Happy Russian Old New Year!

It may sound strange to some Americans… “happy old new year,” but it makes a lot of sense to Russians. In Russia today, January 13th 2012, many will celebrate the new year with friends, family, presents, and vodka. The new year came to be one of the best holidays ever for Russians because of the meaning and history behind it.

Before Communists took power, Russian Orthodox Christmas was a very important and sacred Russian holiday. However, Communists banned all religious holidays as they banned religion in the country, so Christmas became less and less popular with years passing by. New Year replaced Christmas in the hearts of people, thus the Christmas tree became the New Year tree.

The Russians party all night long on Old New Year’s Eve night. They make sure to have a table full of delicious food and they try to stay up as late as possible, if not the entire night, including children.

The Russian Old New Year came to be on the 13th-14th because of the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. The Russian Old New Year is not an official holiday, but many still celebrate it, especially with friends.

So whether you’re Russian or not, I’d like to say Happy Old New Year (Счастливый Старый Новый год!) to ya!

June 12: Russia Day!

Here in America, we just finished celebrating Memorial Day, and soon we will be firing up those backyard grills to celebrate another Independence Day, or as some call it: the 4^th of July. In Russia, the struggle for independence was not as clear cut as it was here in America, but there is still one day each year for Russians of every age to come together to celebrate their past. Each year on June 12^th since 1992 Russia has officially been celebrating it’s own independence day, more commonly referred to as Russia Day. On this day in 1990, the Russian parliament officially declared sovereignty from the USSR, thus creating the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation is, in effect, a democratic republic very similar in many ways to the government of the United States. In addition to Russia Day, this occasion and the transition of political power was marked by a new Russian constitution, a new Russian flag, and a new Russian national anthem.

Initially, not everyone was happy about this change, and even more were confused about who exactly Russia was declaring independence from. For many, the end of the Soviet Union was followed by years of economic and social hardships. For this reason, Russia Day was not very popular when it was first introduced. Over the years, however, as social and economic conditions gradually improved, Russia day came to mean more than just another day off work.

Today, people all over Russia celebrate this official holiday in their own way. The holiday has taken on a new life of it’s own as people find new ways to celebrate their heritage. Government offices, banks, and schools are closed for the day, and many employers give their workers the day off as well. There are many concerts and firework celebrations all throughout Russia, very similar to the tradition of fireworks on the 4^th of July here. In some parts of the country you may even see parades with massive floats, and people dancing in traditional costumes. The holiday is less about the Soviet Union today and more about national pride; about connecting past, present, and future generations with everything that Russia has to offer. So, when this June 12^th rolls around celebrate in your own style. Drink a cup of tea from your Russian tea glass holder. Wear your favorite Russian wool shawl. Open your favorite nesting doll. Crack your favorite fabrege egg. Pray to your patron saint. Or tilt back that bottle of vodka, because Sunday June 12^th 2011 is Russia Day!

Easter In Russia

It’s time for the Easter Bunny! This coming Sunday millions of people across the globe will be celebrating Easter in their own ways. Christians in Russia have been celebrating this holiday since the time of Christ with public gatherings and feasts. Russia is traditionally an Eastern Orthodox country as opposed to the Western Christianity of the United States that is predominantly composed of Protestants and Roman Catholics. These different sects of Christianity are all celebrating the same thing, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but they often do it on different days. The Eastern Orthodox church keeps a different calendar than the Western Church does, and therefore Easter is often celebrated at different times of the year depending on which calendar you follow. However, this year it just so happens to be that each calendar places Easter on the same day, April 24^th.In Russia though instead of hiding eggs like we do here in America, they spend their time dying and painting eggs. Russia has long revered the egg as an eternal symbol of life. Many homes in Russia will have eggs on display all year round, but especially at Easter time. Pisanki are very popular in Russian homes. Even the royal family celebrated the holiday with elaborate egg displays. Here is a picture of an Easter egg from the house of Alexander III that dates to 1890. This magnificent work of art is currently on display at the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis. This Sunday, people all around Russia will be dying their eggs red, thus continuing an age-old tradition. The red color is meant to symbolize the blood of Christ. And just like here in America, Easter in Russia is always accompanied by a large feast where family and friends come together to appreciate one another and celebrate life. Happy Easter.

Fyodor Dostoevsky eBooks

Adelaide University in Austrailia features free english language eBooks of one of Russia’s most famous authors, Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

My Personal Favorite is Notes From The Underground.

They also feature an eBook of The Brothers Karamazov, which is great if you’ve always wanted to read it, but haven’t built up the strength to carry it home from the bookstore yet.

Check out more of Dostoyevsky’s work here.