On the 31st of December people hurry home to start cooking and primping along with last minute shopping for the evening. When time draws closer to night everyone gathers at a big table laid with traditional holiday meals to send off the old year. Spectacular Russian feast is usually presented by typical New Year’s food.
At midnight after the President’s speech, everyone raises their glasses filled with champagne and toasts for a better year. People make their wishes for something great in the next year and drink their beverages bottoms up.
At Christmas Eve (January 6) people make their way to churches to worship the birth of Jesus Christ and whisper silent prayers for the sake of their dearest. Those who aren’t able to be there in person usually watch ‘live’ translation of a holy mass on television.
Fortune-telling is another old tradition enjoyed greatly by Russians on the Eve of Christmas. Late at night all single girls gather around to foretell how their future husbands will be. Guided by darkness of the night they pour melted candle wax into a bowl of water and read coffee cups to see silhouettes of their future sweet hearts.
On January 7, close to evening a big Christmas feast lastly begins with an oven-roasted duck or a goose as a centerpiece of the table.
During this time men relax at home, enjoy loving atmosphere of their families and watch military films on television for this is an official day off for entire Russia. Those who wish to spend this day outside, go to the central square to take pleasure in performances prepared for them by local musicians and artists.
Maslenitsa is one of the oldest holidays in Russia. It begins a week before the Lent (which has varying dates each year) and lasts for a week from Monday till Sunday. During the whole week of Maslenitsa people make tasty pancakes after spare from work time and say good bye to winter.
Traditions and customs of this day are still alive in modern Russia. Its celebration begins early in the morning on central squares of cities and towns. At holiday bazaar everyone can taste hot pancakes with sour cream or red caviar, buy freshly baked pastry and sip strong medovukha – a customary Maslenitsa beverage made of vodka and honey. Dressed with colourful shawls and traditional costumes women offer steamy hot tea from samovars and shout cheerful chastoochkas.
March 8
5. International Women's Day
Varying dates each year
6. Easter
Eastern Orthodox Easter is the most important holiday for the Russian Orthodox Church. Traditional breads are eaten on this day: the кулич (kooleech), or the паска (paskah) in southern Russia. Russians greet each other with the phrase "Христос воскрес" (Khristos vaskryes), meaning "Christ is risen." This greeting is answered with "Воистину воскрес" (vaeesteenoo vaskryes), which means "Truly, He is risen."
On this day, eggs are traditionally boiled in water with onion skin to make the shells red or brown. Alternatively customs include painting the eggs and cracking boiled eggs on loved ones' foreheads.
May 9
7. Victory Day
The 9th of May is known as Victory Day. The day of the victory in World War II is an extremely solemn holiday with a salute (firework display) at the end of the day. Even though most of the veterans of WWII are not alive nowadays, there are parades in the centers of each city all over the country, and in the evening there is a traditional salute. This holiday is of special importance to the youth as they learn about the terrible war from the stories fo their grandparents and the importance of peace all over the world. Many people have a meal, gather with family and friends, recall the heroes of the wars and in the evening go downtown to see the salute. Recent years newly established tradition of marches of 'Immortal Regiment' have an outstanding number of participants. This is when people parade with portraits of their relatives who fought in World War II. This tradition unites peoples of all ages in many cities and towns of Russia.
June 12
8. Russia Day
Russia Day is a national holiday in Russia observed every year on June 12. When Russia Day falls on a weekend, a weekday holiday is typically announced in its place. When a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, it is common to announce an additional holiday on Monday or Friday. The day was originally called Russia Independence Day, and it commemorates the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the legitimate approval of the Declaration of State Sovereignty. Surprisingly, many Russians first misunderstood the significance of the occasion.
