New Year in Russia is a pretty grand affair and everyone enjoys to the core of their heart during that time. Unlike celebrating New Year on January 1st alone, Russian New Year celebrations last for a minimum of 15 days from December 31st to January 14th. All the major cities in the country will be decorated with beautiful lightings and stuff to welcome the New Year on a lightening note. Major events will be hosted across the city and people gather to get the best entertainment. Today we would like to discuss with you about Russian New Year Traditions that will let you know what exactly New Year means to them and how deeply the New Year traditions are rooted there.
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New Year’s Traditions in Russia
As we said earlier, the New Year for Russians is a pretty big event and they make sure to celebrate it with full josh. It is a big festival for them; de facto more than Christmas. If you plan to visit Russia this New Year’s make sure to spend at least two weeks there to witness their traditions in person. First of all, you should know that they have two New Years i.e., new one which is celebrated on January 1 and old one which is celebrated on January 14. There are various New Year’s Traditions In Russia that people over there practice during the time of the New Year to welcome fortune, abundance and prosperity home. Here we have rounded up some popular traditions that Russians follow on the New Year. Look through them and confirm if they interest you in any way or not.
1. Have fun on New Years’ Day
If you want to have a prosperous year ahead without any worries or tensions, make sure to have a joyous New Year on the New Year’s Day. Start the New Year afresh by repaying the debts, cleaning the house, forgiving your foes etc. With a light heart you can go miles easily to achieve your goals. This tradition is very strictly followed even today in Russia as it blesses the one who practices it perfectly with a year of success and abundance.
2. Purify Your Body
There is this popular Russian New Year Traditions Customs that Russians follow sincerely. Even before the New Year arrives we clean sweep our house and of course our soul. But as per the customs of Russia, one needs to purify their body as well. Keeping that in mind on December 31, most of the Russians visit saunas to take a hot bath.
3. Holiday Feast
If you are looking for Russian New Year Food Traditions here is the one. Russians arrange a holiday feast on the New Year with different mouth-watering dishes and refreshments as they represent prosperity in the coming year. The meaning behind having the holiday feast is more than what meets the eye. If you like the reason, do give this tradition a try when you visit Russia for the New Year’s. It is also believed that eating ordinary food on the New Year will make you strive with hunger in the coming year.
4. Try not to Sleep
Russians believe that sleeping through the day is a bad sign. If you sleep on the New Year’s the entire year will be sleepy according to their tradition. To make it most happening and eventful year, you have to skip sleep on that particular day.
5. Say Goodbye to the Old Year
If you want to welcome the New Year properly, you have to first say goodbye to the old year. So, before the clock strikes midnight everyone gathers at the table to openly talk about the old year and how it went for them. Following that, they exchange wishes with each other.
6. Wear New Underwear
Russians believe that the New Year should be honored. The honor here is given to the New Year by wearing new clothes. People would at least wear new underwear with respect to the New Year. People also receive underwear, socks, T-shirts etc as presents on the New Year for the very same reason.
7. Toast the Champagne
For those who want to make their wish come true, toast the champagne class and make your wish as soon as the Kremlin’s Spasskaya Tower is rung at the midnight. In order to make the wish come true, take a scrap of paper and jot down your wish on it. Burn it down, mix the ashes into the champagne glass and drink it.
8. Traditional Dishes
There are certain dishes that people in Russia eat on New Year’s Day every year. The Traditional Russian New Year Dishes are Olivier salad, dressed herring, tangerines, aspic etc. Olivier salad is famously referred as Russian salad is a must dish on the New Years’ table.
We hope these Russian New Year Traditions gave you deep insight into the traditions of Russians on the New Year and you are satisfied with the content we have presented here. If so, bookmark our website – NEWYEARWIKI.COM and stay tuned.