CHRISTMAS IN RUSSIA!

After the Soviet Union in 1991, people were free to celebrate Christmas. But it's still a quieter and smaller holiday in Russia after the big New Year celebrations. The New Year is the big time for spending lots of money and eating and drinking lots. Christmas is much more religious and private.

New Year is also when 'Grandfather Frost' (known in Russian as 'Ded Moroz' or Дед Мороз) brings presents to children. He is always accompanied by his Grandaughter (Snegurochka). On New Year's eve children hold hands, make a circle around the Christmas tree and call for Snegurochka or Ded Moroz. When they appear, the star and other lights on the Christmas tree light up. Ded Moroz carries a big magic staff. The traditional greeting for Happy New Year is 'S Novym Godom'.


Christmas in Russia is normally celebrated on January 7th. The date is different because the Russian Orthodox church uses the old 'Julian' calendar for religious celebration days. The Orthodox Church also celebrates Advent. But it has fixed dates, starting on 28th November and going to the 6th January, so it's 40 days long. In Russian Happy/Merry Christmas is 's rah-zh-dee-st-VOHM' or 's-schah-st-lee-vah-vah rah-zh dee-st-vah'.

The official Christmas and New holidays in Russia last from December 31st to January 10^th.

DECORATION

One of our bestseller items are wooden Christmas ornaments sets which  are made of soft light wood and hand-painted. Also we offer hand-carved wooden figurines of different personages - Santa, Snow-Maiden, Snoman, matryoshkas, horses, angels and other. Our unusual ornaments are hand-painted wooden Christmas balls - they are made of wood and inside are hollow so you can open it and put iside a small gift.

CHRISTMAS CHARACTER’S NAME

The story of Babushka says that Babushka was a poor, hardworking woman who owned little, but she managed to gather several small toys, some sweets and tiny candles to take with her for the King of Kings (Jesus). Babushka looked up at the sky, searching for the star that would lead her to the birthplace of the King of Kings.

People say Babushka never found the right road, and that she is wandering still. And every year, at Christmastime, the children run downstairs to search for the gifts Babushka has left for them as she travels the world, searching for the King of Kings. In every house where a small child lives, the people say, Babushka leaves a gift in honor of each and every child and Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born on Christmas Day.

FOOD

Some people don't eat anything on Christmas Eve, until the first star has appeared in the sky. People then eat 'sochivo' or 'kutia' a porridge made from wheat or rice served with honey, poppy seeds, fruit (especially berries and dried fruit like raisins), chopped walnuts or sometimes even fruit jellies.

Kutia is sometimes eaten from one common bowl, this symbolizes unity. In the past, some families like to throw a spoonful of sochivo up on the ceiling. If it stuck to the ceiling, some people thought it meant they would have good luck and would have a good harvest.

Other popular Christmas Eve foods include, beetroot soup (borsch) or vegan potluck (solyanka) served with individual vegetable pies (often made with cabbage, potato or mushroom); sauerkraut, porridge dishes such as buckwheat with fried onions and fried mushrooms, salads often made from vegetables like gherkins, mushrooms or tomatoes, and also potato or other root vegetables salads. The meal often consists of 12 dishes, representing the 12 disciplines of Jesus.

‘Vzvar’ (meaning ‘boil-up’) is often served at the end of the meal. It’s a sweet drink made from dried fruit and honey boiled in water. Vzvar is traditionally at the birth of a child, so at Christmas it symbolizes the birth of the baby Jesus.