RUSSIAN NEW YEAR

*

The best-

loved holiday

in Russia is New Year –

it’s also a time to exchange

presents.

Russians

decorate firs

for the New Year the way

folks do for Christmas in many

countries.

People

drink wine, eat, sing

and dance on New Year’s Eve,

then go on doing the same thing

all night.

New Year

trees stay adorned

for another two weeks,

children having morning parties

in schools.

Santa?

No, Grandfather

Frost and daughter Snowmaid

entertain the kids gathered round

their tree.

And then

there is so-called

“Old New Year,” the fourteenth

of January - a gala

again.

New Year’s,

according to

the Julian calendar,

used by Russian Orthodox Church,

begins.

Midnight,

on the thirteen

of the month, friends gather

to rejoice once more – Russians love

parties!

Zhanna P. Rader