Happy New Year, guys! It’s the very first day of the year, and it’s -13C/9F and snowing in Russia currently. What does your family do every New Year eve? Do you have any memorable tradition? Every family celebrates holidays in their own way. The New Year Eve is a very important holiday in Russia, it’s time when all family members gather together, bring salads and sweets, cook pork or roast goose, socialise and discussing passing year, watch music tv-shows and exchange presents.
From the Soviet time Christmas wasn’t widely celebrated and most of the religious traditions, which are common for the Western people took their place on the New Year Eve. And so it is every since.
Traditionally all the best foods and treats were set on the festive table, the most popular salads still shuba and oliver (will post soon). Cold cuts, salted mushrooms and pickled cucumbers are also served. The dessert can be any cake or chocolates, and every home is full of mandarine aroma.
By one tradition, we open a bottle of champagne sharp at twelve midnight and make a wish. 🙂
By another tradition, Grandpa Frost (Santa Claus) and his granddaughter Snow-maiden come to children and they should tell festival poems and songs, and children receive gifts in return.
Have a fabulous winter!
milkandbun 
Thanks so much for enlightening us with your New Year’s tradition in Russia. It looks pretty cold there right now, but just lovely with all that snow. Happy New Year to you!
Thank you, Loretta! Some days were really freezing cold, but I wore thick coat, so it was a pleasure to have a walk in the woods! 🙂
I hope you are having a wonderful time in all this snow! And I a, looking forward to your take on the Oliver!
It was a cold&freezing but lovely trip; once the temperature fell to minus 30C, I remember such freezing weather only in my schooldays! 😀
Happy New Year Mila, it’s very cold in Russia, much colder than NYC. When I watched the news yesterday they said that Russia was Number 1 in the world for celebrating the New Year, they said Russians party much longer and harder than anyone else in the world on New Years Eve. I thought that was interesting, it sounds like a wonderful assortment of foods that are put out for the holiday and Russian Olivier is one of my favorite salads.Best wishes for a wonderful 2015.
Thank you!!! I hope you had a great and wonderful holidays, too!
We put all the best food that we have and can afford on the festive table: caviar, many salads, pickled vegetables, cured fish, kholodetc (jellied meat dish) and much more. The main dish was huge roasted goose. We started the celebration around 7or8pm and finished at 5am, so it’s pretty long even for me! 😀
Happy New Year! Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2015! Thank you for sharing your lovely traditions and the beautiful pictures of snow, we have yet to receive our first snow fall this winter!
Hope you’re having wonderful winter season! 🙂 What’s the temperature now there?
It has been very cold in the states, but I am in Europe now where though not as cold it is always rainy!! I guess I cannot escape winter this year 😉
Happy New Year to you, too 🙂 Great photos. Brrrr cold here in Minnesota, too.
Is it very snowy in your city, Liz? Keep warm! 🙂
Happy New Year 2015, Mila!
Happy New Year my friend! It is humid and sticky here so sending you some heat 😀
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Happy New Year to you too sweety! 🙂 I already came back to Dubai, its +25C here..
Woww mila! How do you survive in such cold weather. Whoa! But it sure looks beautiful with the snow all over. I never saw snow in my life. Would luv to see someday. N btw lovely traditions u hav ther fr new year.
Oh. C’mon. Sadia! -8C isn’t very cold, especially when you’re wearing warm and thick jackets, or fur-coats! And it’s such a pleasure to walk and play with all that snow! Hope one day you visit ‘winter’ country; who knows may be it gonna be Russia?! 😉
I would love to visit Russia. Heard that it is a very beautiful country. 🙂
Happy New Year to you too darling!
Thank you, Raphaelle! How did you spend your holidays? Hope it was happy and joyful!
A very happy new year my friend, hope you had an incredible day and best of luck in 2015!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru