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RUSSIA - CULTURE - HOLIDAYS
New Year Celebration
This is the most favorite holiday in Russia. It is anticipated as much as the Christmas holiday is in the U.S.
When the communists came into power they forbid religious holidays. But Christmas tradition was so strong (the people continued to decorate the Christmas trees in an underhand way) and the government allowed the people to celebrate what was the Christmas holiday now in a different way and at a different time: now as a New Year holiday so long as the religious meaning was eliminated.
Gradually the religious meaning to the holiday has deteriorated leaving the general meaning of the New Year holiday as one for a hope that the new year will be more happy and that all bad remains behind in the old year. The Christmas tree was renamed into a New Year tree. But the non-religious traditions of the Christmas holiday remain: Santa Claus, gifts, dancing around the Christmas tree and happy family times.
Russian version of Santa Claus
Old man Frost or "Ded Moroz" is the favored legend. Outwardly he resembles Santa Claus. He wears a long coat (usually red, sometimes blue), has a long beard and felt boots and carries a stick and a big sack. He comes by horses, usually 3. In the northern part of Russia he comes by deer.
Old man Frost comes with his granddaughter, Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, to help deliver the gifts. Snegurochka is made of snow; she is a beautiful young girl. Most often she is pictured as being around 17 to 20 years old; other times rarerly, as a a Preschool girl. She is always a blonde with big blue eyes and red cheeks. She too wears either a blue or red long coat. When the people decorate their apartments and Christmas tree, they place a Santa Claus and Snegurochka either under the Christmas tree or somewhere else in the room.
Gifts are never put in stockings. Russian Santa Claus lays the gifts down under the tree (at midnight). If the children are too small and are sleeping on New Year's night (eve), they run to see under the tree when they awaken. If a family is celebrating the holiday together, all the gifts are put under the tree before midnight. After midnight everyone goes to the tree and opens gifts. After that they celebrate with a large festive dinner. It is a very late night. New Year's gifts are big and generous. Children dream about the holiday for a long time. Historically there was no tradition of writing a letter to Santa Claus as there is in the U.S.. In recent times that has changed and children are beginning to follow this western tradition as well.
Russian New Year decorations are very similar to those in the U.S.. Garland, balloons, candles, snowflakes. Many years ago another tradition was followed: before New Years' families made Christmas tree decorations (from color paper, fancy candy's wrappings, colored thread, and real candy). Russian Christmas tree's decorations are different from American and European trees. Russian trees are decorated in varied bright colors (not just one color or one style of ornament) with many different types of decorations: figures, icicles, and candy that kids can to finding and eating.
Excitement and goodwill is felt long before the New Year. The streets are decorated and music is played everywhere. Long before New Year's, people begin their shopping. The gifts are purchased for everybody around. There are big decorated Christmas trees in the streets. There are free holiday shows in the public parks. You can see Santa Claus walking around on the streets. Television presents many holiday programs. And there are many New Year's parties. On New Year's Eve, people call and congratulate one another - relatives, friends, and colleagues.
Russia has special children's New Year Parties (called "New Year Tree"). They take place one week before New Year and two weeks after (winter school vacations). This is special show for children (preschool, elementary and part of middle school age), with St.Claus, Snegurochka, gifts, singing and dancing around the Christmas tree. The parents buy a ticket for the child. The show is much like the Radio City Music Hall show in New York City.
Russians do not celebrate Halloween, but at Christmas time people wear different costumes at New Year's parties. In country areas, children dress in costumes and go from neighbor to neighbor and are given candy and treats, much like Halloween. The children will dance and sing when they visit the neighbors. Very often the costumes are sewn by the parents.
There are many popular children's Christmas songs (like American "Jingle Bells"). Eventually you will find a link here so you can hear some of the songs.
Another very popular New Year tradition is for parents to hire people dressed as Santa Claus and Snegurochka to come to house parties. They come knocking at the door much to the delight of the children. They talk with the kids, and sing and dance and present gifts to the children (which the parents have either purchased themselves or have told the "actors" what they want them to bring). Most often the actors are college students trying to earn money.
New Year's Eve (called New Year's Night in Russia) is a big celebration. There are many people in the streets celebrating. Families with young children celebrate at home just with their own family. Young single people like to go out from home. In the big cities there are many choices: many clubs and restaurants have special programs. The theatres and ballet are also popular on December 31 and January 1. Nobody wants to be alone on this night.
Russia has one more special detail: they have two New Years. The tradition of greeting the New Year twice comes from the beginning of the twenty century. Before the communists, Russia had its own calendar. It was exactly the same as the western calendar, just delayed by two weeks. The new government adopted the western calendar but the Church continued using the old Russian calendar.
Gradually, everyone has forgotten about the old calendar or have stopped celebrating religious holidays. Today, people celebrate New Year's even on December 31 and then some celebrate, or at least remember Orthodox Christmas and then New Year's on January 12 and 13. It is called Old New Year. Old New Year is not celebrated with quite as much "celebration" but TV stations repeat all New Year's programs. Young people, of course, have a New Year party again! Then, after January 13 everybody removes the decorations and Christmas trees. The holiday has come to an end.
Russian Orthodox Easter
Pascha is the highest celebration of the Orthodox Church. Russian Orthodox churches herald in the glorious event with a service, beginning at midnight on Pascha Sunday. After the service, proclaiming Christ's Resurrection, Easter baskets are blessed and shared. The signifies the end of the Great Lent, a forty day period of fasting.
May Day - May 1-2
Originally the "Day of International Solidarity of Workers", it became just a holiday of spring and labor, though comunists make their traditional demonstrations on that day. Also called "International labor Day."
Victory Day - May 9th
On this holiday, the President of Russia sends congratulatory letters to all the veterans. There are parades, feasts, presents and flowers to give thanks to the people who fought for the defense of Russia. In all the cities there are meetings in which a leader or the mayor of the city gives speeches about the achievement of people in the war and veterans tell about their adventures in the war.
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