We present to you 5 ideal anecdotes to restart discussions during the New Year’s Eve and surprise all the guests!
The New Year’s Eve mealor its eve, just like that of Christmas, are real meeting place for gourmets. The profusion of good products, surfing both on the traditions of French gastronomy and on more innovative repertoires, is the promise of pleasures for the taste buds.
Nevertheless, a memorable moment also passes through paths other than that of the stomach. If theambiance is bleak, even the most beautiful recipes will have difficulty changing theatmosphere. Of course, French know-how obliges, we can always talk for hours about food!
Nothing prevents us from opening our horizons a little and inviting people to the discussion table. more surprising topics. We have found some for you anecdotes about the New Year. These historical and cultural factsshared by the Hérault-tribune site, are perfect for impress the guests and relaunch exchanges.
New Year in History
It all starts with New Year’s Eve. We often have the habit of summarizing things with the somewhat vague term “New Year’s Eve”. Nevertheless, thelast day of the year in progress is marked by the celebration of a saint the history of which the majority of us actually ignore.
The December 31 is the date chosen by the Catholic Church to celebrate Sylvester Iᵉʳpope from 314 to 335. Like all other canonized people and saints, Sylvester was assigned some miracles remarkable. He would have resurrected a bull, but also defeated a dragon, enough to make a screenwriter jealous. Game of Thrones.
The fact that the New Year follows the celebration of New Year’s Eve is in fact a coincidence. The latter did not in fact do anything in particular for the new year. At theRoman eraTHE New Year dates were even variables. It would actually be Julius Caesarin 46 BCE, which would have established this date in honor of Janus.
Ce primordial godto whom we owe the name of the month of January, reigns over beginnings, endings, passages and transitions. It is generally represented with two faces looking in two different directions. It was in his honor that events were organized. celebrations including exchange of wishes and offerings which were then absorbed and adapted into Catholic traditions.
Age-old traditions
The day of New Yearafter Roman times, was modified multiple timescorresponding to Easter or other religious holidays. It is finally from 1564 and the calendar reforms desired by Charles IX that the New Year will settle again around January 1st.
Among the traditions that still accompany New Year celebrations, that of kiss under a branch of mistletoe. Since the Celts and in pagan mythologies, this plant, always green in the heart of winter, was perceived as a symbol of life and fertilitywith magical powers some.
THE popular beliefs took it upon themselves to absorb part of this fascination. They made one ritual which, although a little obsolete today, remains a strong symbol of the New Year and a way to share wishes for the year to come.
Eventually, New Years that some wait until after the New Year have an almost opposite origin. Indeed, in Ancient Rome, we offered “Strine”gifts to symbolic value aimed at bringing the prosperity. These gifts were more intended for important people.
Today, we give New Year gifts instead in the form of money to children as well as some socio-professional categories whom we wish to thank for their services to the community (or to more private interests as is the case with concierges for example).
Also read:
Cooking editor
For me, cooking is a perfect way to create connections and discover new cultures. Combining travel and culinary explorations is obvious. The unique flavors and…
