Christmas in Russia

It’s 1.55 am Christmas morning, and I have finally wrapped all the presents and filled the stockings. I’m sure it would be a lot easier if I were just to let Santa do it, but he doesn’t come to Russia!

This is our first Christmas away from home as a family. We are finding it VERY strange, as not only are we in the opposite hemisphere, and therefore in WINTER, but we are also in Russia, which does not celebrate Christmas as we know it, rather, they celebrate New Year’s.

Russia cancelled Christmas in 1917 after the Revolution. No more St Nick. No more Christmas trees.

So that festive traditions would not be lost, people started putting their trees up for New Year’s, and St Nicholas was replaced by Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), who was the spirit of winter, along with his helper the snow-maiden. After only 75 years of communist rule, the tree no longer has any association with the nativity. Not that it ever really did I suppose.

However, suffice it to say that the lead up to Christmas has been nothing like we are used to. Normally we are bombarded with Christmas carols and tinsel in the shops for what seems like months before Christmas. It is hard not to get caught up in the festive spirit, what with Christmas parties, end of school year Christmas activities, Christmas themed shows on the television, Christmas lights lighting up suburban streets, and of course all the Christmas themed junk mail!! The days grow longer, the weather grows warmer, and the school year comes to an end. These are my Christmas cues. I know, my northern hemisphere friends think it strange that snow doesn’t herald Christmas for me, but it doesn’t. Christmas in summer is how I’ve spent 40 Christmases of my life.

This year, we’ve had none of our usual cues in the lead up to Christmas. Tinsel and baubles only started appearing in the shops a few weeks ago, and there are no Christmas carols playing over the loudspeakers anywhere, except, maybe, a very boppy version of Jingle Bells, but many shops simply play dance/club music, which is not quite what I associate with Christma. Not only are there no Christmas carols that we’re used to, and no nativity, there aren’t really even the images of Santa that we’re used to. Grandfather Frost is often in a long blue coat, and there are a whole bunch of kitsch horse ornaments and toys (2014 is the year of the horse according to Chinese tradition).

Having said all that, Christmas still lurks somewhere in Russian memory and tradition. When the rest of the world changed from the Julian calendar (which by 1580 was 10 days out of sync with the sun), Russia didn’t change until the early 1900s. So Russian Christmas is actually on December 25^th, like ours, it’s just that it’s according to the Julian calendar and so falls on our January 7^th. All very odd, because they still celebrate New Year according to the Georgian calendar on December 31^st (oh, and they also celebrate the Old New Year on January 14^th) Confused yet?

On January 6th, there are still families that head to church and have a celebratory meal, although far less festive than the New Year’s Eve event. It is a time to remember the birth of Christ and is usually celebrated with family, if at all. We are hoping that we will be able to have some sort of celebration on January 7^th to invite some of the Russian people we have started getting to know. I am really looking forward to opening our home to new friends.

Christmas day for us (on the 25^th) though will be with my brother and his family, and with a co-worker of theirs from America. It will be different, but it will nonetheless be very special as we remember the mind-blowing miracle of God becoming human, and in very humble circumstances. When I remind myself that this is what it’s all really about, the rest really does become less consequential, and we are very grateful that we have the freedom to celebrate, what is for us an especially important occasion.

We pray that you have a very special Christmas with your loved ones and a blessed New Year. While your Christmas may not like ours be white, may your days still be Merry and Bright!

To read a little more of Russian Christmas tradition: http://russian-crafts.com/customs/christmas.html