Russian Holiday Traditions

1. Russian Holiday Traditions By: Andrea Brockman

2. Important Dates • 1-2 January – New Years Day • 7 January – Orthodox Christmas • 8 March – International Women’s Day • April – Easter (Paskha) • 9 May – Victory Day (1945) • 12 June – Russian Independence Day

3. Shrovetide Russians welcome spring during this time.This celebration comes seven weeks before Easter, and lasts seven days.People make noise and play tricks.Go sledding and have snowball fights.

4. Easter Easter is an important religious holiday in Russia. Russians paint eggs with wax and bright dyes and eat special Easter cakes and cookies.

5. The red egg is considered a symbol of Easter. The Easter egg has many specific purposes, it is a traditional Easter present given to friends and relatives as an Easter salutation. There is a proverb saying that once you wash your face in the water with the Easter egg in it, you will always be healthy and beautiful; the fire will die, if the Easter egg is thrown into it. People usually visit their relatives. The traditional greeting, if translated is “Christ is alive” the answer is “Christ is truly alive”.

6. Victory Day Victory day marks the end of World War II (1939-1945). It is also to commemorate the millions fallen in the war. Flowers and wreaths are placed on wartime graves and veterans come out into the streets wearing their military medals. Russians remain silent for one minute. This silence honors those who died in the war.

7. Independence Day This is the newest holiday in Russia. Celebrating the day Russia broke away from the Soviet Union in the year 1991.

8. Women’s Day On this day men give women gifts, usually flowers. Men also are supposed to do all the housework, this is pretty nice – at least once a year women can have some rest and forget about dishes, cooking, kids , and can take a magazine and relax on the coach.

9. CHRISTMAS Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas in accordance to the old Julian calendar. It’s a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration.

10. CHRISTMAS After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn’t until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, it’s once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints. Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions. On Christmas Eve it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding the meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family.

11. CHRISTMAS In old Russian traditions, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is that the Christmas Eve is to fast and meal. The fast lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. The meal is called “The Holy Supper.” The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ’s swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as the reminder of the poverty of when Jesus was born. A tall white candle is placed in the center of the table as a symbol of Christ “the Light of the World.” And a large round loaf of Lenten bread, “pagach,” is symbolic of Christ the Bread of life.

12. Babushka Babushka is a traditional Christmas figure who distributes presents to children. The legend is told that she declined to go with the wise men to see Jesus because of cold weather. However, she regretted not going and set off to try and catch up, filling her basket with presents. She never found Jesus, and that is why she visits each house, leaving toys for good children.

13. NEW YEARS Because Christmas was not celebrated during the Soviet Union, New Years was the important time – when ‘Father Frost’ brought gifts to children.

14. New Years • Children expect presents • Adults expect the New Year will bring ease, wealth, and contentment. • The old new year is marked January 13-14th. • It is considered a family holiday and it is celebrated with family members and dear friends. • There is a popular belief that however one greets the New Year, that is the way one will live the New Year. • So, people celebrate with a hearty meal and lots of champagne in hopes the New Year will bring abundance and wealth.

15. The FIR Tree As soon as you bring a beautiful tree into your house, there is a puff of pine needles and freshness – it is clear that the New Year is fast approaching. The house or flat is immediately set in order, floors are washed and carpets are cleaned. The day before, it is the rule to array the fir tree, to decorate with fir or pine branches with cones, garlands, snowflakes, and ribbons of paper streamers. Under the fir tree are placed the toys delivered by Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden.

16. New Years On the evenings before New Year’s, young children sing and dance in a ring around the tree, telling rhymes and singing. The elder children go to kolyadovat, that is, they go from house to house, apartment to apartment, to perform the ancient Christmas rite of the glorification of the holiday through he singing of songs. They wish happiness, health, and good luck, and in return, they are given nuts, apples, cookies, sweetmeats, and a small coin.

17. NEW YEAR • New Year supper begins at 10 and lasts for three hours. • To see off the old and to see in the new. • At exactly five minutes to midnight, the Russian President delivers his address to the Russian People. • And at Midnight the chimes of the Kremlin in Moscow strike Twelve times.