Let me start by explaining the significance of this day:
Due to the suppression of religion during the Soviet regime, St. Nicholas was
replaced by Ded Moroz or Grandfather Frost, the Russian Spirit of Winter who brought gifts on New Year's. He is accompanied by Snyegurochka, the Snowmaiden, who helps distribute the gifts. He often brings them in person, at the celebrations of the New Year. The "in-person" gifts only occur at big organized celebrations, where the gifts can be "standardized." The clandestine operations of placing the gifts under the New Year tree still occur while the children
are young. Ded Moroz is accompanied by Snegurochka (Russian: Снегурочка), or 'Snow Maiden,' his granddaughter. She is a unique attribute of the image of Father Frost – none of his foreign colleagues has a similar companion.
The traditional appearance of Ded Moroz has a close resemblance to that of Santa Claus, with his coat, boots and long white beard. Specifically, Ded Moroz wears a heel-long fur coat, a semi-round fur hat, and white valenki or high boots (sapogi), silver or red with silver ornament. Unlike Santa Claus, he walks with a long magical staff, does not say "Ho, ho, ho," and drives no reindeer but a troika.
The Christmas tree (Yolka) is yet another tradition banned during the Soviet era.To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees, instead. Since ornaments were either very costly or unavailable, family trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and fruit. Yolka comes from the word which refers to a fir tree. The custom of decorating Christmas trees was introduced to Russia by Peter the Great, after he visited Europe during the 1700s New Year Eve instead of Christmas.
Few people in Russia remember, but when the communists took power in 1917 they banned the open expression of religion. While it was easy to pray at home, the Russian people were concerned about giving up their traditional Christmas celebration.
So needless to say ringing in the New Year here was epic, and unlike anything I have ever experienced. Days before the 1st, people were already shooting off fireworks.
I had the privilege to spend New Years Eve with some incredible people. We had dinner, played some games, and went onto the roof to watch the fireworks. My friend's house where we were celebrating is close to the mountains. On this night, the view of the mountains was ridiculous. Most days and nights, the mountains are covered by pollution, or some type of fog in the air. Except this night! Minutes before midnight, people were already setting off fireworks, and at the stroke of 12 it seemed like everybody set off their fireworks in unison. The sky was lit by fireworks! We had a 360 view of the city and the mountains, and were overwhelmed by the epicness of fireworks. For the next 20 minutes all over, the city was lit in the best fireworks display these eyes have ever witnessed. They even continued to shoot off fireworks until 4am.
I was blown away by the majesty of it all. These people take this holiday so seriously. To see all those fireworks, makes me wonder how much money these people had to save throughout the year to shoot off that many for that long. The people aren't wealthy by any means, and put alot of their savings into this one night.
Here are a few pictures from that night, which by the way don't do justice to it at all!
Imagine the above picture 360, every house, and maybe you can imagine what we witnessed. Too bad it's a little blury...
Here are a couple of more pictures of my campus after the 2nd snowfall. Usually after a snowfall or the mornings are the best times to see the mountains clearly before the smog of the city is too much. When we do have an opportunity to see a clear view of them we're usually blown away by the beauty. Seriously folks these mountains look like a holiday back drop just pasted in the background.
Here everyday is a privilege
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