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Russian
Holidays and Traditions
Russians enjoy their holidays and celebrate them with a lot of
food, presents and in big companies of relatives and friends.
There are three types of holidays in Russia: family holidays,
state or public holidays and religious holidays.
Family holidays include birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and
other family celebrations. Different families have different
traditions of celebrations.
State or public holidays in Russia include Constitution Day, New
Year's Day, the International Women's Day, May Day, Victory Day
and Independence Day. State organisations, banks and companies
do not work on these days. People spend holi¬day time with their
families and friends; they go to theatres or exhibitions, or go
to city centre where there are usually folk festivals and
concerts in the open air and celebrate with other people.
Russian religious holidays include Christmas, Easter and some
others. There is also a pagan holiday - Shrovetide or Pancake
Day.
New Year's Day is the major family holiday for many Russians. It
is a national holiday in Russia, on which most businesses and
public offices are closed. Schools and universities are closed
as part of their winter holidays at this time of the year.
New Year's dinner usually starts late on December 31 and
includes Russian salad, dressed herring, sparkling wine and
other national food. Five minutes before the clock strikes
midnight people watch the president's speech on TV and raise a
toast to the chiming of the Kremlin clock. After that Russians
congratulate each other and exchange presents. Some people go
outside to play snowballs, make a snowman or light fire
crackers.
Some Russians celebrate this day at their friends' houses or
attend the fireworks displays in their city. Celebrations for
children include a decorated fir tree and Grandfather Frost, the
Russian equivalent of Santa Claus who is believed to bring
presents. Grandfather 'Frost often comes with his granddaughter,
Snegurochka (Snow Girl).
Victory Day celebrated on May 9 is a very important historic
holiday which marks Germany's surrender to the Soviet Union in
1945, ending one of the bloodiest wars in Russia's history.
Public offices, schools and most businesses are closed for the
celebrations. There may be changes in public transport routes
due to parades and street performances.
A lot of people attend a local military parade and watch the
fireworks display at night on this day. The biggest parade is in
Moscow's Red Square, showcasing Russia's military forces.
Veterans wear their medals as they head to the parade or an
event organised by local veteran organisations. Another
tradition is to give red carnations to veterans and to lay
wreaths at the war memorial sites. Schools usually have concerts
and performances, sing wartime songs and read poetry. At home,
families gather around a festive table to honor surviving
witnesses of World War II and remember those who passed away.
Orthodox Christmas is both a national and religious holiday in
Russia so banks and public offices are closed on January 7th.
Russians celebrate it by having a family dinner, attending a
Christmas liturgy and visiting relatives and friends.
For many Russians, Christmas Day is a family holiday but it is
not as important for many families as New Year's Day. Many
people visit friends and relatives, as well as give and receive
presents. Prior to Christmas Day, there is Christmas Eve, which
marks the start of an old Slavonic holiday, Svyatki, during
which young women used a mirror and candles to see the image of
their future husbands.
Maslenitsa, also known as Pancake Week or Shrovetide, is a
Russian pagan holiday celebrated during the last week before
Great Lent (the seventh week before Easter). Maslenitsa is an
ancient Slavonic holiday, dating back to the pagan culture. This
is a festival, celebrating the approach of the spring, warmth
and renovation of the nature. During the week Russians eat
pancakes, have celebrations and every day of the Pancake Week
has its own name and traditions.
For example, Sunday is called the Forgiveness Day when everybody
should ask for forgiveness. Young married couples usually visit
their relatives, give presents to parents and friends, pay
visits to their godparents to give presents to them, too.
When asking for forgiveness people usually bow and normally hear
the reply, God will forgive you. All the food that is left needs
to be eaten up, followed by a piece of rye bread and salt, as a
reminder of the upcoming Lent. This is also the last day of the
week when pancakes are eaten.
Sunday evening is the_time when Maslenitsa straw doll has to be
burnt; after it has turned to ashes, young people walk over the
fire, marking the end of the Maslenitsa festivities.
Nowadays foreign celebrations are becoming more and more popular
in Russia. The most popular ones are Halloween and St.
Valentine's Day.
At Halloween some clubs organise parties and masquerades, people
dress up in costumes and may get access to some clubs for free
if they come dressed-up. However, this celebration is banned in
public schools.
St. Valentine's Day is mostly popular with teenagers and young
people. They usually buy small presents for their girlfriends
and boyfriends such as chocolate or sweets and make greetings
cards in the shape of a heart.
As for me, I don't mind foreign celebrations, but I think that
people of different countries should not borrow traditions and
celebrations from other nations, even if they are interesting
and fun.
My favourite family holiday is New Year's Day. A week before the
celebration my mother and I decorate a New Year tree with
colourful glass balls and toys. My family usually has the New
Year dinner in the evening, long before midnight and just before
the New Year comes, we have snacks, caviar and sparkling wine.
When the clock strikes midnight, we give each other presents.
Later, we watch TV and relax and go outside to watch fireworks
displays.
Another celebration which I like is my birthday. It is in spring
and usually my friends and I get together, have a party either
at my flat or in a cafe and then go' for a walk. I like getting
presents and having fun. Once we went to the central park and
rode on a big wheel. It was great! I also remember my birthday
when my family and I went to a water park and spent a lot of
time there swimming and sliding on waterslides of various shapes
and sizes!
I think that holidays are important because they connect people
and give them an opportunity to have fun and enjoy themselves.
ПЛАН-ОТВЕТ. RUSSIAN HOLIDAYS AND TRADITIONS
1. Вступление (Russians enjoy their holidays and celebrate them
with a lot of food, presents and in big companies of relatives
and friends.).
2. Предоставить общую информацию о праздниках России (three
types of holidays; family holidays; state/public holidays:
Constitution Day, New Year's Day, the International Women's Day,
May Day, Victory Day, Independence Day; religious holidays:
Christmas, Easter; Shrovetide).
3. Рассказать о самых популярных праздниках России и традициях
(New Year's Day: December 31, national holiday,
businesses/public offices/schools are closed; dinner: Russian
salad/dressed herring/ sparkling wine, etc., watch the
president's speech, congratulate each other, exchange presents,
play snowballs, make a snowman, light fire crackers, etc.,
Grandfather Frost, Snegurochka; Victory Day: important historic
holiday, May 9, Germany's surrender, public offices, schools and
most businesses are closed, local military parade, watch the
fireworks display, the biggest parade, veterans wear their
medals, give red carnations, lay wreaths at the war memorial
sites, school concerts and performances, honour surviving
witnesses of World War II; Christmas: Orthodox Christmas,
national and religious holiday, January 7th, family dinner,
Christmas liturgy, a family holiday, Christmas Eve, Svyatki;
Maslenitsa (Pancake Week or Shrovetide): pagan holiday,
festival, approach of the spring, renovation of the nature, eat
pancakes, the Pancake Week, the Forgiveness Day, visit relatives
and friends, a straw doll is burned).
4. Рассказать о зарубежных праздниках, которые отмечаются в
России, и выразить своё мнение (foreign celebrations: Halloween,
St. Valentine's Day, parties and masquerades, banned in public
schools, St. Valentine's Day, teenagers and young people, buy
small presents, make greetings cards; I don't mind/like/don't
like foreign celebrations; I think that people in every country
should/should not borrow traditions and celebrations from other
nations).
5. Рассказать о своём любимом празднике по следующей схеме: name
of the holiday, usual activities on this day, family traditions
on this day, why you like it.
6. Заключение (I think that holidays are important because they
connect people and give them an opportunity to have fun and
enjoy themselves.).
QUESTIONS
1. What holidays do the Russians have?
2. What are the three types of Russian holidays?
3. What days are included in family holidays?
4. What celebrations are state or public?
5. What do religion holidays include?
6. When is New Year's Day celebrated?
7. What are the most popular traditions on this day?
8. How do you usually celebrate New Year's Day?
9. What is Victory Day and why is it important for the Russians?
10. When is it celebrated?
11. What are the traditions and activities on Victory Day?
12. When is Christmas celebrated in Russia?
13. What are the Christmas traditions?
14. How do you usually celebrate this holiday?
15. What is Maslenitsa? What other names does it have?
16. What are the traditions of this pagan holiday?
17. What foreign celebrations appeared in Russia?
18. What's your opinion about them?
19. Do you celebrate any of them?
20. What are your favourite Russian holidays?
21. Why do you like them?
22. What do you and your family usually do on these days?
23. Do you think holidays are important? Why (not)?
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