Russian New Year's Traditions

Hello! Привет! It's Julia from Russian Speaking Club. Now it's time for Christmas, an amazing holiday that everyone in Russia loves very much. Russians have many traditions associated with this holiday. Some have come to us in ancient times and others are completely new. Today we will analyze some of them so that you can congratulate your friends or try to celebrate the New Year in Russian style. What makes you plunge into the atmosphere of New Year? For me, it's New Year's movies, Fox and Snow in Moscow, as well as heartfelt conversations with my friends where we can discuss everything that has happened to us this year. By the way, if you also want to discuss the outgoing year in Russian, join our Russian Speaking Club. It's a free course that will improve your vocabulary and grammar and put your knowledge into a practice with speaking sessions. Here you will dive into the Russian-speaking community of like-minded people from all over the world. The link will be in the description. Let's start with the fact that Russians celebrate the New Year on December 31st. This is due to the policy of the USSR when religious holidays were cancelled, so we have two holidays. New Year for the whole country and January the 7th for the Orthodox. December 25th, as we know, is a Christmas in many countries. We just have one of the days before New Year. This day is not considered as a holiday at all. We also work and go to the universities. But this has its own charm. For example, one of the modern traditions that is only gaining popularity among my friends is the Secret Santa. In our study group, we use a website to distribute our words for a gift, write our wishes, and randomly get a person to whom we should give a gift. By the way, I should not forget to buy gifts. The most pleasant thing is that all the days from December 31st to January the 9th, Russians have rest. No work, no study, just rest with family and friends. How I love this time! But back to December 31st, while Russians are cooking New Year's dishes, decorating the house, they like to watch pavet films. Yes, it's already the 21st century and we watch pavet films. To be honest, I don't fully understand why this is happening. Most likely, this is due to the fact that the older generation has a nostalgia for the time of their childhood. And this is transmitted from parents to children. By the way, I also like to watch them. Irony of Fate, Gentleman of Fortune, Frost, There is something in them that creates this atmosphere of magic and celebration. Russians usually listen to the president's traditional speech and then wait for the first stroke of the Kremlin clock, which marks the beginning of the New Year. It is rather a solemn moment. Also, in Moscow, so many people go to the Red Square every year just to go through it again and again. But the majority of Russians go through that moment just sitting in front of TV, as the Kremlin clock chimes is a necessary part of special New Year's translation. There is one tradition that seems to me as strange as possible. Write down the Just imagine the countdown to the New Year begins. You're in a hurry, looking for a pen and a piece of paper. Put your right to wish while you, of course, overthink it through advance. Write it down, burn it, throw it into the glass of champagne and drink it. And all this in 12 minutes. 12 minutes. I don't understand why such truth. So, I don't do this. There is also a tradition of table decoration. We prepare the most famous dishes. I like, yes, I like, carrying under the fur coat. I won't tell you how to cook these dishes, but if you want to know, write in the comments and we will make such a video for you. Well, the Russians have eaten and now you can relax. The following days after New Year's Eve, Russians spend a lot of time with family and friends, walking, watching movies and just, you know, doing nothing. It's the most wonderful time if you do not think about the upcoming work and study. It's forbidden. Oh, I forgot to tell you about the most famous symbols of the Russian New Year. Father Frost and his granddaughter Snow Maiden. They come to every house, give gifts, and lead dances with children. A beautiful thing. But we understand that this is not the case, right? I believed in this as a child, but now this tradition is for kids so that they continue to believe in a miracle. And tangerines. We love them so much. It's interesting, actually, that we have them all year round, but in large quantities. We buy them only for the New Year. And now let's learn a few words about the Russian New Year. Grandpa Frost. Grandfather with a long beard who gives gifts. Snow Maiden. His granddaughter. She's dressed in a blue suit and she always has a long braid. A snowman. A creature made of snow, which most often children create. Gifts. Just gifts. I really love gifts. Chimes. The time is at midnight when the main clock of the country strikes 12. For example, the chiming clock struck 12. Christmas lights. Electric luminous decoration. Some strange things that decorate the Christmas tree and the house. Christmas decorations. Toys, decoration made of plastic, glass, which decorates the Christmas tree. Bengal firework. Handmade fireworks. It burns slowly, emitting multicolored flames, sparks, and other effects. Khlapushka. A tool with comfort inside with which you can create a festive atmosphere. Well, our video is coming to an end. Write in the comments which traditions seem to you the strangest or, on the contrary, the most weird. And see you in the next video. And now I'm going to watch a New Year's movie.