The New Year

The New Year, a time of partying and drinking, has no religious significance, but since the occasion has taken on folkloric aspects, it deserves mention here. Some of the Russian New Year’s customs are similar to Western tradition: the tree is put up and decorated with tinsel and ornaments, and Ded Moroz, or Grandfather Frost, makes a holiday appearance. Ded Moroz is a character out of old Russian folklore, a tall, bearded figure encrusted in snow and ice who lives in an ice cave and chats with the creatures of the forest. Resurrected to play a refreshingly whimsical role in socialist life, Ded Moroz can be ordered by telephone to pay a visit to the children on New Year’s Day. He is accompanied on his rounds by another folk figure, Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, a princess dressed in white and shades of blue, sparkling with snowflakes. She and Grandfather Frost distribute sweet cookies called pryaniki, which symbolize a sweet new year for the children. Since the New Year is a family holiday, a large meal featuring roast goose or chicken is usually prepared. This meal is eaten only after midnight, when the first vodka toasts to the New Year have been made.