New Year tree
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New Year tree are decorations similar to Christmas trees that are displayed in various cultures.
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[edit] Russian and Turkish traditions
A New Year tree is the Russian and Turkish equivalent of Christmas trees.
A fir tree is most usual type of tree used, also a direct translation from Russian would be New Year Fir; it is always called this even in cases when another sort of tree is used. The variety of tree sorts and decorations used is the same as for Christmas trees.
A Turkish new year tree, in Turkish Yılbaşı Ağacı, is the same as Christmas trees with Christmas knick-knacs on it. It is called a New Year tree because it is special to the New Year, and that as 95 % of population is Muslim, Turks do not celebrate Christmas. The New Year tree can be considered an example of westernised Turkish culture or Turkified European culture.
[edit] History of the Russian New Year tree
The tradition to install and decorate a New Year Tree is quite old, however before Russian Revolution people used to call it a Christmas tree.
After the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks started to wage a campaign against religion and banned religious holidays, including Christmas. The New Year celebration was not banned, though there was no official holiday for it until 1935. In 1937, a New Year Tree was installed in the Moscow Palace of Unions and official celebrations started. Since this time an invitation to the New Year tree at the Palace of Unions became a matter of honour for Soviet children.
[edit] History of the Turkish New Year tree
After modernisation of Turkey, the Islamic calendar and fiscal calendar were replaced by the Gregorian calendar, and New Year celebrations started in late 1920s. The celebrations became very popular in Turkey and Christmas trees were brought into Turkey as new year tree. Since that, the habit of setting a New Year tree for the New Year is a traditional event in Turkey. It is usually set up between 15 December and 15 January, the mid date being New Year's Eve. Also, the habit of giving presents at Christmas has been changed to New Year presents in Turkey.
[edit] Vietnamese custom
The planting a New Year tree or cây nêu is also a Vietnamese custom which is part of the springtime Tết festival. Often a bamboo pole serves as the "tree".
Hoa mai and kumquat trees are also decorated and displayed in Vietnamese homes during Tết.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- New Statesman article on Russian New Years trees
- Symbols of Tết
