New Year in Arab countries. Eastern New Year, or “the east is a delicate matter.” New Year and alcoholic drinks in the UAE
Eastern traditions, oriental art, oriental practices are gaining more and more popularity in our country, in our city, and in Western world generally. And eastern holidays are no exception.
But, just getting carried away by all this, we sometimes forget that, as the unforgettable comrade Sukhov said, the east is a delicate matter. And there is no need to generalize all the cultural traditions of the East into one whole.
For example, we mistakenly believe that the entire eastern world - from the Middle East to countries rising sun- celebrates the Eastern New Year on February 19. But this is far from true.
Nizhny Novgorod artists helped us understand all the intricacies of the East, who through their creativity reveal to the people of Nizhny Novgorod the beautiful and amazing eastern culture.
Eastern New Year in Nizhny Novgorod is Chinese New Year
Eastern New Year, which is celebrated on February 19, is the Chinese New Year. lunar calendar, which means that this is only a Chinese, Buddhist tradition, which, for example, has nothing to do with the Arab East.
Chinese New Year is one of the main holidays of the year, which the Chinese celebrate for 15 days. In this they are somewhat similar to us, we also celebrate the New Year “from the first to the thirteenth”!
From the Chinese New Year we also inherited the tradition of assigning a symbol to each year. According to Chinese beliefs, the Dragon, Tiger, or, as this year, the Goat or Sheep are the lords of the next year. They cannot be met in an uncleaned house, and therefore one of the main Chinese New Year traditions is cleaning.
The Chinese New Year's color is red. And all the festive decor of Chinese houses is made in shades of red with small splashes of yellow tangerines, which symbolize prosperity, and peach and apricot flowers, which symbolize new beginnings.
Well, a rich New Year's table is also an obligatory part of the Chinese New Year program.
In general, we and the Chinese have a lot in common in our approach to the New Year!
But the East is not only China, and the Eastern New Year is celebrated not only on February 19, and sometimes not at all like we do with the Chinese...
Eastern New Year in Nizhny Novgorod: as celebrated in other countries of the eastern world
Arab countries
Katerina Sitnova, director of the show ballet “Izumrud”, says:
“The Eastern New Year is in many ways a truly Chinese tradition. And I do oriental dances and these are Arabic dances. And the Arabs celebrate the New Year in a completely different way than the Chinese did at that time.
New Year According to the Islamic calendar, it is celebrated on the first day of the month of Muharram. In 2015 it will be October 14th. But in the Arab world, New Year is not a widespread holiday.
There are two main holidays - Kurban Bayram and the day after Ramadan - both of them are religious and are celebrated very widely. And for the New Year itself, they only prepare the table and read the prayer not as usual.”
Margarita Daryina, head of the Arabic dance school "MarMar" continues:
“Yes, the Arab New Year is more of a religious holiday. Therefore, in Arab countries all entertainment establishments are closed at this time. And the biggest entertainment these days is considered zakat, i.e. every self-respecting Muslim is simply obliged to give alms and perform other pious acts actions.
New Year in the Arab world is a day off, a day for the whole family when they eat a lot and do not work. And that's it new year traditions associated with Islam and family."
Tatyana Lyulina, artistic director of the oriental dance studio "Angels of the East":
“As for the celebration of the Eastern Arab New Year or the New Year according to the Islamic calendar in our city, it is, of course, celebrated by our Muslim diaspora, but still rather closed, as part of a religious holiday.
As for me personally, I don’t celebrate the Eastern New Year. There were attempts, of course, but without any memorable details.
I think this is too exotic for our Central Russian region!”
India
Veronica Kurashina, head of the Indian dance studio "Kamala" says:
“There are a lot of different peoples and religions in India. And each cultural tradition has its own calendar. Therefore, in India, the New Year can be celebrated almost all year round!
So, February 19 will be the new year according to the Buddhist calendar. More precisely, even in Tibetan. By the way, some states where this calendar is common also celebrate January 1 as the beginning of the year.
The New Year according to the Zoroastrian calendar will be celebrated on August 18. The famous Indian holiday Holi (Festival of Colors) is also sometimes considered New Year. with it spring begins in March-April.
The Festival of Lights - Diwali (October-November) is also considered New Year's. It's the start of a new financial year for businessmen in western India, when old books are closed and new ones are opened.
Finally, celebrated in India and Catholic Christmas, according to the attributes we perceive as a New Year's holiday...
Of course, I would like holidays of different cultures to be more common in our city. It broadens one's horizons and draws attention to national traditions and helps their preservation and development, unites people, promotes mutual understanding.
Eastern New Year can be one of these unifying moments!”
Well, as they say, everything is in our hands. And the portal site - your guide to the world of holidays, has already taken one step in the right direction - we hope that thanks to this article, you will clearly understand what the Eastern New Year is and what it is like!
In the United United Arab Emirates(UAE) New Year is celebrated twice. According to Western European tradition, it is celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. The Muslim New Year falls on the first day of the month of Muharram according to the Islamic calendar.
New Year January 1
The customs of the European New Year have spread among local population thanks to the large influx of tourists.
The largest celebrations are held in Dubai. During New Year's holidays There is a large influx of tourists in the city. To cater to the tastes and customs of guests, streets, shopping centers and hotels are luxuriously decorated in European style. IN New Year's Eve Dubai hosts a grand fireworks show and laser show. Fireworks of extraordinary scale and beauty attract hundreds of thousands of citizens and tourists. Events take place near tall skyscraper Burj Khalifa city, Burj Al Arab and Atlantis hotels, throughout artificial island Palm Jumeirah. The large-scale New Year's fireworks display allowed Dubai to enter the Guinness Book of Records twice - in 2009 and 2014.
For the older generation, the New Year on January 1 is inferior in importance to the Muslim holiday. They spend it in a calm home environment over a festive dinner. Young people have fun in bars, clubs, and participate in mass celebrations and parties on the beaches.
On the eve of the holiday, streets, squares, shops and restaurants in the UAE are decorated with shimmering garlands and elegant artificial Christmas trees. In the windows you can see unusual New Year's decorations. Santa Clauses in disguise walk around shopping centers and invite children to visit their residences.
Cities and resorts
The New Year in the UAE will bring new emotions and immerse you in an atmosphere of warmth and exoticism.
rest in largest cities- Dubai and Abu Dhabi - will delight you with a rich program of events. On New Year's Eve, restaurants, hotels, bars and nightclubs offer entertainment shows with a luxurious dinner and performances by popular pop music groups. At beach parties you can party until the morning with the fiery music of star DJs. Dubai and Abu Dhabi host midnight fireworks shows where you must reserve a seat in advance.
Romantics will love New Year's cruises on the Persian Gulf. To do this, you need to reserve seats on an Arabian dhow or a comfortable motor ship. For a big noisy company good option rent a yacht.
Exotic lovers will be delighted with the New Year's safari in the Arabian desert. Riding ATVs, jeeps or camels will bring new emotions. You can celebrate midnight in a Bedouin settlement with a festive dinner and colorful dancing.
Feel yourself in winter's tale will allow indoor ski resort Sky Dubai in the center of Dubai. Visitors can enjoy a variety of entertainment: snowboard and bobsleigh tracks, a snow shooting range, and an ice cave with a frozen waterfall. At the resort you can rent the necessary equipment and take advantage of instructor lessons. The Santa Claus residence has been created for children, where interesting competitions, entertainment and gifts await the youngest visitors.
Shopping lovers will be delighted by the large shopping festival, which begins in Dubai on January 2 and lasts for a month. During the festival in shopping centers and stores have big discounts and sales. In boutiques you can purchase exclusive items at low prices.
The indigenous population of the United Arab Emirates does not celebrate Christmas and New Year, because they are Muslims, and their chronology is not based on the Gregorian calendar, but on the lunar Hijri calendar. According to him, the New Year comes in the fall and depends on the phase of the moon. The New Year celebration in the Emirates is less of a secular than of a religious nature; most Arabs simply pray fervently on this day.
But, despite the fact that the main income of the state is oil trade, travel business brings quite a profit. And the prosperity of the Emirates as a global tourist center, depends on how hospitable the locals are to foreigners and what they do for the convenience of tourists. Therefore, now New Year and Christmas in the Emirates can be celebrated with extraordinary joy. And the atmosphere of the holiday in the country is no different from the atmosphere of the holiday in countries where the main religion is Christianity, and chronology is carried out according to the Gregorian style.
Now during the New Year and Christmas holidays in the Emirates there is such an expectation of a miracle, as everywhere else on the eve of these dates. All the necessary paraphernalia, including spruce or pine trees, a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere - this is how New Year and Christmas are now celebrated in the Emirates. The only thing you won’t find everywhere there is snow, and is it even necessary if you specifically went to this country to celebrate the beginning of the year?
The end and beginning of the year is a busy time for Emiratis, but at the same time it is also the most profitable time for the country. Many shops, bars, hotels - all of this is simply filled with tourists, and the owners of these establishments are waging a serious struggle to attract customers. Therefore, on the eve of the winter holidays, the widest range of goods is laid out on the shelves, and entertainment venues offer the largest selection of entertainment.
Now New Year and Christmas in the Emirates are beautiful sparkling streets with bright garlands, Santa Claus, deer and gnomes; culinary establishments that compete for the title of “Best Christmas Pie”; not a single cafe in Saransk will offer such abundance before the New Year; enchanting shows; unrivaled fireworks displays; all kinds of holiday treats; unforgettable concerts of world-famous stars and much more.
IN last years There is a large influx of tourists to the UAE precisely on the eve of the winter festivities, and this makes its own adjustments in relation to the holidays local residents. People of older generations try to celebrate with their families, while young people find any reason to have fun. Nowadays, young Arabs' favorite pastimes are calling friends at night and participating in midnight car parades.
Nadezhda Burmak, director of the tour operator PROtravel, tells how you can celebrate the New Year in the United Arab Emirates and whether you can save money.
Question: How is New Year celebrated in the United Arab Emirates?
Answer: Many tourists from all over the world are eager to celebrate the New Year in Dubai to see the famous fireworks display at the Burj Khalifa. At the beginning of 2014, the fireworks display was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest and longest lasting in the world. the main problem is that a lot of people gather on the square every year - real pandemonium! – therefore, to see the fireworks, you will have to come to the square in advance. Immediately after the end of the fireworks, it is impossible to go back to the hotel either by metro - the nearest stations are closed, or by taxi - due to traffic jams.
To celebrate the New Year in the UAE economically, you can choose to stay in a hotel in an inexpensive emirate, for example, in Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah or Ajman, and book a table in a restaurant within walking distance from the center of Dubai to celebrate the New Year until the main stream subsides tourists, and calmly return to the hotel by bus in the morning.
The ideal, most comfortable, but also the most expensive option is to choose a hotel near the tower for your holiday, book a table for the New Year's show directly at the hotel, watch the fireworks, the New Year's show program and return to your room after it ends.
Question: What is the weather like in the United Arab Emirates in January?
Answer: Personally, I vacationed with my family in Dubai in January several times, and I can note that it doesn’t happen from year to year. Despite the fact that January is considered the coldest month of the year in the Emirates, the air during the day is from +20°C to +25°C in the sun, so a great tan is guaranteed. In the evening the temperature drops to +14°С..+19°С, so a warm sweater would be useful for evening walks. The water warms up to +23°C during the day, however, for those who are used to warm seas South-East Asia, water even in Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean, which are considered the warmest, will seem cool. In addition, in January there are rains and quite windy weather. One option is to choose a hotel with a heated pool. In the UAE there is a very large selection of hotels of different star ratings, where there are pools with water at a comfortable temperature for swimming.
Question: Is it possible to somehow save money on a vacation in the UAE?
Answer: If we are talking about a trip for the New Year, then in order to stay within a reasonable budget, we need to start organizing our New Year's trip back in the spring. Firstly, you can buy air tickets in advance at the lowest possible airfare. Secondly, at the beginning of the year there will still be a fairly large selection of hotels. As a rule, by the summer, there are no more places for New Year's dates in the most popular hotels, as well as places for New Year's shows in famous restaurants. In the United Arab Emirates, hotels do not provide any discounts for the period from December 27 to January 7, but starting from January 8 you can relax much cheaper.
On first beach line hotels are very expensive, just like in the center of Dubai. For more economical holiday You can consider hotels on the outskirts of Dubai or in one of the other emirates. Another a budget option– stay in an apartment hotel with a kitchenette. Basic products in supermarkets cost about the same as in St. Petersburg, so you can save on food.
If you don’t consider New Year’s dates, then for the promotion early booking you can win 20-30% of the cost of your stay, depending on the hotel.
Question: Are there any difficulties in obtaining a visa to the UAE?
Answer: For almost nine years of work, we have not had a single case of refusal of a visa to the UAE. Every year, visa formalities are becoming more and more simplified - now you can get a visa in one working day.
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