Winter in Russia is rich not only in snow and frost, but also on holidays. Moreover, many of them are not just "red days of the calendar", but real celebrations, accompanied by fun festivities, as well as weekends.
What winter holidays are there in Russia? When and how are they celebrated?
St. Nicolas day
December 19 is a pleasant memory from the childhood of many Russians. It was on this day that it was customary to give gifts to children. A few decades ago, on this winter holiday for children, letters were not written to Santa Claus, but specifically to St. Nicholas. Such a custom appeared due to one tradition.
In ancient times, a poor man lived in Russia who did not make any fortunes. But he had three daughters, the content of which fell on his father's shoulders. And in order to somehow improve his financial condition, the father sent his daughters to earn money, but in a sinful way - fornication. Nikolai the Miracle Worker found out about this and decided to save the girls from such a life. For three nights in a row, he secretly entered each room and left each with a gold bar. It is not known how, but the people learned about this noble act.
After a while, when the Day of the Savior Nicholas became a holiday, one of the customs was writing a letter asking Nikolai. This holiday was especially loved by children. After all, parents laid gifts to them secretly, supposedly from the Miracle Worker.
New Year. Fun and bright
A series of winter New Year holidays begins with the main celebration - the New Year. The official date is January 1, legalized by Peter I in 1699. Probably, many people know that before the 15th century the New Year was celebrated in March, and from the 15th century in September. And only to Peter we owe winter festivities and a decorated Christmas tree.
And what New Year without traditions?
The main and most pleasant thing is dressing up a Christmas tree. After the New Year became a winter Russian holiday, it was customary to decorate spruce branches in the houses of the nobility. But full-fledged Christmas trees were put only in the 30s of the XIX century.
In the same 19th century, another New Year tradition appeared and took root - to drink champagne for a holiday. True, at first the drink was accepted skeptically: its “exploding” cork and the abundance of effervescent bubbles frightened the Soviet people, who were not accustomed to such drinks.
Magnificent feast. Without this tradition, triumph is hard to imagine. Decorating a table not only with dishes, but also with beautiful design became fashionable even during the reign of Alexander III. Particular attention was paid to serving: on the tables, in addition to a beautiful service, there were candles, spruce branches, exquisite napkins and tablecloths. The design of the dishes was also given due attention. But the innovation was the design of the menu: on beautiful cards with monograms and other patterns they wrote the names of the served dishes.
Celebratory festivities. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, Russians have a new tradition - to celebrate the New Year at home, with friends and relatives, and after midnight to go have fun in restaurants or other entertainment places. In modern Russia, it has become popular to celebrate the celebration on Red Square, where concerts, mass skating and fireworks are held.
Write a letter to Santa Claus. According to one version, this tradition passed to Russia from the USA. American children write letters to the "analogue" of our Santa Claus - Santa Claus. According to popular beliefs, only those children who behaved themselves well throughout the year can apply for gifts.
The night from December 31 to January 1 is considered magical. To be more precise, that is the only minute that is the boundary of the change of times. It is while it lasts that it is customary to make a wish.
So, we can say that the winter holiday New Year is endowed not only with magic, but also with mysticism.
Christmas
January 7 is Christmas. Since it is included in the category of New Year's holidays, then the Christmas tree is not yet cleaned. Magnificent feasts are not organized, but in some religious families they prepare their traditional dishes for the celebration. In the churches, night services are held, which gather a large number of people of all ages under the dome arch. The service for the birth of Christ lasts all night.
40 days before Christmas, a fast is established, which is especially tightened on January 6 - on the eve of the holiday. January 7, the post ends.
old New Year
The Old New Year (New Year 's Eve in the old style) is a Russian winter holiday, celebrating its centenary in 2018. Since 1918, every year on January 14, or rather, on the night of 13-14, this celebration takes place.
However, not many celebrate it, and not as grandiose as the New Year. But this is another reason to get together with family or friends, to review the replay of the New Year’s television program.
In the Old New Year, it is customary to go home and “sow”. Children or adults go to their houses and sprinkle grain on the threshold of the house, saying: "I sow, sow, sow, Happy New Year!" This tradition has been preserved since ancient times, when the New Year was celebrated in the spring. And sowing is a wish for a good harvest.
Epiphany
January 19 - Baptism of the Lord. The main feature of the holiday is Epiphany water, which on this day acquires healing properties. From early morning, people rush to the consecration of water in the church. At night, massive bathing in the openings in the openings takes place. It is on January 19 that everyone expects Epiphany frosts - the most severe for the whole winter. This fuels the interest in swimming. It is believed that, having bathed in ice water, a person not only strengthens his health, but is also “born again” - relieves himself of the burden of problems and feels free.
Earlier on January 19, it was customary to clean up Christmas toys until next year, and to burn a Christmas tree. Now it is irrelevant.
Valentine's Day
February 14 is a very popular holiday - Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day. This borrowed celebration, which is firmly rooted in Russia and won popular love. Even the primordially Russian holiday, the Day of Peter and Fevronia (July 8) is not as widely celebrated as Valentine's Day.
The symbol of February 14 are Valentines - greeting cards with words of love.
Defender of the Fatherland Day
February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day, when it is customary to congratulate all men, regardless of whether they are involved in the army. In fact, all men are defenders of the motherland.
The holiday is timed to the creation of the Red Army in 1918. But he began to celebrate after 4 years, accompanied by military parades.
What other holidays are there in Russia
The above celebrations are the most popular in the country. They are celebrated according to all the rules of festivities, and most of them provide for holidays.
However, the Russian winter holidays do not end there. There are many more primordially Russian festivities that originate from pagan times. Many of them remained only by ear and are not marked as before. But they cannot be omitted.
December
- December 1 is a holiday of the beginning of winter. In ancient times, the first winter day was a guideline for the entire period, until spring. They said this: "What is Plato and Roman - such is winter to us!" That is, if the day of December 1 begins with frost, then the whole winter will not differ in heat. On this holiday, people went out and had fun, welcoming the new season.
- December 7 - celebration of Catherine the Sannits. On this day, a period of fortune-telling on the narrowed was opened, which lasted until the January Christmas time. Another feature of "Catherine" was sledding. Their carrying out carried not only entertaining sense, but also psychological. Sledding removed all mental burdens and worries.
- December 9 - St. George's Day is another winter holiday celebrated in Russia, and now in Russia. Even before the adoption of Christianity in Russia, this day was the most important in December. By the way, the saying "Here you are, grandmother, and St. George's Day" is dedicated to this holiday. In 1607, it was "accidentally abandoned" as a reaction to the fact that serfdom "started" in Russia.
- December 13 - Andrew the First-Called. The celebration is dedicated to the first disciple of Christ, who said that in the near future a new faith will be spread in Russia. This holiday was especially loved by unmarried virgins, who actively began to guess at the narrowed one and pray, asking God to send a good spouse. It was believed that it was on the day of St. Andrew the First-Called Prayer that bear fruit.
- December 19 - Nikola Zimny. This is the time of veneration of the elders of the clan.
- December 22 - Anna Dark (or Winter). The time of the winter solstice, when the sun "reconfigured" to spring time.
- December 25 - Spiridon-Solstice. From that moment on, people glorified the sun, drew circles as a symbol, arranged festivities.
- December 31 is not only a celebration of the New Year. Centuries ago, this day was called the End of the Cold Month. After him, the sun gained momentum and headed for spring. On this day, it was customary to maintain fire in an oven or on candles, at bonfires. It was believed that this not only helps the sun, but also scares away evil spirits. Now such a fire has been replaced by Christmas garlands and holiday candles.
January
- January 1 is the first day of the New Year. But before the decree of Peter I, January 1 was the date of veneration of the holy Christian martyr Boniface.
- January 2 is the day of Ignatius the God-Bearer.
- January 6 - Christmas Eve.
- January 25 - Tatyana's day.
February
- February 10 - Kudesy. This is the date of honor and respect for Brownie - the keeper of the hearth. On this day, it was instituted to appease the representative of evil spirits, bearing only good. A treat was left on the table as a sign that Brownie would not leave the house and stop witchcraft.
- February 15 - Meeting, that is, the "middle" between summer and winter. From that moment on, people lived in anticipation of spring and the speediest warmth. On February 15, all human prayers were turned to the sun, to requests for his imminent coming. If the weather was sunny that day, it meant that spring was just around the corner. But if it was cloudy, it means that frosts will still make themselves known.
- February 24 - Vlasyev Day - the date of veneration of the pagan God Veles, the patron saint of livestock and all animals.
- Last week of February - farewell to winter, Maslenitsa.
PS
Winter holidays in Russia are the most fun celebrations of the year, accompanied by magnificent festivities and grandiose feasts. And the abundance of snow and frost only enhances the enthusiasm and desire to continue the celebration on the street.