About Russian New Year and Christmas traditions

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Today is the 7th day of the New 2015th Year. But Russian still celebrate. Why they still celebrate and what 7th of January means in Russian?

New Year and Christmas are very important celebrating ’s for European countries and their followers
of New Continents (Meant South and North America, Australia). Equally I can guess, New Year celebrates all over the globe. But every nation has some own traditions about that Holiday.
In Russia we’ve got one idiom “How you met NY, that way you spend that!” That`s wear new clothes, makeup, also it could be Mask-Party (Maskarad) when everybody wears masks and dance ballroom dances, but that kind of celebrating for persons with clubs and restaurants.

Merely the most part of people celebrate it with family, more than, that`s the family vacation. They decorate the Christmas tree (usually that little pine) with balls and electric lights. Make New Year suits (you probably know about American Halloween), so here you can dress up any body suite at the NY nights: the most popular are fairytale heroes: Pinocchio, Cinderella, prince and princess, in USSR times were very popular snowflakes and rabbit!

Traditional cooking’s for the New Year

· Winter salad. In Europe, also known like Russian salad, in Russia also known like Olivier`s Salad

Why Russian love franc names?????

· “Herring under the coat” – yeah, I was loll too. But seriously that dish made of herring with
layers of carrot, potato, onion and beet. But it`s yummy!

· And for sure! Tangerines and Champaign

Of course, there are a lot of dishes, only these are more emblematic!

At midnight (at Moscow time zone). In all TV channels we watch President`s congratulations

Here is the fun-link how they made this shoot the congratulations to our ex-president >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mz2wQ9_8cFo

Time to roundelay, fireworks and Bengal fires!!

Who is Father Frost?

Oh how can I forget this one! Who gives presents to our kids??
Would you say Santa Clause? Wrong!!
Russia is too cold for Santa! He is hiding in Lapland (somewhere in Finland) with his journals.

In Russia we have another hero! His name is Father Frost (Grandfather Frost)!
Russian Father Frost doesn’t sneak to the chimney
He doesn’t live with bears. He goes in stages with three horses
He doesn’t hide illegal elf’s, who made all dirty works
And ALSO he is not childless impotent. He has got a beautiful granddaughter named Snowy Maiden (wow! How terrible her name sounds into English, that`s why names don`t translate), please address her “Snegurochka” (or Snowy, if you desire).

What`s Christmas?

If somebody of you read the Bible (Sacral book for Catholic’s, Orthodox and Protestants and other
Christians). You likely already know Christmas is a Birthday of Jesus Christ.

On Christmas Eve you can go to church and pray. How do we prepare for Christmas? We don’t really prepare for it. We still don’t pack things still New Year!
Let me guess, you image last year Christmas tree, dusted house decorations, and spoiled food? You’re missing out. `cuz Russian Christmas celebrates at 7th of January!

Russians celebrate Christmas on 7th of January. WHY??

Yes, in that location is an interesting fact about Russian Christmas – we observe Christmas on 7th of January.
The same tradition in other Orthodox countries like Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belorussia, Moldova, Serbia, Georgia, Greece and Jerusalem! That`s a government holiday for all countries.

Little History….

Really-very long time ago as XVI century there was an Imperator. His name was Petr I the Great. The biggest Petr`s hobby was modifications, innovations (first Russian Nanotech))) and reformations. One of his reform was innovated new Julian calendar in 1st of January 1700 “form Jesus born”, also known like “Anno Domini” or AD.

Until this day Russian calculate years from “Creation the World”, and without changing that was 1st of January of 7209 from “Creation the World” (by the means we celebrated New Year in March) In Europe they have used another system of calculating years since the 4th of October 1582 AD. It’s called the Gregorian calendar. With Europe, colonial expansions Gregorian system was spread from country to country.

After World War I in 1914-1918 and October revolution (same in 1918) in Russia introduced Gregorian calendar as well. This system we use for our days.
Huh… How many history, facts!

Now let`s work out the cause why. Conflict between the 25th of 7th Jan equals two weeks (14 days). The same difference between Julian and Gregorian Calendars. Which we leave early and which we live for now. But Orthodox Church preserved the traditions and dates of birthdays.

That`s why we celebrate the Xmas 7th of Jan!

Old New Year? WTF??

Come Russia at 14th of Jan. What can you hear, they would celebrate you “Happy Old New Year!” We love to combine incongruous. Yeah, we love to mislead foreign, who doesn’t know our customs.

Yes, there is one little tradition celebrate Old New Year at 14th of Jan. Probably, you remember prep history about Julian and Gregorian systems of calculating years. In the Soviet Union the first one named “old style”, the other one called “new trend”.
That`s why we could concrete you “Happy New Year in the old style” at 14th of Jan or just “Happy Old New Year!”

So, Merry Christmas to you all. And Happy Old New Year!
Good luck to all in 2015.

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