Children’s joy at the New Year’s Fir
In 1948 the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Slovenia decided to introduce a new end-of-year holiday called the New Year’s Fir, while at the same time gradually withdrawing public celebrations of Christmas. In the early 1950s the New Year’s Fir festivities gained a costumed gift-giver, Grandfather Frost (Dedek Mraz). An extensive propaganda campaign provided ideological support, emphasising that this was “a holiday that gives adults the important task of introducing the youngest members of society, in the best possible way, to life in a socialist community.” Alongside the creation of the new figure came public appearances and grand parades in major towns. Over the years, however, the pageantry gradually faded, chiefly because of a lack of funds. After Slovenia gained independence, Grandfather Frost survived, while Saint Nicholas and the costumed, globalised Father Christmas (aka Santa Claus) returned to the public stage. The holiday was no longer called the New Year’s Fir but was referred to simply as a “New Year celebration”, “Grandfather Frost is coming to town”, etc.
Rooting ahead with its snout
The pig and the sow are traditionally linked to the festive table at the end of the year but they also have symbolic meaning. Ancient wisdom holds that at Christmas and New Year one should eat “something from the pig”, since it roots forward with its snout, whereas Saint Martin’s goose (like other poultry) scratches backwards with its feet. Saint Martin’s Day thus represents a kind of stocktaking, the close of the year, while Christmas and New Year celebrations look ahead to life and plans for the year to come. Although the pig and the sow are often used to symbolise certain human weaknesses and vices, they are also regarded as lucky animals, frequently appearing on postcards and greetings cards or used as charms and in other depictions. A common motif shows a pig with a horseshoe around its neck and a four-leaf clover in its snout, often accompanied by a chimney sweep, a toadstool and other symbols of the Christmas and New Year festivities.
Janez Bogataj
