NEW YEAR’S EVE
All Russian women are waiting for this fairy-tale holiday! New Year’s Eve in Russian culture is usually more important than Christmas. Actually, Russians usually call it just “New Year”. It is the most important winter event and is celebrated on the 31st of December as in the majority of other countries. In Russian culture New Year is a family holiday, and that is why people there celebrate it inside homes in the family circle and only with close friends. The celebration of New Year usually starts in the evening, but the preparation for this day begins weeks before. On the first days of December you can hear everywhere a common question: “What are your plans for the New Year’s Eve?”. Moreover, many people start to think about this important day much earlier: everyone think about special presents for each other, and children write letters to Ded Moroz (the literal translation would be Grandpa Frost) – a Russian version of Santa Claus, Kriss Kringle, Father Christmas, Jack Frost and so on. By the way, Ded Moroz and his granddaughter Snegurochka who commonly accompanied him are inalienable attributes for this holiday, and during the New Year’s Day you can see many of them on the streets. One other important New Year symbol is the New Year’s tree - “Novogodnaya Yolka” which is the Russian equivalent of Christmas tree. Usually it is a fir or pine, and as in the majority of countries people decorate it with different ornaments, toys, lights, garlands, and tinsel. The decoration of the New Year’s tree is a significant event, and all beautiful Russian girls are waiting with impatience for it. Russians also keep presents under the tree, and they are very important. These gifts are among the most expected during the year, so if you are in a relationship with a Russian woman and winter holidays are near at hand, think well about it and buy it in advance. And remember that New Year’s gift must be special and represent your feelings: gold and silver jewellery is a perfect choice for this occasion, because it’s hard to find a Russian woman who wouldn’t like this present. Some families have a tradition to open the presents at midnight, but most of Russians usually open them in the morning of the 1st January. Russian girls really expect this moment: to wake up in the snowy morning and go with a beloved person to the New Year’s tree to open the presents for each other. Just imagine how great it is to start the new year with your sweet, charming and strikingly beautiful Russian woman after the fantastic holiday night!
Supper preparation for the New Year’s Eve is also very important, and Russian women spend a lot of time for it. If you are going to marry one of them, you will open for yourself that Russian ladies are great cookers! There are some special meals for the New Year’s Eve. First of all, one salad is obligatory for this holiday: it is “Olivier” which is dressed with mayonnaise and contains boiled potatoes, peas, eggs, carrots, dill pickles and boiled beef or chicken. Other common dishes are jellied minced meat, baked chicken, salad with crabmeat sticks and sandwiches with red caviar. In addition, there is no New Year without a lot of champagne!
Close to the midnight people remember about most important events of the last year and raise glasses for the old year and for best wishes. On the New Year’s Eve most of Russian families usually watch holiday TV programs; and watching the president’s speech at five minutes to twelve become a huge tradition: after this comes the Kremlin clock bell which rings twelve times, and thousands of Russian girls make a wish at this thrilling moment… And after the last stroke everyone clink glasses with champagne and scream to each other: “Happy New Year!” holding Bengal lights and pulling cracker bonbons. On the New Year’s night you can hear uncountable fireworks outside, because many people go to the city center after the midnight and continue the celebration there. By the way, all clubs are open for the night and have special programs for this occasion, so, you can ask your Russian woman if she would like to go to one of them.
In Russia New Year is a wonderful, merry and fantastic holiday: it is celebrated with a lot of music, presents, delicious food, the snow is falling and all people are full of happiness and friendliness at this day. If you are going to spend this holiday with your lovely Russian lady, you definitely will be impressed: because they really know how to make an exciting and memorable winter holiday!
CHRISTMAS
The majority of the Russian population are the Orthodox Christians, because the church in Russia still uses the old Julian calendar which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar. So, people there celebrate Christmas on the 7th of January, not on the 25th of December as Catholics do. So, the New Year comes first, and it is one of the reasons why Russians have the New Year’s tree, not Christmas one.
These two winter holidays are both official in Russia, but people here usually celebrate New Year’s Eve much more than Christmas. Most of Russians even do not give presents to each other on this day, but many people go to the church service on the night of 6/7 January, and some of them don’t eat anything till the first star appears in the sky on Christmas Eve. One of special dishes for this occasion is “kutya” - a type of porridge which is made of wheatberries, honey and poppy seed, and symbolizes unity, hope, immortality and happiness.
Nowadays in Russia families commonly just gather with their friends on this day, prepare some delicious food and say “Merry Christmas!” to each other. And many Russian women have the same attitude to this holiday. But this fact is this fact is explainable: for decades the atheism has been propagandized by The Communist government, after the 1917 Revolution Christmas was banned with other religious celebrations, and only since 1992 the tradition of celebrating Christmas has been revived.
So, Russians have different attitude to Christmas and its celebration, but most of them like it, because it is a great continuation of winter holidays and everyone wants to spend wonderful time in a family circle and feel a magic touch of Christmas. By the way, The Russian greeting on this day is “S Rozhdestvom!”, so remember it and say it to your Russian love! What is more, it is very possible that both of you will be happy to have two Christmas holidays for one winter, because Russian women are full of happiness and like different celebrations very much! In addition, don’t forget that it will be nice to buy something special for your Russian lady for Christmas.
THE OLD NEW YEAR
Russian people also celebrate one more winter holiday – the Orthodox New Year, which they call “Old New Year”. It is celebrated on the night of the 13th January. This holiday is not official in Russian and people usually work on this day, nevertheless Russians like to gather on the Old New Year and celebrate it. The Old New Year is the start of the New Year by the Julian calendar, but this meaning is quite lost now and most of people celebrate this day just because everyone does it. Actually, many Russians have a tradition to say goodbye to the past year and talk about good memories which they have from it. People don’t give presents to each other on the Old New Year, but champagne is obligatory for this day.
So, spend wonderful winter holidays with fun and love with your irresistible Russian woman, and be sure that you are going to remember this time for the whole life!
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