Despite the fact that in Russia the New Year has been postponed from one date to another more than once, many citizens believe that by crossing this milestone they can change their lives. No matter what date the New Year comes, one thing is clear: at this time, it’s as if the whole universe is aimed at positive changes in the lives of many people. Therefore, they are trying to find out how to properly celebrate the New Year 2021 of the White Metal Ox in order to increase their chances of a successful and happy life in the next 12 months.
With whom and where should you celebrate New Year 2021?
Regardless of faith, education, gender and age, in December people think about how best to spend the main winter holiday. Often the first point in planning is the question of who to celebrate this wonderful night with. Based on this alone, many other questions can become clear: where to cook, what to wear, and what gifts to prepare.
If you have to choose a company, it is better to prefer the company of family and close friends. Moreover, a cozy evening in an exclusively home circle is preferable to a friendly company. Based on this, it is clear where is the best place to celebrate the New Year - the Ox is a domestic animal, he is unlikely to approve of a family trip to a restaurant where many unfamiliar faces will gather.
In case of forced separation, it is imperative to call your loved ones on New Year’s Eve, conditionally uniting with them. This will demonstrate to the Ox the importance of these people for a particular person, allowing them to strengthen the relationship by removing difficulties and misunderstandings from them.
The role of godparents at the holiday
Let the godparents make notes in the album: outline the arms and legs of the child so that you can then see how he develops. You can also make a notch on a special board or on the back of a wooden meter (indicate height) and continue this tradition every year.
Another original excursion for children is, of course, Accro-Baobab, in front of the Bandia Nature Reserve, the only park in the world built on Baobabs and in the middle of Savana! The park offers routes of all safety and for all ages, from 4 years: children, but also adults, can have fun in the middle of nature and make wonderful memories during the day, different from others!
Another very pleasant stop is certainly Joal, a small port discovered by some Portuguese navigators, managing in time to preserve all its curious features, famous for its two-story houses, but also for its dates and coconut palms and delicious small oysters that are found among the mangrove forests , which grow by clinging to submerged tree roots.
A long-standing tradition is cutting off hair in the first year of birth. This should be done by godmothers and fathers. To do this, you need to cut off a small symbolic curl on each side of your head (cut on four sides). Some people prefer to go bald, but this is not necessary. The rite of circumcision on four sides is a symbol of the cross, that is, protection. So, if your boy has already grown up and is joining the army, then the curl will serve as his strongest amulet and protection from misfortune. To do this, when the son is on the threshold, the mother needs to cut off a strand of his hair and put it with those that were cut off when he was one year old. In turn, a small strand of small hair had to be put in the amulet and given to the son. This amulet is intended as protection against injuries, failures and various dangers.
Lining Joal, Fadiud Island, a small island 500m long, consists of a cluster of shells that have been deposited over centuries. Today the population reaches about six thousand inhabitants. Crossing the wooden path that connects it to Johal and walking through its streets, you discover the beauty of Fadiut: among the curiosities we find a mile of granaries on stilts and a Catholic-Muslim-animist shell cemetery.
Don't miss Lake Retba or Rose Lac, named for its pink waters caused by algae in the water that produce a red pigment. The color is especially noticeable during the dry season. The lake is also known for its high salt content, making it easy for people to swim.
If it is a girl, then her hair is given to her on her wedding day. This gives the daughter the opportunity to leave her father’s house forever in order to create her own happy family.
After the hairs have been cut, they need to be folded carefully into a special piece of paper or handkerchief. Hair is kept not just anywhere, but in one’s home, behind the images of saints. This way you give God's power and grace the opportunity to help your child. It is believed that saints protect a person and do not allow evil spirits to take over his soul.
Afterword
Be that as it may, the main decoration and reason for the holiday is the baby himself, so dress him up beautifully and make sure that the child is comfortable in these clothes. Take a large number of different photographs for memory. Attach decorated butterflies everywhere and put colorful pencils. Let the child enter this life brightly and live it just as brightly.
- Balloons are always beautiful. The only thing is that the balloons can come across such that they unexpectedly burst, so no matter how great the temptation is to decorate the children's room with balloons so that the birthday boy wakes up and appreciates all the beauty, caution will not hurt. We brought balloons to the nursery in the morning so that the child could play with them, then we decorated the nursery with them, and took them down at night - the child’s peaceful sleep is more important than beauty. And in the living room where the celebration took place, the balloons hung for a long time.
- Garlands, serpentine - optional
- “Locomotive” made of colored paper with 12 carriages: the drivers - photographs of mom and dad, and in each carriage, a photo of the hero of the occasion, starting from the first month and ending with the twelfth. Under each trailer, you can write the main achievements of each month, be sure to indicate weight and height.
- Wall newspapers on various topics:
— “12 months”: a poster with photographs of each month of life; - “Me and Mom”, “Me and Dad”, or alternatively, “Me and my parents”, “Me and my family”: a selection of photos with mom and dad. You can also make a poster with photographs of the baby and his immediate relatives - sister, brother, grandmother or grandfather; — “Achievements” – a poster of the baby’s achievements (for example, “I’m 2 months old - I can hold my head up”, “7 months old - I’m sitting up on my own”) with corresponding photographs; — “My Friends” – a poster of joint photographs of your birthday boy and his little friends; — “Who does he look like” – comparative children’s photos of the baby and his parents in infancy; - "Family tree".
- Presentation or video about events in the first year of life
- Poster for congratulations: you can make a large daisy, and in each petal the guests can write congratulations to the birthday person.
- Plaster cast of a child's hand and foot
Festive table
There are no questions with dishes for adults - you already know well who likes what, or maybe you have a traditional signature dish. For the birthday boy (and little guests, if there are any), you need to prepare beautiful children's dishes that these kids can eat - you shouldn't feed them an adult cake. If the only child is the birthday boy, and he loves breast milk or formula most of all, then it will be enough for him to prepare it with a candle in the shape of a bear. For adults, you can buy a cake ready-made. The main thing is not to try to prepare a bunch of dishes yourself, in the end you will get tired, you will brush off the birthday boy so as not to interfere, what a holiday it will be for the child. It would be good to instruct grandparents and godparents to prepare separate dishes and help nurse the baby while you are busy. Some dishes can be prepared in advance (I made it in advance, you can also make it or)
Cultural program
- Provide colored caps and pipes to guests at the entrance
- Prophecy - You need a sheet of A3 or A1 format. Draw the sheet in the form of a table. Vertically write “10 years” in the first column, “20 years” in the second, then “30 years”, “50 years”, “70 years” and “100 years”. Draw it horizontally so that each guest can write a prediction for the child. In 3-7 words, how he sees the life of the birthday boy at 10 years old, 20 years old, etc. After everything has been written, the sheet with the prophecies is rolled up and put away for many years (up to 18 years). Later, in adulthood, the birthday boy will be interested in reading what exactly was predicted for him and noting what came true.
- Competition - who can build the tallest tower out of cubes and peel a banana or orange the fastest?
- Competition “Fairytale Assortment” - Not only the godparents, but all the guests guessed which fairy tale the phrase was from. Are you warm, girl, are you warm, beauty? ("Morozko")
- Well, we’ve eaten, now we can sleep... (“Thumbelina”)
- I’ll sit on a tree stump and eat a pie... (“Masha and the Bear”)
- The goat comes back, knocks on the door and sings... (“The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats”)
- I left my grandmother, I left my grandfather... (“Kolobok”)
- Grandma, and grandma, why do you have such big ears? ("Little Red Riding Hood").
- “Square” - “Kolobok”,
- ring - great love;
1st birthday gifts
- Wheelchair - they gave us one, at first the legs couldn’t reach it, but now it moves actively and puts it in the garage
- Play tent house
- Construction set with large and bright details
- Musical instruments: small pianos, guitar
- Finger paint
- Bicycle - with a handle for mom, the baby won’t be able to ride on his own yet
- You can start a tradition - give a gold/silver coin every year
- Slide, trampoline - if the nursery allows it
Features of the New Year's outfit in the year of the Metal Ox
For most representatives of the fair sex, the issue of festive attire is one of the most pressing. Often, choosing a new outfit becomes the top of the holiday to-do list, ahead of buying a Christmas tree, planning a menu, and decorating the house. However, there are exceptions - some women are forced to buy a new outfit for the holiday in order to please the coming patron of the year.
This year you can stay in your old outfit - the Ox is not pretentious, he will calmly react to the fact that he will be greeted without new clothes. On the other hand, in the year of this animal, it is customary exclusively for ladies to sew a new dress for themselves. It is worth noting that the outfit needs to be sewn, not bought. This is a kind of positive omen, although a store-bought new item in a suitable color would be appropriate.
Attention! The rich red color of the outfit should definitely be excluded. It is advisable to avoid even underwear and accessories of this color. At the same time, pastel pink or muted burgundy and other restrained shades of red are acceptable, although not very desirable.
Most often, women watch what their men wear on New Year's Eve. Most of the strong half of humanity ignores the instructions of astrologers. That being said, in the year of the Ox, by default, there are unlikely to be many men using undesirable colors, since not many of them wear red tones, bright yellow or neon green. At the same time, it is not difficult to please the Metal Ox - a white shirt, pullover or even a tie will do just fine. The most conservative ones can simply dress in a light silver suit, conventionally symbolizing metal.
The main tones of festive outfits can be called the following colors:
- white;
- lactic;
- silver;
- light gray;
- champagne tone;
- Ivory;
- powdery nude;
- light pink.
In addition, many other tones will be acceptable. It is advisable to give preference to light, discreet colors without bright elements or patterns. Too saturated colors must be excluded, even if it is not a red tint. The same applies to accessories.
This year there is a direct hint for jewelry - light metals are in trend. Women and men should choose bracelets and rings made of white gold, platinum, silver and even surgical alloys used in jewelry. The same applies to women's cosmetics - milky, beige, metallic tones and no red lipstick.
Why is First Spas called Honey?
In different regions, Honey Spas can also be called First Spas, Poppy Spas, Wet Spas, Spas on the Water, Lakomka, Honey Festival, Medolom, Bee Festival, Farewell to Summer, Spasovka, Maccabee. Therefore, on Honey Spas it is customary to consecrate not only honey, but also water, and also poppy seeds.
Honey Spas is called so because the honeycombs in the hives are full by mid-August, and beekeepers begin collecting honey. It was believed that if the beekeeper did not break the honeycomb, the neighboring bees would take out all the honey.
According to tradition, it was allowed to eat honey consecrated by the church from this day on. Honey was eaten with bread or various dishes.
Housewives baked honey gingerbreads, pancakes with poppy seeds and honey, pies, buns, buns with poppy seeds. The villagers knew that honey had special powers and was suitable for treating many diseases.
In the morning, beekeepers diligently looked out for hives, making the sign of the cross, choosing among them the richest in honey reserves.
Having taken a fancy to the hive, they “broke out” the honeycombs from it and, putting part of them into a new, unused wooden vessel, carried them to the church.
This holiday was established in 1164 by Andrei Bogolyubsky and was celebrated on the first day of the Dormition Lent.
After mass, the priest blessed the “new product” from the summer labors of the bee, “God’s worker,” and began to bless the honey brought in the honeycomb. The clerk collected the “priest’s share.”
Part of the blessed honey was immediately handed over to the “beggar brethren”, who congratulated the beekeepers on the Honey Savior - “On the first Savior, even a beggar will try honey!” And then most of this holiday took place in the apiary.
In the evening, a crowd of children and teenagers surrounded each beehouse, with rags or a burdock leaf in their hands - they received the “children's share.”
Signs for Honey Saved August 14, 2020
Nuances of table and home decoration in the year of the White Ox
Many people, even those far from astrology, know that there are undesirable decor colors for certain patron animals. There is also the opposite rule - some colors are very favorable. However, it will be good if you do not use negative tones when decorating the table, Christmas tree and home. Those who are little familiar with such features of patronizing animals need to understand the principle - the name of the year contains a hint for the required colors. It depends on the type of material and color, close to the tone of the incoming animal.
In 2021, the White Metal Ox comes into its own, therefore, 2 types of colors are suggested at once. The same principle applies here as when choosing a wardrobe - metallic shades and colors close to white are acceptable. At the same time, some astrologers even advise avoiding the use of a colored garland of inappropriate bright colors. In addition, modern LED decorations can be varied in color.
It is important not to forget that there are undesirable colors - this is pronounced red and all overly bright colors. Those. the same pale pink is quite acceptable, but neon fuchsia is inappropriate even in small proportions. Moreover, if these tones were previously used in the house in decoration or decoration, then there is no need to urgently change everything - it is important not to focus attention on this, for example, putting a Christmas tree on a red coffee table. In this case, it is better to cover it with a white tablecloth.
What treats are relevant in the year of the White Ox
Every year, housewives are tormented by the question of what to cook for a festive dinner on the main winter night. Every family has its own traditions, but not a single family in Russia forgets about tangerines and sparkling wines. Even those who prefer stronger alcohol still take at least a couple sips of champagne when the chimes strike. Only this does not affect the proposed snack in any way.
In some families, it is customary to make do with ordered pizza or a set of rolls, others set the table with cold cuts and sandwiches, while others prepare a huge number of dishes. Now it is possible to order salads, cold cuts and other dishes for the New Year's table in large chain stores. At the same time, most families still try to please the patron of the year, at least to a small extent.
Attention! It is worth remembering that in the year of the Ox, any dishes made from veal or beef are undesirable on the festive table. It’s important not to forget about sausages—it’s worth looking for products made from horse meat, poultry, or a mixture of pork and chicken. Lamb is also allowed in a wide variety of options.
It should be noted that the Ox is both a lover of sweets and a fan of everything salty. Therefore, the easiest way to please him would be a birthday cake and a plate of pickles. You can even put a symbolic dish on the table with salt and pieces of raw root vegetables.
We can distinguish the following groups of products suitable for the New Year's table in the year of the Ox:
- Fruits.
- Fresh and salted vegetables.
- All the variety of greenery.
- Root vegetables in different varieties.
- Fish, chicken, mushrooms, lamb.
Moreover, it is important to remember that the Ox is still a herbivore, so it is necessary to pay attention to the presence of fresh plant food on the festive table. The patron of the year will be especially grateful for tender leafy salads, fresh carrots and fragrant apples.
We set the festive table for children and adults
As a rule, the menu is compiled based on the number of guests who are invited to the holiday: count how many children and how many adults will come. It is imperative to find out the privileges and restrictions of foods, because some children are very allergic, and some parents are vegetarians.
Prepare dishes for the children's table taking into account the age of the little guests. And when it comes to treats for adults, it is quite possible to limit yourself to a buffet table if there is not enough time or desire to set a full table with various salads, hot and cold appetizers. But birthday cakes are an integral part of the celebration. The cake can be baked by you yourself, or it can be made to order by experienced confectioners. The main thing you need to remember is the candle for the cake, which the birthday boy can blow out with parental help. This will add pleasant emotions to the celebration and will delight the baby.
What is worth giving in 2021
As mentioned above, the Ox respects sweets. To respect the patron saint of the year, you should add a sweet gift or at least a New Year's candy cane to each gift. If you need to give a souvenir, it is better to stock up on various chocolate figures, rather than banal calendars and magnets.
Knowing how to choose gifts, you can be relevant in any year, even without taking into account your patron animal. It is advisable to exclude useless gifts, as well as inappropriate and sometimes offensive gifts. Even if a friend has long dreamed of an anti-cellulite massage course, this is not a reason to give her a certificate for it. In this case, it would be more appropriate to simply send a certificate to a beauty salon for a certain amount. After the holiday, it will be possible to correctly remind you that your friend has long wanted to sign up for a massage.
In the year of the Ox, it will be difficult to exclude such gifts - it is advisable to give something necessary for the home and family. At the same time, a drill should be presented to your husband or a set of pots to your mother only if they directly asked for such a gift. Otherwise, the space is wide - bed linen, personal items, family vouchers, vases, tablecloths and much more. Equipment of various levels will also be relevant, and it is better to give perfume and jewelry along with something useful.
Signs about pregnancy and the gender of the child: boy or girl?
It is known that you can’t just do it while planning it. Nobody knows what gender the baby will be. However, many would not refuse a boy or a girl. Some people wonder: are there any folk signs on how to conceive a girl or a boy? Yes, there are such signs, and most often they work.
If a woman puts any male headdress on her head during marital intimacy, she will become pregnant with a boy. A hat should not just belong to a man, because now there are many things in the unisex style. What is needed is a man's headdress, which a woman would not wear under any circumstances.
In order to give birth to a boy, in the old days, women put their husband's pants or hat under their head during sexual intercourse. If a man ties a woman's headscarf around his head during sexual intercourse, the child will be female. If the husband takes the left side of the bed, it means there will be a girl.
New Year rituals and magic in the year of the Metal Ox
Even preschoolers know that how you celebrate the New Year is how you will spend it. For this reason, everyone tries to celebrate the magical holiday in a special way. In addition, even skeptics on this night succumb to some kind of mystical component, at least jokingly performing a couple of New Year’s rituals suitable for any animal patron.
There are few special rituals dedicated specifically to the year of the Ox. Among them there are some quite ridiculous ones, who recommend mooing out the window, calling for luck, money and a quiet life. I advise women who want to have a child to eat pre-sprouted wheat on New Year's Eve. All adults are advised to rub their foreheads against any partition or door frame in order to avoid having “horns” in the year of the Ox.
Separately, it is necessary to highlight the standard New Year rituals and ceremonies:
- “Clink your glass” in the first minute with an unmarried guy to attract love.
- Eating a tangerine or a bunch of grapes at the last minute of the New Year for prosperity.
- Kiss your loved one in the first minute of the new year for mutual understanding and happiness.
- Making a wish on a piece of paper, burning and drinking the ashes with a drink while the chimes strike.
This is just a small fraction of the various magical rituals performed on New Year's Eve. In addition, there are various fortune tellings that predict everything from personal relationships in the coming year to money, career and life itself. However, fortune telling and magical rituals only work when a person believes in the magical component of the New Year.
Knowing how to properly celebrate the New Year 2021 of the White Metal Ox is sometimes not so necessary. It is important to remember that the festive mood is created by the person himself and his environment, so you need to monitor your mood and carefully choose a company for New Year's Eve. At the same time, if you follow some of the recommendations of astrologers, you can subconsciously tune in to a better life in the coming year, and besides, the presence of some traditions is very useful and convenient.
First birthday traditions
Naturally, the scenario for celebrating a first birthday can be the most unpredictable, but there are a number of traditions that are observed everywhere and always. It is precisely such insignificant little things that determine that a child celebrates such a holiday for the first time. These traditions are unchanged and are passed on from generation to generation.
So, for example, a baby is seated on the floor and certain objects are laid out in front of him, which symbolize various prosperity in the future. Some items symbolize the following:
- money - prosperity in life;
- keys to an apartment or car - the presence of this in the future;
- books – high erudition, knowledge;
- cup - long life;
- flowers - happy family life;
- sports accessories are a success in this area.
Subjects can be very different and their meaning is also different, depending on what the parents want for their child in the future. After the objects are laid out in a row, the child must take several objects in turn. Those objects that are the first to be in the hands of a child will symbolize his future destiny.
This is one of the most common traditions for celebrating a baby’s first birthday. But you can also create your own, which will be repeated from year to year only at the celebration of this person’s birthday. You can, for example, annually release the number of balloons that is equal to the age of the birthday person. Instead of balloons, you can launch sky lanterns into the sky.
As an analogue, you can give symbolic gifts to both the birthday boy and guests. After the birthday party, you can make a collage of photographs. This will be a good reminder of the celebration.
Parents want to celebrate their child’s first year in a fun and memorable way, even though the baby doesn’t understand it yet.
To celebrate a holiday in nature, you can make a congratulatory tree. To do this, you need to choose a small tree and have each invitee write their congratulations and wishes on a small card in the shape of a heart or star and attach it to this tree.
After the holiday, you can collect all these wishes and keep them until next year. It wouldn’t hurt to film the entire celebration, because after many years everyone will be interested to see how the first birthday in their life was spent.
