JANUARY

New Year – January 1: New Year’s Day is one the most favorite holidays in Russia. All people are happy on this day. On the Eve of this holiday or just on this day everybody give presents to each other, have fun, make fireworks, decorate and fir-trees, cook delicious things and lay the holiday table. The unchangeable participants of this holiday are Farther Frost and his granddaughter “Snegurochka”(a snow girl). At 11.55 p.m. everyone switches a TV-set on and watches the speech of President of the country. At 12 a.m. Kremlin chiming clock beats 12 times and everyone who believes in good says an intimate wish and thanks God for everything good that had happened that year. The holiday lasts till next morning. For the first time this holiday was announced by Peter 1’st order dated by January 20, 700. This order gave the detailed instructions how to celebrate New Year’s Day. Many people used to see the New Year in on January 14, (according to the old calendar). And the tradition of telling fortunes at this night is very popular among young ladies and fellows, who are willing to know at least a little bit about their near future.

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