2015: Amazing Photos Of New Year's Celebrations Around The World (PHOTO)

Fireworks light up the London skyline and Big Ben just after midnight on January 1, 2015 in London, England. (Photo: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty)

January 14 - Orthodox New Year on the Julian calendar

Russia

On January 14th, 2013 the Orthodox New Year is happening. This is because it is really only just January 1st according to the Julian calendar which is used by the Orthodox to keep track of the days of the year. So since we just had Christmas on the Gregorian calendar of the 7th of January and now according to the Gregorian calendar it is going to be the 14th of January, when the Orthodox celebrate the New Year on the Julian calendar. 

Belarussia - Orthodox  mark New Year according to the Julian calendar 

Goodbye 2012 in Great Cities of the World - Enjoy the New Year in these spectacular pictures

Fireworks shoot from Big Ben Clock Tower and above Westminster Palace (British Parliament building), London, January 1, 2012.

"Big Ben" is actually the name of the Great Bell inside of the Clock Tower at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, which houses the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Clock Tower -- which is also called Big Ben -- houses four quarter bells. Thus, there are five bells in all inside the Clock Tower.

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New York City ... 

The penultimate New Years Eve place on Planet Earth: Times Square, New York City, at the midnight hour, Jan. 1, 2012.

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A festive crowd at Times Square in New York City, New Years Eve 2012.

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More throngs of revelers amid a blizzard of confetti, New Years Eve 2012, Times Square, New York City.

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London ... 

Fireworks shoot from Big Ben Clock Tower at the stroke of midnight with part of the great London Eye Ferris wheel in the foreground, London, Jan. 1, 2012.

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Fireworks shoot inward from the London Eye and above Westminster Palace, London, Jan. 1, 2012.

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Another New Year Eve 2012 image of fireworks above Big Ben Clock Tower, London.

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Still more fireworks in interesting formation over Big Ben clock tower in London, New Years Eve 2012.

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Paris ... 

New Years Eve 2012 revelers in Paris amid a spray of champagne with the illuminated Eiffel Tower in the distance.

New Years Eve revelers in Paris on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées with the Arc de Triomphe in the background.

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Berlin ... 

Fireworks over the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Jan. 1, 2012

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Close-up of fireworks over the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Jan. 1, 2012

Germany and its frickin' euro and its self-righteous, probably racist-based, certainly doomed-to-fail deflationary economics / all-austerity-all-the-time as "punishment" for the peripheral countries of the EU are really getting on my nerves.

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Athens ... 

Speaking of one of the peripheral countries of the EU  (Greece) that Germany feels it needs to "punish"...

Fireworks over the Acropolis with the crowning nighttime-illuminated Parthenon in Athens, Greece, New Years Eve, 2012.

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More fireworks over the Acropolis with the crowning nighttime-illuminated Parthenon in Athens, Greece, New Years Eve, 2012.

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Moscow ... 

New Years Eve 2012 fireworks over St. Basil's Cathedral at the Kremlin, Moscow on what appears to be a cold winter's night. 

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Fireworks over the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower, New Years Eve, 2012

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And, Sydney ... 

Year after year, no one does it quite like Sydney with the great pyrotechnical fireworks display shooting from the Sydney Harbour Bridge with the iconic Syndey Opera House in the foreground, Jan. 1, 2012.

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Close-up view of New Years Eve 2012 fireworks launched from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and above Sydney Opera House.

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Still more spectacular New Years Eve 2012 fireworks images over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

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Seattle ... (A city I love) 

New Years Eve 2012 fireworks over the iconic Space Needle, Seattle, with silhouetted figures watching in the distance.

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More New Years Eve 2012 fireworks over the Space Needle, Seattle.

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Spectacular fireworks launched from the top of the Space Needle, Seattle, New Years Eve 2012.

Taipei ... 

Here is quite a fireworks display being launched from Taipei 101, the tallest skyscraper in Taipei and presently either the second or third tallest in the world.

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Hong Kong ... 

New Years Eve 2012 revelers on Hong Kong, one carrying an interesting and hopeful message.

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Illuminated paper dragon lantern in Paju, South Korea near the Demilitarized Zone.

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RUSSIA: Moscow is preparing to welcome the New Year 2013. - Beautiful lights in Moscow city (VIDEO)

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh: Begin the New Year with courage!

Before we pray, I should like to introduce our prayers so that when we pray, we do it more effectively, with one mind and with one heart. Year after year I have spoken of the New Year that was coming, in terms of a plain covered with snow, unspoiled, pure, and called our attention to the fact that we must tread responsibly on this expanse of whiteness still unspoiled, because according to the way in which we tread it, there will be a road cutting through the plain following the will of God, or wandering steps that will only soil the whiteness of the snow. 

But a thing which we cannot, must not forget this year perhaps more than on many previous occasions, is that, surrounding, covering this whiteness and this unknown as with a dome, there is darkness, a darkness with few or many stars, but a darkness, dense, opaque, dangerous and frightening. We come out of a year when darkness has been perceived by all of us, when violence and cruelty is still rife.

How shall we meet it? It would be naive, and it would be very unchristian, to ask God to shield us against it, to make of the Church a haven of peace while around us there is no peace. There is strife, there is tension, there is discouragement, there are fears, there is violence, there is murder. We cannot ask for peace for ourselves if this peace does not extend beyond the Church, does not come as rays of light to dispel the darkness. 

One Western spiritual writer has said that the Christian is one to whom God has committed responsibility for all other men, and this responsibility we must be prepared to discharge. In a few moments we will entreat for both the unknown and the darkness, the greatest blessing which is pronounced in our liturgical services, «Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost» – blessed is the kingship of God.

These words are spoken rarely: at the beginning of services, at the outset of the Liturgy, as a blessing upon the New Year, and at moments when eternity and time unite, when with the eyes of faith we can see eternity intertwined with time, and conquering. The Christian is one who must be capable of seeing history as God sees it, as a mystery of salvation but also as a tragedy of human falleness and sin. And with regard to both we must take our stand. Christ says in the Gospel, «When you will hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled»; lift up your heads. 

There is no space in the heart and in the life of the Christian for cowardice, faintheartedness and fear, which are all born of selfishness, concern for self, even if it extends to those whom we love. God is the Lord of history, but we must be co-workers with God, and we are sent by Him into this world of His, in order to make the discordant city of men into the harmony which will be called the city of God.

And we must remember the words of the Apostle who says, whoever will wish to work for the Lord will be led into trial, and the words of another Apostle who tells us not to be afraid of trial by fire. In the present world we must be prepared, ready for trials and ready to stand, perhaps with fear in our heart for lack of faith, but unshaken in the service of God and the service of men.

And when we look back at the past year the words of the litany hit us and accuse us. We ask God to forgive us all that we have done or left undone in the past year. We claim to be Orthodox; to be Orthodox does not mean only to confess the Gospel in its integrity and proclaim it in its purity, but it consists, even more than this, in living according to the Gospel. And we know that Christ comes to no compromise with anything but the greatness of man and the message of love and worship. We can indeed repent because who, looking at us, would say as people said about the early Christians, «See how they love one another!» 

Who would say, looking at us, that we are in possession of an understanding of life, of a love which makes us beyond compare, which causes everyone to wonder where it comes from? Who gave it to them? How can they stand the test of trial? And if we want this year to be worthy of God, of our Christian calling, of the holy name of Orthodoxy, we must singly and as a body become to all, to each person who may need us, a vision of what man can be and what a community of men can be under God.

Let us pray for forgiveness, we who are so far below our calling, let us pray for fortitude, for courage, for determination to discount ourselves, to take up our cross, to follow in the footsteps of Christ whithersoever He will call us.

At the beginning of the war King George VI spoke words which we can repeat from year to year. In his message to the Nation he read a quotation: «I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown, and he replied: go out into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God that shall be better to you than light and safer than a known way.»

This is what we are called to do, and perhaps we should make today a resolution, determined to be faithful to our calling and begin the New Year with courage. Amen

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FOOD: Vasilopita - Greek Saint Basil's New Year's Cake

 

The story of the Vasilopita goes like this: Once, long ago, there was a terrible famine in Greece. The emperor at that time levied a sinfully excessive tax upon the people there. The tax was such a heavy burden upon the already impoverished people, they had to sell or give up family heirlooms, or what few coins they had.

Basil (now known as St. Basil the Great), the archbishop of Caesarea, saw his flock’s suffering. He took up his bishop’s staff and the book of the holy Gospels and entreated the emperor to repentance. This being a tale of miracles, the emperor repented [of course], canceled the tax, and instructed his henchmen to turn over to St. Basil all of the coins and jewelry which had been paid as taxes by the poor people of Caesarea.

Not knowing how to return each family’s treasures to them, St. Basil had all the treasures baked into one huge pita. He then called all the townspeople to prayer at the cathedral, and, after giving the Divine Liturgy, the bishop blessed and cut the pita, giving a piece to each person. As you might have already guessed, each owner miraculously received in his piece of Vasilopita his own valuables.

Today, Greeks celebrate St. Basil’s Day on January 1, New Year’s Day, with this traditional Vasilopita, or coffee cake. A lucky coin is wrapped in foil, dropped into the cake batter and baked. The person who finds the coin in their piece of cake is said to be blessed with good fortune in the coming year.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup blanched, slivered almonds

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 Tbsp honey

3 Cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp anise seed

1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

2 Cups granulated sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

A coin, wrapped in a bit of foil

Make the Cake:

Combine the almonds [or hazelnuts], brown sugar, and honey in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and anise seeds.

In yet another large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the six eggs one at a time, beating one minute with a mixer on low speed after each addition. Add the lemon juice and vanilla. Combine the flour mixture with the butter mixture, alternating with the 1 cup of milk, and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide one-third of the nut mixture between two buttered cake pans: a 9-inch round cake pan and a little 4-inch round cake pan, scattering the nuts evenly over the pans’ bottoms. Fill the smaller (4-inch) pan 2/3 full with the cake batter, then pour half of the batter that remains into the larger (9-inch) pan.

Bake both cake layers for 20 minutes, until the cakes become a bit firm. Sprinkle half of the remaining almond or hazelnut mixture in an even layer over both cakes. Now place the foil-wrapped coin on top of one of the partly-baked cakes. [Some versions of this recipe say you should close your eyes and make the sign of the cross during this step - Elis.]

Pour the remaining batter on top of each cake layer. Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife or toothpick inserted in the center of each pan comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes.

Serving suggestions:

Remove the cakes from their pans, and place the smaller layer atop the larger one. Top with the remaining almond mixture, and serve warm.