How are the winter holiday's celebrated in Russia? What are some fun traditions? Is it at all like the American way?
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How are the winter holiday's celebrated in Russia? What are some fun traditions? Is it at all like the American way?
Not exactly American way. People start to celebrate at 31 December and until the 14 Jan (The Old New Year - New Year by Grigorian calendar). Orthodox Christmas selebrated at the 7 Jan, but not by all people. I'm personally not too religeous, so for me it's just another vacant day.Quote:
Originally Posted by iamjames
The New Year's night is the main part of all these holidays. Traditions? President's speech at 11:55 pm, drinking champagne during the Kremlin bells sounding, fireworks and... frankly speaking usually I don't remember what happens next... :oops: D@mn vodka! :lol:
Christmas is not celebrated in Russia, almost at all. It is considered a holy day, and it falls on the 7th of January. New Year is celebrated widely, and, let's say, the most anticipated holiday of the year.
About "like the American Way". When you gonna stop thinking you're an example to the rest of the world?
Это довольно разумное предположение в наше время. Но то, что меня раздражает - это 'American way'. Рождество происходит из Европы! :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors
I never celebrate Christmas. It may sound very cruel but it is how things are in my little world. Not that I don't believe in God. I don't think there's any connection here. I guees I don't celebrate it because my parents don't do so. I'm not used to this kind of celebration. Furthermore, the Russian people have quite a different Christmas from the European or American one. I think it is more religion-related.
I don't celebrate it. Though I know quite a few people who celebrate it twice (both Catholic and Orthodox), they are not religious so it's just a reason for... um .. celebration.
I'd say New Year is still concidered far more important holiday than Christmas.
http://www.cnshb.ru/Cnshb/aris/fermer/dig/d_128.htmQuote:
Originally Posted by iamjames
http://www.museum.ru/eduportal/sait/svatki/svatki.html
The tradition of celebrating the Christmas was weeded out by Soviets. In 1917 Church was officially removed from participating in governing the country and from power also. Soviet Union was a secular state and though religion practice was not, strictly speaking, forbidden it could cost you a career if you were spotted in the Church.
Since then the rich Russian tradition of celebrating the Christmas came to the end. After 1991 when SU had ended its existence these traditions became slowly reintroduced, though, I think it will never be celebrated in such a way it used to be before the revolution. Though, I must admit, that Russian Orthodox Church is making great efforts of re-introducing the practice. Orthodox Christmas (celebrated on 7-th of January) was declared an official holiday regardless of the fact that over 30% of the Russian poopulation are Muslims and some another great part is the Jews.
(That hardly seems fair since Islamic and Jewish New Years should also be declared holidays then :) Of course that means that I won't go working these days).
For Russia Christmas is a religious date, not just the day when you don't go to work, so it's celebrated mostly by those who feel religious and whom that date seems important to.
I cook myself a salad (Оливье one, Russians will understand me :)), fry some rissoles and watch the liturgy on TV.
That's my Christmas :) And of course a little cause to put a small chocolate bar under the New Year's tree. :)
What?!!! :o It's a joke, isn't it?!Quote:
regardless of the fact that over 30% of the Russian poopulation are Muslims
Well, the figure turned out to be inaccurate. There are about 20 millions of muslims in Russia which makes about 13%.Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors
30% is the total quantity of people of non-orthodox confessions (Muslims, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists and others) There are some number of atheists too.
Вас послушать - так у нас религиозная страна. 20 миллионов "мусульман" - это надо понимать как 20 миллионов человек, принадлежащих к нациям, у которых традиционной религией считалось/считается мусульманство. Тоже самое про православных: 70% - это, мягко говоря, лукавые цифры. Но эти цифры устраивают религиозных вождей. Правда - не в их интересах. Наверное поэтому они отказались от выяснения реальной религиозной самоидентификации населения во время последней переписи.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramil
You may be right. According the latest population census (2002) there were about 14.5 million people who declared that they profess Islam.Quote:
Originally Posted by Юрка
http://www.katolik.ru/modules.php?na...ticle&sid=1528
Orthodox christians - 86.5% (about 126 millions) I think this figure includes atheists.
Muslims - 10% (about 14.5 millioins)
Armenian-Gregorian - 0.8% (about 1.1 million)
Pagans - 0.5% (about 670 thousands)
Catholics - 0.35% (about 480 thousands)
Lutheran and Mennonites - 0.3% (about 430 thousands)
Buddhists - 0.25% (about 380 thousands)
Yahud (Jews) - 0.15% (about 230 thousands)
Unknown ethnical groups and unspecified - 1.15% (about 1.5 million)
Here's another article:
http://www.usembassy.ru/bilateral/print_religiousr.php
My point is, though I am an Orthodox christian myself, that as soon Russia declares itself a secular state it must not show any religious preferences including religious holidays.
It is a tradition with the Russian people to celebrate anything that could provide them with an extra day off. We aren't very hard-working, I suppose. At least, that's what I can see in real life and that's what I can say about myself. If there's no great incentive to do something, I will think twice before starting doing it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramil
Make sure that you supply your posts with accurate information. As I read your first post (with the 30% reference), I thought you'd definitely got all your info confused or rather that you were anti-Russian/Muslims/whatever.
Effectively, Russia's a religious country. I don't have much statistics to bear out my reasoning but my take on this matter is that Russia is increasingly multi-national country. Caucasians, Chinese, and Jews constitute most of the non-Russian part of the country. Sometimes it seems utterly disgusting to me but at other times, it's quite ok by me - especially when I take into account the number of immigrants in the developed world.
:o Do you know that the second biggest ethnic group at Russia is Tatars?Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDSanchous
I do. But they live largely in Tatarstan, I guess. RIght? THe nationalities mentioned by me tend to inhabit all Russia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Basil77
Ukrainians. Then go Tatars. But that's beside the point. Don't confuse nationality and religion. I'm half Tatar myself but I am an orthodox christian. There are also ethnic Russians who profess Islam don't forget about that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Basil77
Wrong!Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDSanchous
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Don't make me laugh. They live everywhere, believe me I know. :)
Okk, I will. Is everyone in Tatarstan trying to move out? For example, go live in Moscow? I don't think so. Here's the difference. What's more, the Tatars have their own republic within Russia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramil
The Caucasians have their own republics within Russia too, but что толку?Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDSanchous
:lol: Truly, what makes people come to Moscow?
That's right. But the Caucasians have much worse living conditions in their republics than the Tatars do. Agree? The bad living conditions make them leave their republics irrespective of how patriotic they are and go live in more developed areas of the country. Though I'm only talking about Russia's Caucasian republics now. As for Georgia and Azerbaijan, we also have floods of people coming from these republics, although the number of illegal immigrants from Georgia has significantly decreased in the past two-three months due to the problematic relations between Russia and Georgia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Basil77
Anyhow, this thread is about Christmas. We are supposed to be hotly discussing Christmas at the moment. Really, immigrants from Georgia, Azerbaijan and other CIS countries coming to live in Russia, don't bring along much of their rich culture. At least, the majority of them.
Sanchous, Ramil where are we going??! It's all complete http://smiles2k.net/smiles/admin_mod...n-offtopic.gif
Thats totally not what I meant! I AM TRYING TO LEARN ABOUT ANTOHER CULTURE!!! AND ALL I KNOW IS MY OWN!!! SO STOP GIVING ME CRAP! I AM SORRY THAT I COME ACCROSS AS A STUPID AMERICAN!Quote:
Originally Posted by Vincent Tailors
I am sorry then, I misunderstood you. I meant no offence. Your words were... khm, ambiguous.
And anyway, you have my answer :)
Chalk this down as a linguistic misunderstanding!
The great thing about being a foreigner in Russia is to be able to celebrate christmas 3 times! :smug: :cool2: :bouncy:
Why 3 times? Do you take into account New Year? If not, I can't work out what the third Christmas is. The first one's December 25, the second - January 7. Third?Quote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
4 times! Don't forget about Old New Year! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDSanchous
Well, having added in Old New Year, we really have 4 different Christmases.Quote:
Originally Posted by gRomoZeka
Frankly, Christmas has very little to do with New Year. New Year signifies the end of the year and Christmas is basically a religious holiday which is in hardly any relation to the end of the year.
Even if we take into account the fact that English speakers might refer to New Year in the same way as to Christmas, we're still Russians and have our own traditions and two different words for Christmas and New Year.
Как подчеркнул на пресс-конференции в центральном офисе «Интерфакса» министр по национальной политике Российской Федерации Владимир Зорин, национальный состав населения нашей страны изменился. Министр отметил, что по итогам переписи 1989 года, самыми многочисленными национальностями в России являлись русские, татары, украинцы, чуваши, башкиры, белорусы, мордва, чеченцы, немцы и удмурты. По данным последней переписи наименее многочисленные народы - удины, караимы, дунгане, ижорцы, крымчани, белуджи, талыши, ливы. Сейчас, по мнению Зорина, российских немцев меньше, поскольку представители этой нации были подвержены большой миграции. Это касается и евреев. В то же время, по некоторым оценкам, в десятку самых крупных этнических групп, проживающих в России, вошли армяне.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramil
I, personally, agree that Ukrainians are, but it seems to me, that many people with Ukrainian surnames just count theyself Russian and declared their nationality as Russian at the population census.
Sorry for http://smiles2k.net/smiles/admin_mod...s/offtopic.gif again :oops: , but I just missed this Ramil's post before.
Well, in the secular western sense it is all about presents. We receive presents on our christmas, your new year's as well as your christmas! Triple the pleasure!Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDSanchous
Don't tell me you don't exchange gifts on your christmas? :|
Of corse we exchange presents, but mostly on New Year, not on Christmas. Они так и называются "новогодние подарки". http://smiles2k.net/smiles/cristmas_...1126965872.gifСловосочетание "рождественские подарки" попахивает Западом или дореволюционными временами. http://smiles2k.net/smiles/cristmas_...1126965873.gifQuote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
I don't celebrate either.I just drink whole the night :D
No! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie
Maybe a small one. Chocolate candies or smth.
No there is a huge difference in Xmas and New year.Quote:
Originally Posted by ReDSanchous
And what does this mean? :The khm partQuote:
Your words were... khm, ambiguous.
Khm == ahem :)
Just... transliterated it from Russian.
To Americans probably, but not to Russians.Quote:
Originally Posted by iamjames
It is just an excuse to celebrate (usually involving some serious drinking) :lol:
And since we have 10 vacation days now (from 1st till 10th of January), the celebration lasts from 25-th of December (Catholic christmas) till Jan 14-th (Old New Year). Then we suffer from a major hang-over for a month :)
Then comes 23-rd of February (Homeland Defender's day), then comes March 8th (Women's day), then we anticipating May celebrations (May 1st and 9th - the Victory Day), and then - June 12th (Independence day). From then we get back to work and struggling through the rest of the year waiting every moment till we can start celebrating again. :lol: To compensate our lack of holidays during that period of the year most of us take vacations in summer and early Autumn.
I think it's a part of our curse :) We love celebrating everything. Just give us an excuse for not going to work and we'll be happy :lol:
Add to this birthdays, weddings ... even funerals... and I'm sure you'll get the picture. :lol:
You forgot the Bastille Day! :lol:
So don't plan any serious business to do with Russians during January at least :lol:
Я ненавижу рождество. Почему купить дары, которые никто не хочет и никому не нужны?
:evil: