Winter is coming, for Russians it is time of heavy snow and long holidays. The most important holidays are New Year and Christmas. As some of you may know Russians celebrate Christmas on a different day than it is celebrated in the UK
The traditional old style New Year’s Eve is celebrated on January 13th. That is so called “Old New Year” and emerged because of the new calendar (The Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar). The Orthodox Church still celebrates all the holidays by the old style calendar, that means that 25th December is celebrated on 7th January, and that’s why 1st January is celebrated on 14th Jan. This remains only a tradition for Russians to celebrate old style New Year, but of course the most important is the actual New Year’s Eve celebration.
New Year as the major holiday of the year.
So the most awaited holiday for us is New Year. Christmas is more religious, silent and long time banned feast (1917-1992).
New Year attributes: Christmas tree, Ded Moroz (English version = Jack Frost or Father Winter) is traditional Russian Santa Claus who brings presents and puts them underneath the Christmas tree, his granddaughter Snegurochka ( = Snow Maiden) who helps him with presents
Kids write letters to Ded Moroz asking for New Year’s presents.
New Year menu: Olivye (= Russian Salad), jellied minced meat, herring salad (“herring under the fur coat salad”), salted salmon, caviar, crab salad, game, sparkling wine, tangerines
New Year song: V Lesu Rodilas Yolochka (A fir tree born in the forest) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAq-MVXBwMs
New Year film: Ironiya Sudby (The Irony of Fate)
New Year Time/ celebration: +3 GMT, the speech of president is followed by the beat of the Kremlin Clocks, hymn of Russian Federation
P.S everyone is welcome to complete the list of menu and other traditions!
(From Alexandra with Love)
