On the eve of Christmas the shops offer a wide choice of tree decor, original toys and glittering pendants of the very latest models, but for some reason what comes to mind are the happy moments of childhood, when the fir trees were of enormous size, the shining baubles held some mystery within them, and the celebration went on through the whole of the winter holidays.
Getting ready for the New Year holiday, you feel like looking into the old chest where the toys of the past are stored, the ones that came down to us from our mothers and grandmothers.
You cannot bring yourself to throw out the relic baubles and cones, and their slightly faded glow returns you for a moment to the fairy-tale land of childhood.
The history of this obligatory New Year attribute begins in the 19th century, when the decoration had a religious basis, and the Christmas tree was adorned with candles, figurines of angels and cherubs, and Christmas stars.
In those distant times well-behaved children received a reward and sweets for their good conduct. Home-made decorations of dough, paper and cotton wool were short-lived and have not survived to our day.
After 1917, with the change of convictions and the separation of church from state, the holiday was no longer connected with Christmas, and the fir trees turned into a kind of political information session.
The stars of Bethlehem were transformed into Kremlin ones, and portraits of the revolutionary bosses were hung on the coniferous tree in a garland. The Red Terror did not spare the leaders of the young state, so the ideological decor was not long-lived.
During the years of the Hitlerite occupation the trees were very modest, without sweets; cones, nuts and cloth ribbons served as decoration. After the war fertility and a high harvest were cultivated, and the collective round dance whirled around a tree hung with apples, pears, tangerines and even aubergines. The fruit and vegetables were made of papier-mache, and later of glass. As a symbol of collective-farm plenty and a result of Khrushchev's agricultural policy, every Soviet fir tree blossomed with cobs of maize.
In 1959, with the release of Eldar Riazanov's film comedy "Carnival Night", the last word in fir-tree fashion became a glass alarm clock with its hands at 23.55.
Gagarin's flight into space was at once reflected in New Year production, and in the 1960s, alongside the first television sets, starships, comets and cosmonauts glittered on the trees.
Certain corrections to the tree's attire were introduced by the appearance of cartoons on television screens. Fairy-tale heroes swelled the collection of New Year decorations, and Ded Moroz and Snihurochka came to every house of culture and found their place under the fluffy branches of the fir trees in every Soviet family.
In Ukraine the New Year glass masterpieces were made at the fir-tree toy factories in Terebovlia of Ternopil region, in Lviv, in Kupiansk of Kharkiv region and in Klavdiievo-Tarasove of Kyiv region. By blowing, silvering and painting, the craftsmen created real magic practically by hand.
Unfortunately, the economic reforms did not allow many of the enterprises where the fairy tale was created to survive the crisis and the flood of imports. The New Year fairs are oversaturated with goods made far beyond the borders of Ukraine.
The variety of overseas tinsel substantially affects the look and the content of public and domestic New Year decorations. Wreaths with little bells, long stockings for presents, Santa Clauses in red jackets and caps — this is a tribute to American traditions.
Of late, vintage decorations made by home-grown craftspeople have come into fashion. Designer motanka dolls, little angels and little animals are highly valued — all that goes back by its roots to the very origins of these toys. Ukrainian toys are becoming an exquisite New Year decoration both in our country and abroad.
The festive attire can be made with your own hands. Master classes, designers' advice and video instructions are widely available, and a creative toy made by your own hand is sure to grant your New Year wish.
The publication uses photographs of New Year cards and images from the site www.pmg.ua.
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