia at the Christmas table should 
also be a lot of beer. Here to it serves a variety of fish 
meals and certainly cancers. That crabs, according to ancient 
tradition, distilled from home all the troubles.



   New Year's Eve in Holland is unthinkable without the donuts 
with raisins that is baked just once a year - on December 31. 


   In the Eastern peoples, too, there are many interesting 
customs that accompany New Year. 


   In Cambodia, a festive table must put in the window. Hostess 
serving the most loved family and sweets, which should first 
have guests and Santa heat, the brother of Santa Claus. 


   The people of Tibet have a very nice custom. Mistress in the 
New Year's Eve bake pies mountains with a variety of fillings 
and endows them all the familiar and unfamiliar. The more 
treats to give, the richer you will be. 


   It is interesting to celebrate the New Year and in other 
Asian countries. It is believed that more will be so sweet and 
less alcohol, so joyful and happy will be the coming year. On 
the streets of towns and villages in these countries for a few 
minutes before midnight young people kindle fires, and then 
jump through them. According to popular legend, the fire shall 
burn all failures of the past year.



   Merry festive traditional not only in the East.
In Hungarian villages with the boys gather at dusk
groups and act out humorous skits in front of the houses where 
they live girls. Girls, in turn, these same ideas to organize 
homes guys. 


   In Romania, even on the streets of big cities is often 
possible to meet the New Year Kolyada. Guys in their national 
costumes and high lamb hats singing couplets, carols, wishing 
people health, happiness and prosperity. Hosts tolerate food, 
candy bestows carols, a pack of cigarettes, souvenirs. Such 
custom - Kalyada a must thank you. 


   No other holidays are not surrounded by such a magical aura,
as Christmas and New Year. We associate them with faith and 
hope. This is the brightest holidays, which we love since 
childhood. 


   In the world there are so many traditions of celebration
The new year. In fact, when you can both relax and
have fun, if not New Year's Eve wonders? We in Russia
New Year's - a family holiday, and every family can have their
tradition of celebrating the New Year. It is important that the 
New Year gave faith a happy future!




Images (c) Diamond Group / Moscow (Spencer Winset, Re-Animator,
Real).

In the comic sections of used materials from the Internet
http://www.kulichki.rambler.ru
and Fidonet.