Russian New Year || What We Do & How We Celebrate
Discover Russian New Year || Top Traditions, Favourite Foods and Fun Facts
Every wondered how Russian New Year is celebrated? Is it as big as perhaps other areas of the world?
The short answer is YES!
The New Year celebration has been a staple of Russian culture for centuries.
It is the most beloved and celebrated holiday in the country, and the Russian people take the time to embrace each other with love and joy.
Today we take a deeper look at Russian New Year and how we celebrate it.
DID YOU KNOW || New Year in Russian is новый год (novyy god).
Russian New Year || A Brief History
Russian New Year || What It’s Like Today
Russian New Year || What We Eat
Russian New Year || Дед Мороз
Russian New Year || The Aftermath
Russian New Year || Vocab Recap
Russian New Year || FAQs
Russian New Year || A Brief History
The history of the New Year celebration in Russia dates back to the 10th century, when it was first celebrated using the Julian calendar.
This was a time before the Gregorian calendar was adopted and the traditional Russian New Year was celebrated on the 13th of January.
During this time, people would exchange gifts, visit friends and family, and feast on traditional Russian dishes.
FUN FACT || Because of the above, Russian’s cleverly exploit this and celebrate Russian New Year TWICE!
You have the International New Year on January 1st but also the old Russian New Year on January 13th/14th.
Clever way to manipulate a few more days off, right?!
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One of the first things you will need to learn in any language is the numbers. Today we focus on how to say Russian numbers. Quiz and Flashcards included.
Russian New Year || What It’s Like Today
Today, новый год is a mix of traditional and modern festivities.
People still exchange gifts and visit friends and family, but the holiday has also become a time for Russians to reflect on the past year, set resolutions for the New Year, and plan for the future.
The festivities begin on the evening of December 31st, with people gathering in their homes to enjoy traditional Russian dishes.
In reality though – preparation starts weeks before with dishes prepared, houses cleaned and gifts purchased.
Anyway, back to December 31st… People exchange gifts, toast to the new year, and watch the President’s annual address on television.
At midnight, the streets of cities and towns come alive with fireworks, bells and music.
People sing and dance in the streets, often singing the traditional Russian New Year song ‘Slyozi, Vadim Chorny‘, which translates to ‘Blessings, Vadim of the Black Earth‘.
BONUS || Discover this popular song which all Russians will know about 👇
The New Year is also celebrated by going to church services and praying for a peaceful and prosperous new year.
On January 1st, people exchange New Year wishes, and gifts are opened.
This is also the time when Russians enjoy the traditional “New Year tree”, which is a decorated fir tree, similar to the Christmas tree.
In Russian this tree is called Новогодняя елка (novogodnyaya yolka).
NOTE || Unlike Christmas trees, the New Year tree is decorated with bright, colourful ornaments, and it is not associated with any religious beliefs.
The festivities for Russian New Year continue well into the night, with people often staying up until the early hours of the morning.
In some parts of Russia, people participate in a tradition known as Святки (svyatki) which involves visiting friends and neighbours and singing traditional New Year’s songs.
It is believed that this tradition brings good luck and prosperity for the coming year.
Russian New Year || What We Eat
One of the most important aspects of the holiday is the food. There are a variety of traditional dishes that are served during this festive time.
A popular tradition is the making of Новогодний салат (novogodniy salat).
This is a special salad that is served on New Year’s Eve.
The salad is made with a combination of pickled herring, boiled potatoes, carrots, beets, and eggs, among other ingredients.
Accompanied with champagne – you’ll find this all over Russia during New Year celebrations.
Another one of the most popular dishes is Olivier Salad, also known as Russian Salad.
This is a cold salad made with diced potatoes, eggs, carrots, pickles, and peas.
These ingredients are combined with a mayonnaise or sour cream dressing.
More substantial dishes include Kutya (the word actually borrowed from Greek), a sweet porridge made with wheat berries, honey, poppy seeds, and nuts.
It is a symbol of happiness, health, and prosperity, and it is traditionally served at the end of the holiday meal.
Finally, no New Year’s Eve meal would be complete without a variety of pork dishes.
Pork is a symbol of wealth, and it is often served in the form of baked or fried pork cutlets, pork ribs, pork shashlik (kebabs), and more.
No matter what dishes are served, New Year’s Eve in Russia is always a special time filled with food, fun, and laughter.
You can find out more about some of the most famed and traditional Russian dishes below 👇
A Complete Guide Traditional Russian Food || 14 Must Try Dishes
Discover the best and most traditional Russian food. From hearty stews to rich desserts, Russian food is sure to please your taste buds.
Russian New Year || Дед Мороз
One of the most notable aspects of the Russian New Year celebration is the arrival of Дед Мороз (ded moroz).
Can you guess who he might be…?
His name translates to Father Frost.
Yes that’s it – he is the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus.
He is usually accompanied by his granddaughter Снегурочка (snegurochka) or the Snow Maiden, who helps him distribute presents to children.
FUN FACT || Unlike Santa Claus, who comes on Christmas Eve, Father Frost visits children on New Year’s Eve.
While in many countries, gifts are typically exchanged on Christmas Day, in Russia, they are exchanged on New Year’s Eve.
Children receive their gifts from Father Frost, and adults exchange gifts with their family members and close friends.
Russian New Year || The Aftermath
In the days following, Russians enjoy a celebration of winter sports, such as skiing and ice skating.
There are also traditional Russian games such as Морозко (morozko) and игра (igra) which involve cards and dice, and are usually played with friends and family.
The New Year festivities come to a close with the “Old New Year”, which is celebrated on January 14th.
This is the day when Russians celebrate the old Julian calendar as mentioned above. This is still celebrated in some, but not all parts of Russia.
Russian New Year || Vocab Recap
Let’s quickly review some of the new words we’ve learnt and throw some new ones in for good measure.
| Russian | English | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Семейного счастья | Wish for family happiness | semeynogo schast’ya |
| Крепкого здоровья | Wish good health | krepkogo zdorov’ya |
| С Новым Годом | Happy New Year | s novym godom |
| новый год | New Year | novyy god |
| Новогодняя елка | New Year tree | novogodnyaya yolka |
| Новогодний салат | Type of salad | novogodniy salat |
| Дед Мороз | Father Frost (Santa) | ded moroz |
| Снегурочка | The grand daughter of Santa | snegurochka |
| Морозко | A type of game | morozko |
| игра | A type of game | igra |
We hope you enjoyed this insight into what new year is like in Russia.
If you have any questions please leave us a comment below.
For more of them same why not check out our guides to Chinese New Year, Korean New Year and Vietnamese New Year as well.
Russian New Year || FAQs
Do Russians celebrate New Year twice?
The history of the New Year celebration in Russia dates back to the 10th century, when it was first celebrated using the Julian calendar.
This was a time before the Gregorian calendar was adopted and the traditional Russian New Year was celebrated on the 13th of January.
During this time, people would exchange gifts, visit friends and family, and feast on traditional Russian dishes.
FUN FACT || Because of the above, Russian’s cleverly exploit this and celebrate Russian New Year TWICE!
You have the International New Year on January 1st but also the old Russian New Year on January 13th/14th.
Clever way to manipulate a few more days off, right?!
What do Russian eat during Russian New Year?
A popular tradition is the making of Новогодний салат (novogodniy salat).
This is a special salad that is served on New Year’s Eve.
The salad is made with a combination of pickled herring, boiled potatoes, carrots, beets, and eggs, among other ingredients.
Accompanied with champagne – you’ll find this all over Russia during New Year celebrations.
Do Russians put up Christmas Trees?
Yes, but in Russia the tree is slightly different.
In Russian this tree is called Новогодняя елка (novogodnyaya yolka).
NOTE || Unlike Christmas trees, the New Year tree is decorated with bright, colorful ornaments, and it is not associated with any religious beliefs.
Who is Дед Мороз?
His name translates to Father Frost.
He is the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus.
He is usually accompanied by his granddaughter Снегурочка (snegurochka) or the Snow Maiden, who helps him distribute presents to children.
FUN FACT || Unlike Santa Claus, who comes on Christmas Eve, Father Frost visits children on New Year’s Eve.
Do Russians exchange gifts during Christmas or New Year?
While in other countries, gifts are typically exchanged on Christmas Day, in Russia, they are exchanged on New Year’s Eve.
Children receive their gifts from Father Frost, and adults exchange gifts with their family members and close friends.
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