New Year
Description:
In Austria, the last evening of the old year is called Silvesterabend, meaning the evening of St. Sylvester. In honor of this holiday, Austrians prepare punch from red wine with sugar and cinnamon. Restaurants and hotels decorate with green garlands. Austrian New Year is very colorful, full of confetti, colorful ribbon decorations and champagne. Any evil spirit of the old year disappears when the festive fireworks and fireworks begin. At midnight, trumpets sound from the church towers announcing the New Year. There are fireworks in major cities.
And, of course, Austria would not be Austria if it changed its musical traditions on New Year’s Eve. For many years in a row at the Vienna Opera on December 31 and January 1 play the famous operetta of I. Strauss “Bat”.
New Year’s Eve kicks off a carnival season called Fasching and lasts until Lent. One type of holiday entertainment is lead divination. Melted, it is poured into cold water and the shape that the molten tin takes, and judge what awaits the owner of the figure in the coming year. God forbid the number is 13! Seeing an older woman is also a bad sign. But the sun or a pointed hat is health and wealth in the family!
The Austrian New Year’s table includes a milk pig, which symbolizes good luck. The belief in this symbol is so strong that often the table is additionally decorated with pig figures made of marzipan, fudge, dough or chocolate.
Another symbol of happiness is the four-leaf clover. For the preparation of such a four-leaf hostess use mint ice cream.
Among the "happy dishes" on the table should also be present green peas - so that money is not transferred, and horseradish - so that there is health.