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NEW YEAR AND CHRISTMAS IN RUSSIA Activities: troyka riding, Russian winter games, bliny tasting, tea from samovar, folk shows, folk fortune-telling, decorating yolka (the Christmas tree), kolyadki, exchanging gifts, church services, special TV performances and children shows, etc.
Christmas, while remaining one of the main Christian holidays in Russia, is celebrated on the 7th of January, in compliance with the Russian Orthodox calendar, but not on the 25th of December. The birth of the tradition: Pope Gregory XIII commissioned Christopher Clavius, a friend of Galileo, to reform the calendar...he did so using mathematics and astronomy to calculate the new calendar year. His Gregorian reform of the Julian calendar was not accepted by the Orthodox Church which saw it as a Roman intrusion (which it was). Russian Orthodox Church continues living according to the Julian solar calendar. Thus nowadays all dates in its calendar are moved forward by 13 days as the result of it. By the same reason there is a tradition to celebrate New Year 2 times: New Year (1st of January) and Old Style New Year (14th of January). The festive and merry days of Christmas are called SVIATKI (Yule-tide) in Russia. There is no any other holiday celebrated in compliance with so many specific traditions, ceremonies, etc. One of the ceremonies is called "KOLYADKI" (Christmas carol). The ceremony includes wishing of wealth and happiness for everybody. It was once common practice, on Christmas Eve, especially for groups of young people, masquerading as manger animals to travel from house to house, having themselves a rousing good time, and singing songs known as kolyadki. Some kolyadki are pastoral carols to the baby Jesus, while others are homages to the ancient solar goddess Kolyada, who brings the lengthening days of sunlight through the winter. In return for their songs, the singers are offered food and coins, which they gladly accept, moving on to the next home. During the ceremony a snow-lady is made with a carrot nose, eyes of prunes or small pieces of coal and teeth of green beans. Lady KOLYADA comes to the holiday to congratulate people and enjoy merry games and fun. Lady KOLYADA is accompanied by some people bearing stars. They sing and dance in a ring on the snow with fired torches and push the festive Wheel. Traditionally, these days in each log hut the girls were telling fortunes, sang mysterious songs, children listened to Christmas fairy tales, frightening stories. Fortune-telling is prevalent nowadays among young ladies as well as in old times both in cities and in the country. The most popular kind of fortune-telling involves the future husband appearing in the mirror. While telling fortunes it can be also used wax, candle, combs, shoes etc. In accordance with Orthodox rules Christmas is considered as a solemn religious feast day and no meat is consumed during the Christmas Eve dinner. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The most important food of the meal is a traditional dish called kutya, which is a type of porridge. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace. Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: "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 a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is placed in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ "the Light of the World." A large round loaf of Lenten bread, symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle. The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: "Christ is Born!". The family members respond: "Glorify Him!" The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year". Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. The "Holy Supper" is then eaten (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. Neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house, eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long. The "Holy Supper" Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheatberries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling. According to tradition, if the kutya stuck, there would be a plentiful honey harvest. Traditionally, the "Holy Supper" consisted of 12 different foods, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. Although there was also some variation in the foods from place to place and village to village, the following is a good summary of what can be typically served. The twelve foods could be: 1) Mushroom soup; this is often replaced with Sauerkraut soup 2) Lenten bread 3) Grated garlic 4) Bowl of honey 5) Baked cod 6) Apricots, fruit 7) Nuts 8) Kidney beans (slow cooked all day) seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper to taste 9) Peas 10) Parsley Potatoes (boiled new potatoes with chopped parsley and butter) 11) small biscuits with poppyseed and honey 12) Red Wine The tradition of exchanging gifts during the holidays has its roots in the legend of Baboushka. According to legend, one baboushka refused to give the Three Wise Men or Magi any food or shelter on their journey to Bethlehem to visit the Christ-child. To atone for her sins, Baboushka continues to travel the countryside looking for baby Jesus and handing out gifts to children along the way.
Now, Christmas is a national holiday in Russia. But until very recently most Russians were atheists, and those who were religious were not allowed to celebrate their holidays openly. Nowadays leaders of the nation attend church services televised in the open air. For the religious Russians Christmas is full of spiritual meaning and is celebrated both at home and at church. Christmas service is one of the most beautiful and important services in the year. Nowadays, Christmas church services are shown on TV, so that you can be part of the big holiday even if you are far away from a nearest church. Christmas services are held on the night of January 6. Both New Year night and Christmas usually are marked by festive dinners. If you were to visit a family for New Year dinner, you would be surprised to see that even not very rich families would have a beautifully set table with a lot of good food. Most Russians believe that the way you meet the New Year sets the tote for the whole of the year lying ahead. The menu of New Year dinner varies from family to family, depending on income, size of family, etc (goose and a suckling pig are among the favorites). New Year is commonly perceived as family holiday. It is mostly the young people who are likely to be at a party (rather than at home) on New Year night. Everybody else will be sitting at a nicely set table watching TV. While sitting at the New Year table it is customary to "bid farewell" to the previous year. People discuss how successful was the past year for them and expressly wish that the coming year treats them kindly. A toast is usually announced to such wish for the upcoming year. There are 11 time zones in Russia. Thus New Year is celebrated 11 times on its territory. As the clock at the Spasskaya Tower of Moscow Kremlin strikes midnight people all over the country will raise their glasses and announce a toast to the New Year, after which the festive dinner continues... New Year and Christmas season is a particularly enjoyable time for children. They enjoy decoration Christmas trees, enjoy somewhat hectic New Year preparations and receive the richest gifts of all members of the family. In big cities special New Year shows are organized for children every year and children receive tickets to such shows at school. Velikiy Ustug (Vologda oblast) is the headquarter of Russian Ded Moroz. Ded Moroz has his office in this town. On the New Year's Eve there are special arrangements and performances there for tourists. New Year celebration, its characters and extraordinary wonders are popular themes in the films ("Karnavalnaya notch"/"Carnaval night", "Ironia sudby ili s legkim parom"/"Twist of fate or we hope your enjoyed your bath", "Tcharodei"/"Magicians" etc.), musical compositions (opera "Snegurotchka"/"Snow Maiden" by famous Russian composer Rimskiy-Korsakov), pop songs and works of art.
Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) Russian folk tale A long time ago in the forests of Russia there lived a peasant by the name of Ivan with his wife, Maria. Although they loved each other very much and had many friends, they were unhappy because they had no children. One winter day, they watched the village children build a snowman. "Let's build a snowman, too!," said Ivan. And they proceeded to craft a pretty little maiden out of snow. Struck with their creation, Ivan said, "Little snowmaiden, speak to me." Maria exclaimed, "Yes, come to life so you can romp and play like the other children!" Before their very eyes, Snegurochka became a real girl. "I have come from the land of winter, ice and snow," said the little girl. She ran and hugged them. There was joyous singing, dancing and celebrating in the village that night. All that long Russian winter Snegurochka romped and played with the other children. Everyone loved her. She, Ivan and Maria were very happy. Then one day, when the first signs of spring appeared, Snegurochka came to Ivan and Maria, and with tear-filled eyes told them that she must go away, up North to the land of snow. They begged her to stay. Upset, Ivan jumped up and shut the door to the hut so the Snow Maiden couldn't leave, and Maria hugged her tight. But as she held the little girl, the child melted away. Ivan and Maria wept bitterly. All spring and summer they were lonely. Summer turned into fall and fall into winter and once again it was cold and icy outside. One night a familiar voice was heard. "Mother! Father! Open the door! The snow has brought me back once more!" Ivan threw open the door and Snegurochka ran into their arms. All that winter she lived with them and played with the other village children. But in the spring she had to go back North, whence she had come. This time Ivan and Maria did not weep, knowing she would return once more when winter appeared on the land. And so it was that the Snow Maiden brought warmth and joy to Ivan and Maria during the long, cold, Russian winter for many, many, many years. Traditional Russian New Year song В лесу родилась елочка / V lesu rodilas' yolotchka/ In the woods was born a Christmas tree
В лесу родилась елочка,
Метель ей пела песенку:
Трусишка зайка серенький
Везет лошадка дровенки,
Теперь она, нарядная,
In the woods was born a Christmas tree, it was growing in the wood |
Traditional New Year`s characters: Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost, a Santa Claus-like figure who appears during Christmas, very often wears a blue suit) and his granddaughter Snegurotchka (Snow Maiden). Ded Moroz's character is related to cold and winter.
From time immemorial each folk holiday in Russia had its own, peculiar ceremonies, traditions, songs. The origin of many holidays doesn't often relate to Christian holidays, as far as the source of most ancient ceremonies lays in the remote times of the past, the times of paganism. Christianity had finished with the religious ceremonies of paganism. However, many traditions were preserved by the people in the form of entertainment and festive occasions, some of them were even adopted to the Christian ceremonies and traditions.
Another common Christmas ritual in the Russian Orthodox tradition is the blessing of the home by a priest. Other Christmas traditions include decorating Yolka (the Christmas tree).
In the 20th century it became a good tradition for Russian TV channels to show spectacular performances on the New Year's Eve with many songs and humour. Very often people watch these shows while eating their festive dinner.
