Hello to all and everyone! The whole planet is ready to celebrate the New Year of 2014 tomorrow. And there are some things to know about Russian’s celebration of this holiday. In fact, New Year is considered to be the most favorite holiday in the countries of the former Soviet Union. Russians and Ukrainians believe this holiday the most magical and wonderful in the year. Well, never mind – they ever celebrate it twice! Russian people celebrate New Year’s Eve on both December 31^st and January 13^th (so-called Old New Year), in accordance with the Gregorian and Julian calendars. They prepare for the celebration in advance, buy food, New Year gifts and presents, do up their houses and discuss their outfits very carefully. A popular Russian tradition says that how you celebrate New Year’s will dictate the course of the next 12 months. In other words, it means that a successful year’ beginning makes the whole year good. So that is why the Russians and Ukrainians try to dress in fashionable new outfits, to set a good table abundantly spread with tasty things and to make generous presents.

New Year is considered to be mostly a time of family, so many Ukrainian and Russian ladies celebrate this holiday with family and friends. They decorate Christmas trees and their houses with candles, wreaths, lines of colored bulbs. There is a popular belief that the gifts are delivered by Father Frost (Ded Moroz in Russian) and his granddaughter Snow Maiden (Snegurochka) and put under the Christmas tree. So that is why Russian girls used to feast till midnight with their families. People have a great time, drink champagne, eat Salad Olivier (or Russian salad known all over the world and believed New Year must on a feast table) and see old popular New Year movies as The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, The Carnival Night and The Magicians.

Usually, people spend the New Year’s Eve dinner at home with their extended family. Only after midnight, when the New Year has begun, will young people head out to parties and nightclubs with friends. Late near midnight there is the Presidential speech on TV, and people raise glasses while listening to the chimes and fireworks. While the main country’s clock is counting down, Russians or Ukrainians make their wishes and then drink champagne so their wishes would come true. It is believed that if you make a wish while listening to the chimes it will definitely come true.