New Year's Eve is a long-awaited and loudly celebrated time for many. Where does the tradition of celebrating New Year's Eve come from? And where to get an idea to spend this special night?
The tradition of celebrating New Year's Eve, the night from December 31 to January 1, has its roots in various cultures and rituals, and its history dates back to pagan and Christian times. The celebrations of the end of the year and the beginning of the new one come from ancient pagan rituals connected with the cycle of nature, especially the winter solstice. In ancient Rome, Saturnalia was celebrated – a festival dedicated to the god Saturn, who symbolized the renewal of time and the reversal of the usual social order. The New Year on January 1 is thanks to the Julian calendar reform, made by Julius Caesar in 46 BC.
The tradition of celebrating this night, now known as New Year's Eve, also has its Christian roots. The name "Sylwester" (New Year's Eve) comes from Saint Sylvester I, a pope who died on December 31, 335.
Loud New Year's Eve celebrations on a large scale gained popularity in Europe in the 19th century, when balls, firework displays, and other forms of communal festivities began to be organized. Today, New Year's Eve is a symbolic passage from one year to another, full of hope for new beginnings, prosperity, and happiness.
Modern celebrations of New Year's Eve and New Year are full of diverse traditions worldwide, and each country has its unique ways of celebrating this special night.
In Spain, a popular custom is eating 12 grapes at midnight – one with each chime of the clock. Each grape symbolizes good luck for one month of the coming year. In Denmark, the New Year is literally welcomed with a bang. Danes throw plates and dishes at the doors of their friends and family, believing that the more broken plates, the better the coming year will be. In Greece, a special cake called "Vasilopita" is traditionally prepared, with a coin hidden inside. The person who finds the coin in their piece is said to have good luck throughout the year.
How do we celebrate New Year's Eve in Poland? We often opt for meetings with friends or participation in New Year's Eve balls organized by hotels. Ski enthusiasts eagerly go to the mountains to spend New Year's Eve on snowy slopes. However, if the weather is favorable, there's no need to go far – a sleigh ride and a bonfire with sausages and marshmallows are enough to feel the true spirit of celebration. More and more people also choose to spend New Year's Eve abroad, escaping the winter weather to warm countries. Yet, a stay in a hotel with a spa can be just as enjoyable, where a pool, jacuzzi, massages, and walks in a snowy forest bring genuine magic. New Year's Eve at home with family is also a great option: prepare board games, favorite drinks, and have fun as culinary travelers by cooking dishes you've never tried before.
An original idea for spending New Year's Eve and New Year in a wonderful, relaxing atmosphere is to buy a New Year's package at a spa hotel. Close to Warsaw, in Wiskitki, there is a place definitely worth discovering. If you like the combination of nature and luxury, Santa Natura Resort & SPA will be the hotel where you will certainly find yourself. You can spend New Year's Eve night at a fairy-tale ball, dancing in your favorite outfits to the sounds of the biggest hits, enjoying exquisite cuisine, and welcoming the New Year in excellent company with smiles on your faces.
And the day after the big ball – you can recharge your energy during sessions with a sauna master in the Estonian sauna, swim in the pool, or take a polar plunge in the natural swimming pond. At Santa Natura Resort & SPA you will also find treatment rooms and specialists who will perfectly relax your body and energize tired skin. Regular clients from Warsaw and Łódź come for spa treatments, so it's worth booking a session in advance.
New Year's packages at hotels are also popular among couples, as spending New Year's Eve together at a spa hotel is an interesting idea. Especially since you can take advantage of spa treatments and special packages dedicated to couples, for example, massages can be done simultaneously in one room.
Santa Natura is highly regarded by couples for other reasons as well. It is worth mentioning the interesting design, which combines elegant style with cozy details and colors referring to the surroundings, which in summer are immersed in greenery. The facility is located in the protective zone of the Bolimów Landscape Park. It used to house an equestrian center, which is also reflected in the huge hall that once was a horse paddock and today has been adapted into a modern event space.
In addition to being close to Bolimów Landscape Park, the hotel can also boast proximity to Żelazowa Wola, where the Birthplace of Fryderyk Chopin is located, and the Philip de Girard Museum of Linen in Żyrardów. Coming here even for a week, it's hard to get bored.
Santa Natura is also an excellent place for a New Year's Eve and New Year trip with children! For the youngest, a special ball is organized, during which parents can count on the support of animators. The hotel has a paddling pool, ideal for children. During the stay, it is worth finding time for a fairy-tale movie screening in the cozy cinema room.
It is worth emphasizing that a longer stay at Santa Natura will be an excellent choice for children. The surroundings of Bolimów Landscape Park, a large garden, a herd of Cameroon goats, horses – this is the perfect place to spend time in the fresh air in an interesting way! So it's worth coming here for a longer time so that the whole family can relax and regain energy.
No matter how you decide to spend New Year's Eve, the most important thing is that this special night is full of joy, relaxation, and good company. Santa Natura Resort & SPA offers extraordinary opportunities both for couples and families with children, providing unforgettable experiences surrounded by nature and luxury. Whether you dream of dancing until dawn, relaxing in a sauna, or outdoor adventure, you will find something for yourself here. New Year's Eve is a time of new beginnings – spend it in a way that best suits your dreams and needs so that the New Year starts full of energy and joy.