Russian girl Maria - your guide to holidays celebrated in her ...

Russian girl Maria - your guide to holidays celebrated in her ...
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During the Soviet time people were not allowed to celebrate Christmas (Russian Christmas is 7 January), and New Year was the most cheerful holiday.The next holiday is the Old New Year (13 January). Russians had a different calendar before February 1918. All men in Russia are liable for call-up (including reservists), so they all are celebrities. On this day women usually give men small gifts.Official "Women's Day" is 8 March. On this day men give women gifts, usually flowers. Men also are supposed to do all the housework, this is pretty nice - at least once a year women can have some rest and forget about dishes, cooking, kids, take a magazine and relax on the coach...1st of April is the non-official "Day of Laughter". People tell jokes to each other, newspapers and TV publish funny stories and jokes. The motto of this day: Do not trust anyone on the 1st of April ("Pervoye aprelya - nikomu ne veryu").1st of May is Labor Day. During the Soviet era there were huge demonstrations on this day, as everybody was obliged to show his loyalty to the state; now only communists organize meetings on this date.12th of June - Day of Russia. It's an official holiday but Russians are not used to it yet. They spend this day on their "dachas" - small plots in countryside where they plant some vegetables.1st of September is the Day of Knowledge. Children go to schools with flowers for teachers, there are meetings before the classes start - nice and exciting.7th of November - Day of October Revolution (25 October according to the old calendar). It's still an official holiday in Russia though there is not such a huge celebration as it used to be during the Soviet era. They adopted the Western holidays such as St. Valentines Day, Catholic Christmas (they celebrate Christmas twice - Catholic and Orthodox) and Halloween. They also appreciate Chinese New Year, Muslim and Jewish holidays, as Russians are very tolerant to other religions.From time immemorial each folk holiday in Russia had its own, peculiar ceremonies, traditions, songs. The origin of many holidays doesn't often relate to the Christian holidays, as far as the source of these ancient ceremonies lies in the remote past, the times of paganism. Christianity brought an end to the pagan ceremonies. There is no any other holiday celebrated in compliance with so many specific traditions, ceremonies, etc. One of the ceremonies is called Kolyadki. The ceremony includes wishing of wealth and happiness for everybody. During the ceremony a snow-lady is made with a carrot nose, eyes of prunes and teeth of green beans. Lady Kolyada comes to the holiday to congratulate people and enjoy merry games and fun. Lady Kolyada is accompanied by some people bearing stars. They sing and dance in a ring on the snow with fired torches and push the festive Wheel.