New Year in Russia

!

New Year in Russia –

never enough!

New Year in Russia is the most popular holiday

Believe it or not, but Russians do have two dates for to the New Year:

• the first one is January 1 – according to the Gregorian calendar.
• another date is January 14 – the first day in the Julian calendar (it was used in Russia until 1918).

Traditions and Customs

The festive preparations start already in the mid December.

The streets, shops, companies and enterprises are decorated with garlands, toys and posters; adorned fir-trees appear outdoors.

Every city, town or settlement has its major fir-tree lit with electric garlands set up in the central square. Fascinating sparkling ice sculptures, snowmen and figures of Father Frost and Snow Maid are placed all around the fir-tree.

It is also the time to go shopping for gifts!

Traditions and Customs: FIR - TREE

Festive matinees, called New Year’s Yolka or Fir-tree are decorated with glass balls and toys, garlands and tinsels.

New Year presents are hidden under the Fir-tree.

Traditions and Customs: FIR - TREE

Fir-trees are traditionally held in kindergartens and schools.

Children dressed up as hares, snowflakes, and other characters, take part in the masquerade, sing songs, play and dance around the Fir-tree.

Traditions and Customs: FIR - TREE

The most famous Russian New Year’s song tells about a small fir-tree that was born in the forest and now have come to children and brought lots of joy to them.

V lesu rodilas yolochka, V lesu ona rosla, Zimoy i lietom stroinaya, Zelyonaya byla.

In the forest the Fir Tree was born, In the forest the Fir Tree grew, In winter and summer she stands tall, And oh! How green she was!

Traditions and Customs: FOOD

On December 31 people start cooking for the festive table. No matter what food restrictions you have or what diet you follow there’s a number of things that you have to have:

• firstly, a big bowl of the Olivier salad;
• secondly, a bottle of champagne;
• thirdly, tangerines for New Year.

Traditions and Customs: FOOD

The tangerines are known as a symbol of New Year – in the Soviet time when it was hard to get any fruit except for tangerines people were trying to get as many of them as possible. With times it became one of the Russian New Year traditions to buy tangerines for New Year.

Guess the word

The smell of it the Russians associate with New Year:

Olivier salad recipe:

Method of preparation :

To prepare the vegetables. Wash the carrots and potatoes in cold water, boil until tender for 20-25 minutes depending on size of vegetables. Cool, peel and finely chop. Chicken eggs place them in cold water, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. The finished product is cool, remove the shell and chop into small cubes. Pickled cucumber, finely chopped. Sausage cut into cubes the same size as all other components of the salad. Instead of sausages you can take boiled chicken breast. In a deep bowl mix all ingredients. Add canned peas, pre-drain the marinade. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to bring to taste. Add the mayonnaise and chopped parsley. Served the salad "Olivier" in a beautiful dish, top to decorate it with sprigs of greenery.

Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

cooked sausage – 0.5 kg;

carrots – 2 pieces;

pickled cucumber – 2 pieces;

potatoes – 2-3 tuber;

chicken eggs – 6 pieces;

canned green peas – 400 grams or 1 Bank;

mayonnaise – 400 grams;

salt;

black pepper;

parsley and dill.

The Most Important Moments of the New Year’s Night

The celebrations start at about 11 pm, when the family is seated at the festive dinner.

Shortly before 12 pm they toast “for the old year”, remembering and paying tribute to the good things it brought about.

The Most Important Moments of the New Year’s Night

It is a custom in Russia to listen to the speech of the head of state broadcasted over TV and radio.

The President traditionally summarizes the achievements of the past year and wishes Happy New Year to the citizens of Russia.

After the speech, at midnight sharp, the country listens to the Kremlin chimes, which signalize the beginning of the New Year. The chimes are followed by the country’s hymn.

The Most Important Moments of the New Year’s Night

During these exciting minutes all are drinking Champaign and wish each other Happy New Year.

Afterwards lots of people like to go outdoors to let off all sorts of fireworks and bangers, and lit Bengal lights.

Festive performances with songs, dances and games are held at the central squares of cities and towns.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

At night to the 1 st January a kind white-bearded man in a red gown comes over.

He has a big sack behind his back. He is bringing gifts for kids.

He puts them under the festive tree and disappears unnoticed while everybody is asleep.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

The key figure of the Russian New Year is certainly Ded Moroz (Father Frost, or Grandfather Frost, to be more exact).

He arrives wearing a red caftan (old-style long garment) decorated with traditional embroidering and edged with snow-white fluff, a red cap, white mittens and felt boots.

Boasting a luxuriant snow-white beard, ruddy nose and cheeks, and a cordial smile, he is leaning on an icy staff with a sparkling star on its top and carrying a huge red sack with presents for kids.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

Russian Father Frost (Ded Moroz) comes from the more ancient Morozko.

In Russian folklore he is a powerful hero and smith who chains water with his “iron” frosts.

Morozko is now kind and now evil. To be correct, he is kind towards virtuous and hard-working people, while with mean and lazy he is severe.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

Father Frost has finally acquired his legal permanent residence, which is in Veliki Ustyug town of Vologda region, Russia.

His estate is located in the forest, 11 km away from the town, which has been acknowledged the homeland of Father Frost for its rich history, attractive architecture and the beauty of its nature.

The tourist project “Veliky Ustyug – Homeland of Father Frost”

existing since 1999 is rapidly developing.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

All this time Father Frost has been honestly answering thousands of kid’s letters.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

In January 2001 he visited his brother Santa Claus in Lapland and they agreed about development of sworn brotherhood relations between Veliky Ustyug and Rovaniemi.

Traditions and Customs: FATHER FROST

Find the difference!

Santa Claus

Father Frost

Traditions and Customs: SNEGUROCHKA

Ded Moroz is usually accompanied by his fairy granddaughter Snegurochka (Snow Maiden), who helps him play with kids and present the gifts.

She is a unique attribute of the image of Father Frost – none of his foreign colleagues has such a cute companion.

Traditions and Customs: SNEGUROCHKA

The image of Snegurochka personifies frozen waters.

She is an enigmatic maid (not a small girl) wearing purely white garments.

On her head she is wearing an eight-radial crown decorated with silver and pearls.

New Year Popular Beliefs

There is a whole range of beliefs concerning the celebrations of the New Year. The most famous saying asserts: “As you meet the New Year, so will you spend it”.

Thus everyone does one’s best to celebrate this decisive holiday merrily and in the hearty company of friends and family.

New Year Popular Beliefs

They also say, that one must “leave all the debts to the old year”, i.e. return the debts before the beginning of the coming year.

New Year Popular Beliefs

One of the most significant and breath-taking elements of the New Year’s Night is making wishes. They believe that the utmost wishes made on the New Year’s Night will surely fulfill in the New Year.

There is a unique method of making wishes that gives almost a hundred percent fulfillment guarantee: while the chimes are striking twelve, one should write the wish on a sheet of paper, burn it on a candle, mix the ashes in his/her glass of Champaign and drink it before the chimes cease striking.

Try it yourself!

Christmas

Unlike many other countries Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January, in accordance with the Orthodox calendar.

Initially this day was linked with many folk customs. Some areas still keep up with the tradition of carols’ singing and masking on the night of January 6th.

Since ancient times young girls used to practice divination during the Yuletide. It means they gathered together and did various manipulations to foresee the future. And nowadays divination is still very popular.

10 Days of Fun

New Year in Russia is an official holiday and many businesses and offices are closed on January 1 and the next 10 days – New Year’s holidays.

It’s a great opportunity for many Russians to meet their relatives and friends, some go on vacation or do fun winter activities, visit St. Petersburg and Moscow or just stay home taking the advantage to relax.