What is it like in Moscow, Russia on Christmas Day?
Письмо другу о том как празднуют Новый Год в России(на английском языке с переводом)
Hello, Ivan! I want to share with you how we celebrate New Year’s Eve in Russia. It is a special holiday for us, because it is filled with many traditions, many of which are passed on from generation to generation. Let’s start with the fact that preparation for the New Year begins long before the holiday. Already in December people start to decorate their homes, buy gifts for friends and family, as well as choose outfits for the festive evening. In the streets of cities are emerging New Year’s fairs where you can buy souvenirs, sweets and even skating under the open sky. One of the main symbols of the New Year is the christmas tree...
For those of our members who are not familiar with Russian culture, “a magical time called Christmas is loved in Russia as well as all over the world. Christmas in Russia commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on 25 December in the Julian calendar used by the church, which falls on 7 January in the common Gregorian calendar. This public holiday is celebrated by Russians as one of the main high days of the year. The ancient pagan culture formed many customs of Russia’s Christmas. From the end of December to January people performed different rituals, asking pagan gods for a fruitful year, and held a winter festival called Koliada. After the adoption of Christianity, such rituals mixed with the new customs into unique Christmas traditions that Russians still adhere to.”