№ 1658. Postal stamp “Happy New Year”

New Year is a holiday that has come to us from ancient times and is still the most striking and long-awaited celebration. The New Year tree is its main attribute. In our country it appeared in 1700 after the decree of the Peter the Great, according to which it was ordered to decorate houses with branches of spruce, pine and juniper.  In the tsarist Russia, the biggest New Year trees were installed in the Anichkov Palace and in hall of the Nobility Assembly, there were also organized tobogganing, carousels, bazaars of children's toys and lottery. Today mostly artificial New Year trees are decorated: flats and houses are decorated with low ones and the main squares of towns are decorated with very high “Beauty” trees.