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Festivity
- Christmas in Russia |
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Christmas
is celebrated in Russia more often on January
7th or on December25. January 7th is corresponds
to December 25 in the Julian
calendar. New Year's
Day January 1 is the most popular holiday
and celebrated nationwide.
Since 1992 the Christmas celebration has been
revived after decades of suppression by the communist
government. It is centered on the Christmas Eve
"Holy Supper",
which consists of twelve servings, one to honor
each of Jesus' apostles.
Many current Russian Christmas
customs, including their Christmas tree,
or "yolka",
were brought by Peter the
Great, after his western travels in the
late 17th century. Special
Christmas food includes cakes, pies and
'meat dumplings'.
The Russian traditions were largely kept alive
by shifting some of them, including the visit
by gift-giving "Grandfather
Frost" (Ded
Moroz) and his granddaughter "Snow
maiden" (Snegurochka),
riding with an evergreen tree and presents in
a traditional Russian troika.
A troika is a sleigh drawn by 3 horses
yoked abreast. They deliver gifts to children.
St. Nicholas is especially
popular in Russia.
The feast of St. Nicholas (December
6) was observed for many centuries, but after
the Russian October Revolution in 1917, the celebration
of the feast was suppressed and St. Nicholas was
transformed into “Grandfather Frost”.
This may be done in order to place more emphases
on the non-religious celebration New Year's Day.
Father Frost is associated with New Year's Day
rather than with Christmas.
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the fall of Communism, Christmas
can be openly celebrated - either on December
25t; or January 7th. This unusual date is because
the Russian Orthodox church uses the old 'Julian'
calendar for religious celebration days.
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