Before 1917, Christmas was celebrated in Russia in much the same way as it was in the rest of the world: on December 25, with Christmas trees and Christmas gifts, Saint Nicholas and the like. During the years of Communism after 1917, all formerly Christmas traditions were transferred to New Year's Eve, which became the traditional winter holiday. New Year's Eve is now to Russians what Christmas is to most people in the rest of the world, with one exception: there is no remnant of Christianity in the holiday. New Year's Eve is simply a chance to celebrate, to bring in the new year and get rid of the old. It is a chance to exchange gifts, have a day off and enjoy oneself.
Christmas is once again celebrated in Russia, but not near to the extent it once was. All the traditions have been firmly settled in New Year's, and very few people take advantage of the new freedom to celebrate Christmas as they wish. The Russian Orthodox Church has made Christmas an official holiday, but it is celebrated on January 7th. A few Russians have begun to celebrate Christmas on the 25th of December.
1 comment:
We look forward to going inside the Kremlin.
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