Magical rituals before New Year's Day and Christmas: between sympathetic magic and collective psychotherapy

Introduction: Ritual as a bridge between worlds and times

The period of the winter solstice, framed by the holidays of Christmas and New Year's, was perceived as sacred and "subtle" in many cultures, a time when the boundary between worlds thins and the future becomes plastic. Magical rituals associated with this time are not an arbitrary collection of superstitions but form a complex system based on the principles of sympathetic magic (J. Frazer), animistic worldviews, and the deep need for renewal. From a scientific point of view, these practices can be considered as collective psychotechniques aimed at reducing anxiety about the future and structuring life space.

Classification of rituals by goals and mechanisms

1. Rituals of purification and expulsion of the old.
Before the onset of a new cycle, it was necessary to ritually destroy everything outdated and negative.

• Sacrifice of the Yule Log: In Scandinavian and Celtic traditions, a huge log (associated with the dying year and the old sun) was solemnly burned in the hearth for 12 nights of Yule. Its ashes were scattered over the fields as a symbol of fertility and protection. This is a classic ritual of destruction through fire, transforming old matter into new energy.

• Throwing out old things: In Italy, there is a tradition of cappodanno ("head day"), when old dishes and unnecessary things are thrown out of the windows on New Year's Eve. This act symbolizes the liberation of space for the new. Anthropologists see here the manifestation of "similarity magic": physical cleansing of the home leads to symbolic cleansing of life.

• Caroling as a ritualistic purification: Slavic carolers, walking around houses with songs of blessings, performed the function of ritualistic "cleaners". Their visit and the receipt of gifts (carols) ensured the well-being of the hosts for the coming year, warding off potential evil. This is a collective ritual of mutual "charging" with good luck.

2. Rituals of attracting and programming well-being.
On the purified place, it was necessary to attract desired goods through symbolic actions.

• Gastronomic magic: Food here acts not as a treat, but as a material carrier of desired qualities. Lentils in the Italian tradition (similar to coins) symbolize wealth. A whole pork head or leg in German and Polish Christmas menus — a symbol of health and abundance (the pig digs forward, not steps back like, for example, a chicken). 12 dishes on the Slavic Christmas Eve — a reflection of 12 months or 12 apostles, where each dish "answers" for prosperity in a certain sphere.

• First visitor magic ("First-Footing" or "First-Footing"): The Scottish and North English tradition attaches great importance to the first person to cross the threshold of the house after midnight. The ideal "first-foot" is a dark-haired man (a light-haired man was associated with Viking pirates), bringing symbolic gifts: coal (warmth), bread (satiation), coin (wealth), and salt (purification). His visit magically programmed the coming year for the family.

• Protective symbols in space: The distribution of wreaths of evergreen plants (holly, ivy, pine) on the doors is not just decoration. The wreath, as an open circle, symbolizes the cyclicality of life and the sun, while the thorny holly was considered a powerful protection against evil spirits. A kiss under the ivy, according to Celtic beliefs, guaranteed fertility and peace in the home.

3. Rituals of divination (divination) about the future.
It was believed possible to look into the future during "thin" time.

• Lead, tin, or wax casting: A widespread ritual in Central and Northern Europe. Molten metal was poured into water, and the resulting figure was interpreted. The shape of a ship foretold a journey, a flower — love, an animal — a loyal friend. This method belongs to oracular (experimental) divinations, where the future emerges through chaos.

• Slavic table divinations: Collective divinations with a ring, grain, or objects hidden under an inverted bowl. The ritual was accompanied by special songs, each of which was a program for the future (marriage, wealth, death). The collective form was important, reducing personal responsibility and fear of prediction.

• Observation of natural signs: In the Bulgarian tradition on Christmas (Bъдни вечер), they watched the "Christmas log": if it burned evenly — the year will be peaceful, if it cracked — to quarrels. This is a classic example of animistic perception of nature as an oracle.

Scientific interpretations: psychological and social functions

Modern science explains the persistence of these rituals by a number of factors.

• Cognitive psychology: Rituals, especially in a state of stress or uncertainty (and the transition to a new year is the quintessence of uncertainty), create an illusion of control in a person. Studies show that performing a ritual before an important event reduces cortisol (stress hormone) levels and increases subjective confidence. Writing and burning desires works as a visualization technique and mental liberation from anxieties.

• Ritual theory (W. Turner): The New Year's and Christmas period is a liminal phase — a time "between worlds" when the old social order has already collapsed and the new has not yet been established. Rituals serve as guides through this dangerous but fruitful zone, structuring chaos and setting new cultural programs.

• Social anthropology (E. Durkheim): Collective rituals (feasts, caroling, fireworks) serve as "electricity" of social solidarity. They periodically regenerate the group (family, community), strengthening a sense of belonging and common values at a moment of symbolic renewal of time.

Conclusion: Archaic codes in modern packaging

Modern traditions — the chimes of the clock, fireworks, New Year's greetings from leaders, even watching "Irony of Fate" — are secular transformations of ancient magical rituals. They retain their core function: to provide psychological comfort, create a sense of control over time, and strengthen social ties. Magical practices before Christmas and New Year's demonstrate not the primitiveness of thinking, but its deep ecological nature: man created complex symbolic systems for interaction with uncontrollable forces of time, nature, and destiny. These rituals, having moved from sacred groves to urban apartments, still perform the role of a cultural therapist, helping the collective to survive the crisis of the end of the cycle and to enter the new with hope.

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