Christmas in Russia is celebrated on January 7th, with many traditions originating from the pagan culture that predated Christianity. Long-standing customs include caroling, fortune-telling, and following a strict Nativity Fast for forty days leading up to Christmas Eve. The primary church in Russia is Orthodox Christian and follows the old calendar for religious dates, making Christmas celebrated on January 7th.
Russian Christmas is considered both a strictly religious holiday and a family one. Modern Russians attend the Christmas liturgy and observe ancient elements of the holiday, such as fortune-telling on Christmas Eve, koliadakoliada, and singing carols (kalyadki). Worshipers follow a strict fast, ending when the first star appears in the sky on Christmas Eve.
Other Russian Christmas attributes and traditions, such as gift-giving, Ded Moroz’s visits, and Christmas decorations, have lost their religious significance. However, long-standing Russian Christmas customs like caroling, fortune-telling, and following a strict Nativity Fast for forty days leading up to Christmas Eve continue to be observed.
A Christmas church service occurs on Christmas Eve, attended by Orthodox church members. Even President Vladimir Putin and other prominent figures in the Russian Orthodox Church attend the service.
In the Russian Empire, it was customary to decorate a Christmas tree, with the first spruce branches appearing under Peter I. Russians decorate their homes with a Christmas tree and often put pine leaves on their front doors and in the house. One of the most famous things about Russian Christmas traditions is the story of Babushka, which most people in Russia have never heard.
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Are there any magical beings associated with Christmas in Russia?
Ded Moroz, a symbol of the festive season in Russia, is not simply another name for Father Christmas. The legend of Ded Moroz, a wise wizard with a wicked disposition, has its roots in the story of St. Nicholas, the patron of children. Ded Moroz was denounced as a demon by the church, capable of freezing entire armies with his ice-cold fingers. In the late 19th century, Ded Moroz began to mend his ways and was gradually welcomed into respectable families’ Christmas celebrations as a bringer of presents and goodwill.
The legend grew, and Ded Moroz transformed from a haggardly sage into a well-dressed noble man, wearing royal blue fur coats embroidered with silver and a pair of pointy boots. He also acquired a sleigh, a troika pulled by three snow-white horses, similar to Santa.
How do Russian people say Christmas?
Christmas, also known as Rasdestvo in Russian, is a state holiday and a day off observed on January 7. It is celebrated as the birth of Jesus Christ, also known as Iisus Khristos. In Russia, Christmas is a warm, family-centric holiday, with no tradition of giving presents or decorating a Christmas tree. Instead, people attend church services, make confessions, and receive communion. Russian food is traditionally served on a festive table, including pork dishes like aspic, homemade sausages, and ragout.
The day before Christmas is called ‘Sachel’nik, or Christmas Eve, and is a meatless porridge made from wheat with honey. Twelve meatless dishes are made for Christmas Eve, including sochiva, a porridge made from wheat, millet, rice, or other grains with poppy seeds, walnuts, raisins, and honey. Tradition dictates that all twelve dishes must be sampled, but none should be eaten completely to ensure family prosperity.
What are some Russian traditions?
Russia, a country with a mysterious Communist past, is growing in popularity among the TEFL community due to reputable English teaching jobs offering good wages, visa assistance, and sometimes free accommodation. To enjoy your time in the world’s largest country, it’s helpful to be aware of important traditions and beliefs.
One of the top 10 important Russian customs to remember is spitting and touching wood. Many superstitious Russians believe in the evil eye, which brings bad luck when complimenting a child or touching a wooden surface. This custom is also done if someone tells you about their success, such as getting a new job or going on holiday.
In Russia, money transmits energy from its owner, including negative energy, which can be transmitted if the money is placed directly from the hands of its previous owner to the new owner. Instead, in a shop, money is placed into a tray, and your change is placed there too for you to pick up.
Respecting these customs can help you make new-found Russian friends who appreciate the fact that you’ve taken the time to get to know about their country. By understanding these customs, you can enhance your knowledge of the culture and make new-found Russian friends who appreciate the fact that you’ve taken the time to get to know about their country.
What is Santa called in Russia?
Santa Claus, also known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia, is a slender figure with a flowing beard and a long robe in various colors. He is accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) and his sleigh is powered by three steely horses. Ded Moroz has survived a turbulent century, facing social and political revolutions that saw him become beloved, banned as a subversive element, and then hailed as a symbol of the true Russian spirit.
The trouble for Ded Moroz and his granddaughter began with the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922. The communist regime banned religion, deeming it a bourgeois instrument to repress the working class. Many clergy and some believers of the Russian Orthodox Church were sent to labor camps or killed. In 1928, Ded Moroz was banished into exile, and Christmas day was erased in Russia and some Eastern European countries that follow the Julian calendar. All festive celebrations were forbidden, and anyone who broke the rules risked arrest.
What are Russia’s Christmas traditions?
In Russia, Christmas trees and pine leaves are traditionally used to decorate homes. The trees are typically taken down at the end of January, which coincides with the Feast of the Baptism of Christ. A common New Year’s Eve greeting in Russia is “C novom godom!” The Russian Orthodox Christmas celebration occurs on January 7th, according to the Old Calendar, and lasts for six days. The holiday is distinguished by its religious traditions and customary greetings.
Why is Christmas Day different in Russia?
The Russian Orthodox Church utilizes the Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar commonly used in Western countries, resulting in Christmas being celebrated on January 7th instead of December 25th in Russia.
Why is Christmas in Russia celebrated on January 7th?
Orthodox communities in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, comprising over 12 percent of all Christians, celebrate Christmas weeks after most of the Western world due to their use of the Julian calendar. The difference in when to officially recognize Jesus Christ’s birth dates back to AD 325, when Christian bishops agreed on a standard date for the church’s most important holiday, Easter.
What is Santa Claus called in Russia?
Santa Claus, also known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) in Russia, is a slender figure with a flowing beard and a long robe in various colors. He is accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka (Snow Maiden) and his sleigh is powered by three steely horses. Ded Moroz has survived a turbulent century, facing social and political revolutions that saw him become beloved, banned as a subversive element, and then hailed as a symbol of the true Russian spirit.
The trouble for Ded Moroz and his granddaughter began with the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922. The communist regime banned religion, deeming it a bourgeois instrument to repress the working class. Many clergy and some believers of the Russian Orthodox Church were sent to labor camps or killed. In 1928, Ded Moroz was banished into exile, and Christmas day was erased in Russia and some Eastern European countries that follow the Julian calendar. All festive celebrations were forbidden, and anyone who broke the rules risked arrest.
What is Russia’s expression for Christmas?
In Russian, to wish someone a Merry Christmas, use the phrases “С Рождеством” or “Счастливого Рождества” which translate to “Merry Christmas”. Respond with “И Вас также” or “И тебя также” to express your gratitude. To practice these greetings, use Tandem, a platform that allows users to find language exchange partners in over 300 languages, including Russian. Practice pronunciation through voice messages or video or audio calls, and improve grammar and vocabulary through in-app correction and translation features. Tandem also offers in-app correction and translation features to help users immerse themselves in the language they are learning.
What is the Russian fairy tale about Christmas?
“Babushka”, meaning “grandmother” in Russian, is a famous Christmas story in Russia about an old woman who met the Three Wise men on their way to see Jesus. Babushka lived in a small peasant town in Russia and was known for her hard work, cleanliness, and talent in cooking. She lived in a clean house, which was the cleanest in the village. Babushka’s garden was full of flowers, and her cooking was fantastic. This story highlights the importance of a grandmother in a family and the significance of a grandmother in a family’s life.
What do Russians do instead of Christmas?
In Russia, the New Year is the most significant and widely celebrated holiday, surpassing even Christmas in scale. This preference is rooted in the country’s history, where religious holidays were banned during the Soviet era, making the New Year an alternative celebration. The New Year’s Eve is the focal point of winter holidays in Russia, with preparations for the event being similar to Christmas. Russian homes decorate their condos in red, white, and green, and sparkles are added.
The New Year tree, or “Novogodnaya Yolka”, is central to the celebration, and presents are placed under it. The New Year’s meal, including the “Olivier salad”, is a central and filling dish, combining diced potatoes, carrots, peas, eggs, mayonnaise, and typically ham, chicken, or beef.
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You must watch It’s a Wonderful Life. It was made in the 1940’s after WW2 and is a great movie. It comes on every year at Christmas time. As I have gotten older it has more meaning to me and is very touching. I plan to watch Irony of Fate this year. Love your articles. Love and thanks from United States.
In the caribbean we can go out and celebrate in the streets, because there is no cold weather. Most people like to put on loud music for the whole block to enjoy. People are drinking lots of beer and other alcoholic beverages, getting drunk, dancing caribbean music and they keep it up until the next day, in some cases the party can go on for several days. In my country we eat “natilla” and “buñuelos” is a common tradition on december 24th and 31st. The children only get presents the 24th. Love your articles and agree that your personality is very attractive. Greetings from Colombia
Here in the Deep South of America (at least where I live) we celebrate New Years with going out to parties & we count down the New Year. At midnight, you toast the new year and kiss the date that came with you. On New Years Day, we eat cornbread, black eyed peas, and collard greens. This is to ensure a prosperous and healthy new year.
Hello from Scotland. You’re article just popped up, I’ve now subscribed. Looks like a lovely holiday session, its interesting to see how others do things. Our family have it around the 21st after the longest night to welcome the turn in the sessions, more a pagan tradition . Take care and keep up the lovely articles.
In Venezuela and LATAM, we usually make big parties with friends and family, with a lot of music, food, beer, dancing and all that stuff, sometimes they last two days, those parties are hilarious and crazy xD. Of course, we also used to gather each other and eat together, make wishes for the New Year. I think New Year’s Even is one of the most funny and beautiful celebration.
Very interesting article Nesty. I used to go to Sydney, Australia in the 1990’s, every Christmas and New Year. I would watch the fireworks going off on the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge. Most of life was in New Zealand. It is summer now in Southern Hemisphere, so We would go to the beach on Christmas Day. My burning paper wish is for more of your articles and that you will remain safe and beautiful.
Transition in my country is super fun!! In one of my countries I’m from we have Christmas light shows and we also play Christmas music on the radio, we also go to camana bay and visit Santa Claus to sit on his lap and take pictures by digicel, it is a pleasure really to be in that country around Christmas everyone all seems so friendly and welcoming they always greeting people with smiles and celebrating Christmas many families travel to the country and live with their family for a few weeks they have Christmas decorations around other peoples houses where others are welcomes to go and visit it truly is a wonderful experience and it brings jitters into the Christmas spirit!! Have a Happy hunakah ❤
Hi Ms. Anastashia, Hope you’re doing good I’m your new subscriber to your website! First of all, I would like to thank you for sharing us the wonderful cultural celebration of Christmas and New Years eve in Russia. My nationality is Filipino and here in the Philippines we celebrate the Christmas Eve in December 24th and we consider it as a preparation for the coming Christmas Day on December 25th. The highest and most dominant religion in my country is Roman Catholicism which also my religion and well. So basically, before the exact Christmas Day we Filipinos used to attend and celebrate holy mass that we so called “Misa De Gallo” It occurs from varied different time schedule in evening it may be 7:00pm, 8:00pm or 9:00pm so it depends on their choices and it’s not actually to long our Eucharistic celebration is only for 1 hour and 30 minutes and after that we are now going home, eat together have a food feast and we called this as “Noche Buena” technically meaning a good night. On the other hand, our New Year celebration was celebration by December 31st and same as Christmas Eve the Filipino families attend holy mass in the evening to give thanks and pray for fruitful year to come and right after that we are going home to celebrate another feast and called it as “Media Noche” which means midnight and also a part of our culinary significance and tradition of sharing food until we reach 12 midnight on New Years Eve. Stay beautiful and kind I am looking forward for your new vlogs about Russia in the future, more power to your website Ms.
Catching up on your article catalog (from better times). I’ve got to suggest adding 2 more American Christmas movies to your watch list: 1> “We’re no Angels”- 1958 with Humphrey Bogart – (It’s a sweet comedy), and 2> of course “A Christmas Story” – 1983. I hope this upcoming Christmas will be worthy of the innocence & happiness in those films.
🌲Tsar Peter the Great copied the tradition of fir greenery in Europe and in 1700 asked his compatriots to decorate the holiday table with fir branches and the New Year was celebrated for the first time🎆. After Peter’s death, such rituals fell into oblivion again, until Alexandra Fyodorovna, the wife of Tsar Nicholas I, breathed new life into them a whole century later, albeit at Christmas. 🎀The German, born Friederike Luise Charlotte Wilhelmine von Prussia in Potsdam in 1798, introduced the custom at court of decorating tables with arrangements made of fir branches.🎄On her initiative, the first Christmas tree was set up in the Anichkov Palace in St. Petersburg in 1819. The first public “Jolka” could be admired in 1852 in the building of what was then the Yekaterinen railway station (today Moscow railway station) in St. Petersburg. From then on, it also spread to the provinces, especially in cities with a strong German diaspora. The Christmas tree is a German tradition and is now a tradition in Russia, America and many countries. Best Wishes to the world from Germany🎁🎁
My absolute favorite Russian movie is “Irony of Fate or Enjoy Your Bath”. The one where a Russian bachelor – a doctor by profession – gets undetected on a plane bound for St. Petersburg, instead of his friend not flying as planned… Well. The doctor was only going to return in the evening by taxi to his mother’s apartment in Moscow. But he gets to his future wife’s apartment at the same address with his own keys, where her boyfriend Ippolit will “fall from a great height and hurt his wing”. I’ve watched it many times over the years and I never get tired of it.
Christmas and New Year have evolved from my childhood in the fifties. Christmas was not a public holiday until 1958, so my dad went work and I can remember this. Scotland had an odd attitude to festivities, and having been strict Calvanists it changed and started to be mainstream, and got on board with commercialising a religious festival. My dad had said there was an unwritten law that the Scots were on duty at Christmas and the rest were on duty at New Year in the British army. So never try to contact anyone in the army on Chistmas day as you will get greenkeeper Willie from the Simpsons.(Promise you wont use that intel’ Agent Nastya). During most of my life there was the Queens speech to the Commonwealth which fate arranged that i would never see. The main event was Hogmanay when i would meet my cousins for a drink and some pub games then home for food music and some dancing neighbours would drop round for an hour or two and things would calm down about 2-5 when folk went home to their house. But depending on the day New Year landed similar parties happened for two three days afterwards for catchup. There was a few menu items that were usually available, hot lamb broth, a one pot (stovies)- potato, onion and chopped sausage combo that warmed people who would have walk in the cold to get there, shortbread and a fruitcake that had more calories than rocket fuel. Needless to say Whisky and other drinks were freeflowing….except my mother who hated booze and nursed a small sherry the entire evening until she sloshed it down the sink at the end of the evening.
You forgot one very important tradition cabbage & porker or pork & saurkraut or pork sausage ( polish sausage usually, kielbasa). The New Years supper must have some version of pork and cabbage to bring you good luck. ( probably fat hogs and large heads of cabbage in the new year, cabbage has vitamin C which protects against colds and flu) Other than that we stay home and watch TV and/or You Tube. We may watch the ball drop in Times Square in New York City. Other families go out to a restaurant or bar to celebrate forgetting that New Years is the best time to die from getting hit (either hitting your car or by getting ran over by a car) by a drunk car driver. I may have a Black & Tan or a heavy ale ( B & T = 1/2 porter mixed with 1/2 beer)
Mhm, in Russia, it is the 1st of January that is like Christmas in many other parts of the world. 7th of January isn’t celebrated as much as it is a Church holiday. That is, it’s a mass, you go to church, pray, etc. Like you said, an orthodox tradition. Irony of fate only works in Russia, because Russia has many of these similar buildings (not a bad thing, buildings means homes, everyone having a home is a good thing) in different cities, and Russia has no accents. Dialects, yes, but not accents. Though, that can be argued… since there is a slight tri part variation. But oh well.
Привет я из Америки. My apologies that’s about as much as I can speak at the moment, other than a few random words. The thing I’m impressed by, is the culture and the traditions. It seems that most American traditions that are widespread are very shallow and were created over the last 80 to hundred years. I hope you are blessed and find this coming new year an amazing new Adventure. Пока пока
Christmas in the United States is celebrated for the Birth of Jesus Christ! The reason it’s celebrated on December 25th is the day Christ was born! Celebrating the New Year’s is different. Some people watch the Television for the Ball to drop in New York City on New Year’s Eve! Other’s have Concerts in their cities on New Year’s Eve until New Year’s arrive! They all play the same song once New Year’s arrive. (Same old lang syne)
Wow, as a Russian, (almost 70) I recognize only a very very few of these things..These ” Traditions” mentioned here are weird and strange… and I have NEVER seen nor have I heard of these. ..They did make me and my family laugh…. This guy needs to go to Russia and spend some time with real people…..Maybe work abit on his Russian pronunciation ..