Which Holidays are Celebrated in Russia
People in Russia have many holidays to celebrate.
These holidays are usually different from those celebrated in the
States or in Europe. For example, Russians do not celebrate
Thanksgiving, Mother’s or Father’s Day, neither do they
celebrate any of the ethnic holidays such as St. Patrick’s Day,
Columbus Day, or Martin Luther King Day.
Nevertheless, some dates are really important for
Russians. The most loved Russian holiday is the New Year’s Day –
the 1st of January. During the Soviet times, it was strictly
prohibited to celebrate Christmas, so the New Year’s had become
its substitute. While it is Catholic Christmas in the West that is
widely celebrated and considered a big family occasion, in Russia it
is the night from Dec 31 to Jan 1 that has the same weigh and
meaning. So New Year’s Day is one of the biggest public events of
the year in Russia. By the way, Russian Orthodox Christmas (Jan 7)
is a small family occasion in comparison to the New Year’s Day.
Another important holiday you should remember is
March 8, the “International Women’s Day.” It is very similar
to both St. Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. On March 8,
Russian men congratulate all women they know, even passers-by, and
give presents and flowers to the ones they love. In general, women
are treated with special respect and admiration on this day. In some
families, husbands and wives switch their traditional gender roles,
so all chores around the house are run by men. Please, remember this
date as though it were your birthday. It will be a pleasant surprise
for your Russian bride or wife to get your attention and a nice
present from you, the dearest person who grew up in another culture
but remembered this peculiar Russian tradition.
May 9 is a really important national holiday of grand
scale. This is the Victory Day marking the end of the Great
Patriotic War (1941-1945). Every family in Russia has at least one
great grand-parent, who was killed in this war against the Nazi
Germany (about 25 million Russian people died in it). The veterans
who are still alive are honoured on May 9. For Russians, it is a sad
date of remembering and mourning.
One of the most important religious holidays is “Paskha”,
which is equivalent to Catholic Easter. “Paskha” is celebrated
on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring
Equinox (March 21).
|
