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New Year's customs???
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Posted by: wavetossed

I'd like to know more about Russian customs for celebrating Novogodnaya Noch' and the whole season.

When do you set up the Yolka? How long do you keep it standing?

Does Ded Moroz still dress in blue?

What are the gift giving traditions?

What types of food do people eat to celebrate?

I'm going to be visiting my girlfriend in the south Urals for New Years Eve and I would like to learn as much as I can about the customs. I asked her about bringing gifts or some special food from London, but she says I just need to bring myself. On the other hand, I remember in the summer when I visited, her niece said that New Years Eve was her favourite time of year because of the presents. I'd really like to understand the customs and traditions more.

Posted by: parasionok

Wave,

I don't know if the New Year celebration is similar everywhere in Russia but in my family we usually buy Chstistmas Tree some days before the NY's eve but we decorate it always on the 31st. My father would usually dress as Ded Moroz in a red and white cloak

We normally cook alot (we start cooking 3 days in advance) because we have lots of guests for New Years eve. We have lots of salads on the table, all sort of piccles, cheese, startes, and the main course is always something special like zharkoje and of course pirogi and porozhki. We are all at the table at about 11 PM. Then we are usually waiting for the new years speech of the President. When Moscow kuranty strikes midnight, we toast with champaigne and exchange presents

I cannot think of any traditional new years present actually. In my family we give each other almost anything: jewelry for girls, parfumes for guys, even tools or computer accessories... anything will do... Then at about 2-3 am we usually go out and go to the Red Square (I lived 5 minutes walk from there).

I once celebrated a new years eve in a restaurant in St. Petersburg. I went there with my friends but it was someone too... French

there was not a single russian at a party and I found it boring and left early and was just roaming Nevsky Prospekt till 5 in the morning

not the best NY party it was I must say.

Oh and we keep the Christmas tree till the 14th of January, the old New Year

My father kept his Christmas tree till May once, but again it is only my father

Posted by: ConnerVT

You mean you're suppose to take the Christmas tree down? You'll just have to put it up again next year...

Posted by: heckman1975

Can anyone tell me if tomorrow, already the 31st in Russia, is a holiday or not I'd like to phone my lady, but she'd normally be at work earlier in their daytime. Thanks Chris

Posted by: Vyesna

Gift giving , watching "Ironia Sudby", gathering family and friends and staying up until the wee hours. Young people often go out, like they do here, rather than do the famliy gatherings.

On the Russian forums, I've seen a lot of complaints this year about how American Christmas related happenings are soooo boring compared to New Year in Russia. Of course, others protest that it's better here because people behave themselves better.

To each his own ; ).

Posted by: heckman1975

Thank you Vyesna. So the 31st is a holiday in Russia? I'm still cuturally challenged.

Posted by: Vyesna

Probably it's an official day off for government employees and banks but I don't know about other places... I had that time off when I was working there, but I don't know about the general rule.

The evening is as much a holiday as it is here. Don't call early on the 1st I would say-- everyone probably is sleeping in.

Posted by: heckman1975

Thanks again I won't call early on the first I know most people everywhere will be sleeping "it" off

Posted by: Jill

Yes, December 31st is a holiday-we usually start calling friends and family just after midnight.

I heard on the news recently that Russians will actually now get December 31st until January 11th as official days off from work. Not a bad little holiday.

As for decorating the tree--I've heard that December 28th is the "traditional" day for it--but I think this varies a lot.

And both red and blue are appropriate colors for Ded Moroz.

As for the rest, parasionok and Vyesna covered it quite well--big dinner, gifts, the president's address, champaigne at midnight, firecrackers and sparklers, maybe a late night walk to a central square (where there are often concerts and fireworks), and staying up all night.

As for "Ironiya sudbi"--we got that out of the way last night

And remember, "kak vstretish noviiy god, tak i ego provedesh." So make it a good one

Posted by: heckman1975

Jill heavens to Mergatroid I hope you get this tonight "after midnight" when US time? And what does "kak vstretish noviiy god, tak i ego provedesh." mean? my translator only works with cyrillic characters, go figure.

Chris

Posted by: Jill

Just after midnight local time--so, in your case, Russian time. Figure out the time difference (it's 8 hours from the east coast to Moscow). Call when it is just after midnight her time. That's when the first toast to the new year will have been drunk and the real merriment begins. So she should be in a good mood and still sober enough for a quick conversation

Of course, this will only work if she is spending new year's eve at home. If she has plans to go somewhere, you might not be able to reach her.

And the quote means "as you meet the new year, so you shall spend it." Meaning, if you have a good time on new year's eve, it will be a good year for you. If you have a bad time, don't expect much of the year to come.

Posted by: heckman1975

Thanks as always Jill. My friend gave me the same city code twice 905 instead of 095 for Moscow what does that mean does anyone know?

Posted by: Jill

Well, 095 is Moscow. Could the other code--if not just a mistake--be for a cell phone? I don't know really

Posted by: heckman1975

you were right Jill it was a cell

Posted by: wavetossed

For those who are wondering about Russian phone numbers, they are structured similar to American ones, but the system is organized rather more like the British system.

First, there is a 3 digit area code, 3 digit exchange code and then a 4 digit station code, for a total of 10 digits just like the USA.

The well known phone prefix for Moscow, 095, is the area code. In other less populated parts of Russia, an area code will cover several cities so people often quote the area code plus 1 2 or 3 digits of exchange code as their "city code". And they may even quote the number in 2 digit pairs like in France. But the total is always 10 digits, cellphone or not.

Several area codes, known as Federal codes, are assigned for non-geographic uses. The main use of these codes today is for cellphone services. At this point all of these codes are in the 900's, so 902, 905, etc are common prefixes. You can actually identify the cellphone provider from the combination of area code and exchange code.

If someone quotes a number longer than 10 digits, it will probably be something like 8902 555 1212. This is just using the long-distance dialing prefix (8). That is only used when calling within Russia so just leave it off and you have a 10 digit federal number for a cellphone. There are some other special short numbers that can be dialed beginning with 8 for extra cost services or freephone services or routing calls like the US 10-xxx numbers.

In March of 2004, the number of cellphone subscribers in Russia exceeded the number of fixed line subscribers. Even in towns where people have no fridges, no washing machines, no indoor toilets in the houses, no supermarkets, no bars, no clearing off snow and ice from sidewalks and steps, lot's of people have cellphones. I have twice visited a town of 50,000 people where there are twice as many cellphone shops than cafes/restaurants. The town market is rather like a combo flea market and farmers market. To buy fresh meat, you visit an enclosed building with 4 rows of tables about 40 yards long, 1 selling packaged foods, two sellig fruit and veg, and one selling meat with slabs of beed and pork laid out on the blywood tables and people behind the tables using huge axes to hack slabs off the hindquarters of pigs or cows. These slabs look like giant 2 inch thick steaks.

I guess I'm trying to say, that outside Moscow/St. Pete, it is normal for Russian girls to have a cellphone and no landline at all in the family.