How cities use the New Year to replenish their treasury.

During the New Year and Christmas holidays, the centers of many cities are transformed, becoming venues for fairs, celebrations, and street performances. But these holidays are not necessarily associated with national traditions or the desire to please the townspeople. The reasons for New Year's celebrations are becoming more and more mercantile: festivals attract tourists, and therefore increase the city's income. In pursuit of the attention of residents and visitors, cities hold a lot of events that are indistinguishable from each other. All over the world, Christmas festivities turn into farewells to winter, and the harvest festival gives way to the jam festival. At the same time, the long winter does not at all interfere with business during the holidays. The experience of Scandinavia and Canada with their rather harsh climate shows that nature does not have bad weather for a good business project.

The tradition that conquered the world

Germany

The Christmas market is one of the most famous symbols of Christmas in Europe and the world. Since the end of November, tents have been set up in the central squares of cities selling New Year's gifts, decorations, local delicacies, cider and mulled wine.

The history of Christmas markets dates back to the late Middle Ages. Since the 14th–15th centuries, similar fairs have appeared in German and some French cities, and then spread throughout Europe. Initially, there was nothing festive about the Christmas market. From the beginning of the Nativity Fast until Christmas (in the Lutheran tradition this time was called Advent), the city market took place in the central square of the city so that residents could purchase everything they needed for the upcoming holiday. Trade was accompanied by folk festivities, songs and dances, and the installation of nativity scenes telling about the life of Christ.

Over several centuries, the tradition has undergone a number of changes. Thus, in the 17th century in England, by a decision of parliament, Oliver Cromwell banned the celebration of Christmas as a Catholic holiday, and fairs disappeared for several centuries. Similar New Year's markets appeared only during the reign of Queen Victoria, but the first Christmas market was officially registered a little more than 30 years ago in the city of Lincoln in eastern England. The tradition of fairs was brought to America by emigrants from Germany, which is why the term “German Christmas market” is still in use in the USA and Canada today.

The widespread spread of New Year's fairs has occurred in recent decades due to the rapid development of tourism. The most famous German Christmas markets in Nuremberg, Dresden, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Cologne and Berlin are visited by 1–3 million people per month.

Markets in other European cities are no less popular - Copenhagen, Stockholm, Vienna, Brussels, Strasbourg, Bologna and the Baltic capitals. Not surprising, since the holiday fair is a commercially successful enterprise. The revenue of one tent in four weeks can amount to tens of thousands of euros, which is several times higher than the cost of the retail space. Companies specializing in organizing turnkey Christmas markets offer their services from €50,000 for organizing a small market in 20 chalets to €300,000 for a large-scale event.

However, there it is more of an attraction for the public than a living tradition. Therefore, tourists continue to seek the Christmas spirit and mood in Germany.

One of the most famous and oldest Christmas markets in Germany is located in Nuremberg, Bavaria. The local fair is famous not only for its gold foil angels and gingerbread, but also for its performance featuring angels and the baby Christ. The market is called Christkindlesmarkt - market of the infant Christ. Since 1969, every two years, girls aged 16–19, always native of Nuremberg, are selected to play the role of the Child Christ in the image of a golden-haired angel. During the Nativity Fast they are considered the main representatives of the city, and between holidays they travel around the world as ambassadors of Christmas.

Fire Hogmanay

Edinburgh

The Scots have turned the ancient pagan tradition of celebrating the New Year into one of the world's largest New Year's parties.

Hogmanay traditions were brought to Scotland by the Vikings, who celebrated the winter solstice. No one knows the exact origin of the word "hogmanay" - whether from the Gaelic "new morning", the Anglo-Saxon "holy month" or the Old French "new year present". Fire has been an important part of the holiday since ancient times. The burning flame symbolized the flame of knowledge, hope and enlightenment, burning the past and lighting the road to the future. Therefore, New Year's celebrations in Scotland were traditionally accompanied by fire shows and parades.

The first New Year's festival was held in Edinburgh in the run-up to 1993, and four years later Hogmanay was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest New Year's party - then about 400,000 people gathered. However, since then the number of participants had to be limited for safety reasons.

One of the main events of the New Year's festival is the parade of torchbearers. Last year, more than 35,000 people took part in the parade, joining thousands of torchbearers dressed in Viking garb as they marched through the streets of Edinburgh to witness the fire show and fireworks display.

In addition, the festival program includes concerts, shows, film screenings, sports competitions and even swimming in the river. They say goodbye to the old year with a big street party, and the first day of the new year is celebrated with an innovative art program.

The success of the New Year's festival in Edinburgh is not accidental. The capital of Scotland is one of the most “festival” cities in the world. Throughout the year, 13 international festivals take place here, including the famous arts festival, an international film festival, book and science festivals, etc. The cost of New Year's celebrations costs about £1.5 million. However, Hogmanay is the only Edinburgh festival that is funded directly by the city. annually covering losses of £200,000–500,000. To criticism, the festival organizers respond that Hogmanay brings in £32 million in indirect income to the city. In total, more than 4.3 million people attended Edinburgh's festivals in 2012, contributing an estimated £261 million to the city's economy.

Snow ball

Ottawa

The New Year is passing, but in some cities winter continues for many months. Take advantage of the long winter What competitive advantage teaches the Ottawa Winter Festival.

Since 1979, the capital of Canada has hosted the Winterlude festival dedicated to winter, the Canadian climate and culture (from the words winter and interlude). In French the festival is called Bal de neige, "snow ball".

Typically, Winterlude takes place over three weeks in February. The main attraction of the festival is the skating rink on the Rideau Canal, 7 km long, until recently the longest in the world. To understand local weather conditions, it should be noted that for the safe operation of the skating rink on a natural channel, the air temperature should not exceed -10 degrees.

In the town of Gatineau, Quebec, located across the river from Ottawa, Jacques Cartier Park is filled with snow and ice sculptures, houses, and playgrounds and sports grounds. According to legend, the symbols of the festival - the Ice Hamster family - live in this park.

During the festival, all of Ottawa and surrounding cities become the site for hundreds of events - concerts, plays, exhibitions and performances (most are free). More than 600,000 people take part in Winterlude every year, more than a third of them are tourists.

The festival is organized by federal and city authorities responsible for promoting the capital region - for 36 years it was the National Capital Commission, but last year, in connection with the preparation of the celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary, the rights were transferred to the federal Department cultural heritage. The 2014 festival's budget was $2.5 million, of which approximately $1.2 million was direct expenses and $1.3 million was staff costs. The entire city is involved in the preparations: the help of local businesses and 700 volunteers is very important for the success of the event.

Business project “Santa Claus”