Russian holidays, customs and traditions

There are many different traditions and customs in the world today. Most of them are, as a rule, connected with different countries' religion, history and culture. No doubts, they play an important role in the lives of various nations.

Being one of the most important links connecting the past, the present and future of many nations, these customs and traditions help them to keep up their originality and bring up their children to love their motherland and respect their religion, history and culture.

The ways, different nations celebrate various holidays and some important events in their lives, reveal their national character, the way of their life, their customs and traditions. Almost all people in the world are proud of their national traditions and carefully keep them up.

Russia is no exception. It is a unique country with old and rich cultural traditions. Foreigners from all over the world who come to our country are greatly interested in our history and culture, traditions and customs. For most of them Russia is a great and beautiful country. They are strongly impressed by our people's broad character and hospitality. In their opinion, our people are strong, brave and generous.

The Russian Federation is known to be one of the most reading nations in the world. The population majority is fond of learning and reading. And this is a very essential factor for any nation.

Russia is a multinational, multiconfessional and multicultural state. More than 150 different nations, ethnic groups and nationalities live on its enormous territory. They, naturally, differ from each other in many ways. And, of course, they have different traditions and customs. But these differences can not be an obstacle f_0r their friendship with all the other nations and for our country unity.

People in our country are fond of various holidays, celebrating them with real Russian hospitality, lots of presents and heaps of food. And, of course, they invite to their places many relatives and friends.

Russian holidays present a colourful picture: religious and secular, new and old, official and unofficial, private and professional. Among our religious holidays there are such as: Christmas, Easter, Holy Trinity and some others. The most known state holidays include New Year's Day, Women's Day, Victory Day, Constitution and Independence Days. We also celebrate such professional holidays as Teacher's Day and Day of Knowledge, Builder's Day and some others. As to our private holidays, they comprise birthdays, wedding days, anniversaries, etc. All holidays have their special customs and traditions.

One of the most popular and favourite holidays with the Russians is New Year's Day. Although the tradition of celebrating this holiday is very old, in Russia people began celebrating it by the Order of Peter the Great.

On the eve of this day all people in our country get ready to see the New Year in. They decorate their homes with New Year trees and coloured lights. At midnight they listen to the Kremlin chimes and the President's congratulations, drink champagne. They exchange presents and good wishes, listen to music and dance, sing their favourite songs, eat a lot of tasty things and make merry. As for our children, they are eagerly waiting for Father Frost to bring them presents.

Russian Christmas (Nativity), one of the greatest and most important religious holidays, is celebrated on the 7-th of January to glorify the birth of Jesus Christ. On this day many people in our country attend the church services. At home they celebrate this joyful holiday with their families. In the evening groups of children go from house to house, sing the Christmas songs (kolyadki or carols) and get presents in exchange.

Seeing the Old New Year out is one more popular tradition with the Russians. This holiday is celebrated on the 14-th of January. It is not an official holiday but many people carefully keep it up. On this day they drink champagne, sing songs, dance, make merry and tell fortunes.

Epiphany is one of the greatest religious holidays celebrated by many people in our country on the 19-th of January, the day when Jesus Christ was christened by St. John the Precursor in the river Jordan. In the morning crowds of people usually attend the church services and bring home the Holy Water to consecrate themselves and their houses.

Shrovetide is loved by everybody in Russia. It is usually marked during the week before the Lent. On these days people burn in fire the Strawman of winter to see it off and to greet spring. They make merry, eat pancakes, symbolizing the sun, and play various games.

On the 23-d of February we celebrate Our Fatherland Defender's Day and congratulate all our men and especially our heroes.

Women's Day is celebrated in many countries. Russia is no exception. On the 8-th of March all women in our country usually get lots of presents and flowers from men.

Easter is one of the greatest and most important religious holidays in Russia. It holds the keys to understanding Christianity, the central point of which is Jesus Christ's Resurrection. As a rule, crowds of people attend the night church services. They consecrate their Easter cakes and exchange coloured eggs, symbolizing new life.

On the 9-th of May all people in our country celebrate the greatest national holiday Victory Day. It is the day when all of us remember the heroic men of our Motherland who died in the World War II and ensured the victoiy of our Army in the Great Patriotic War. In this terrible war Russia lost almost 40 million people. That is why it is a sacred day, a holiday with tears in our eyes.

As a rule, this great day is marked with parades and fireworks. All our cities and towns are decorated with red flags. There are many patriotic films on TV and old Front songs over the radio. On this day we congratulate and thank our veterans, give them presents and flowers.

Independence Day and Constitution Day are relatively new holidays. They are celebrated on the 12-th of June (when the Declaration of the Russian Federation's sovereignty was adopted) and on the 12-th of December. They are official days-off that are celebrated in Russia with mass festivals, various concerts and fireworks.

Day of Knowledge is celebrated in autumn, September, 1, when all students and schoolchildren in our country begin their studies.

Знаете ли вы?

1. According to the UN decisions people of the Globe celebrate various holidays. The World Day of Peace, in the memory of two World Wars, for example, is celebrated on the 1-st of September and the World Population Day is celebrated on the 11 -th of July.

2. The World Left-Hander's Day is celebrated on the 13-th of August.

День смеха, 1 апреля, не внесен ни в один календарь зна­менательных дат или всенародных праздников. Однако его вполне можно отнести к международным праздникам, так как он отмечается во многих странах мира.

Почему его отмечают именно 1 апреля и откуда родом этот праздник, никто точно не может сказать. Существует несколько версий. По одной из них, этот праздник появился в Древ­нем Риме, где в середине февраля, а не 1 апреля, отмечали День глупых. По другой версии, этот праздник берет свое начало из Древней Индии, где 31 марта отмечали праздник шуток.

Однако многие утверждают, что формальным поводом для насмешек над глупцами стала банальная путаница. Раньше Новый год отмечали 1 апреля, а в 1562 году Римский Папа Григорий XIII ввел для всех христиан новый (Григорианс­кий) календарь, и Новый год стали праздновать 1 января. Но информация доходила до простых людей в те времена очень медленно, поэтому они продолжали отмечать Новый год 1 апреля, за что все потешались над ними, называя их «апрельскими дураками».

А вот французы уверены, что начало традиции праздновать апрельский день дураков было положено во Франции, и свя­зано это было с праздником Нового года, который по старому календарю отмечался 1 апреля.

В 1564 году король Карл IX перенес начало года с 1 апреля на 1 января. Многие были очень недовольны этим и еще дол­гое время продолжали присылать своим друзьям и знакомым в день 1 апреля традиционный новогодний подарок — рыбу. Потом все смирились с новой датой, но День апрельской рыбы остался как праздник. В этот день дети тайком вешают взрос­лым на спину бумажных рыбок на ниточке.

В России день смеха был введен Петром I. В этот день все, от мала до велика, подшучивают друг над другом.

В Англии 1 апреля называется день дураков (April Fools' Day). С полуночи до 12 часов дня все подшучивают над свои­ми знакомыми и друзьями. А того, кто попался на шутку, встречают смехом и криками «апрельский дурак!»

Во многих странах мира начало апреля связано с птицами, так как 1 апреля отмечается Международный день птиц.

В Шотландии, например, апрельский праздник называет­ся День кукушки. Все стараются разыграть, обмануть, надуть как можно больше людей. Кроме того, шотландцы отмечают еще и 2 апреля — День хвоста, или День шуток ниже пояса. Все, кто не понял шутки в этот день, могут услышать: «Ку­ку, дурашка!»

В Австралии 1 апреля — День пересмешника. Все, кто не понял шутки, могут услышать вслед хохот пересмешника.

А вот в Германии 1 апреля считают несчастливым днем, так как в этот день, согласно преданию, родился Иуда — пре­датель. Но и взрослые, и дети в этот день тоже обманывают друг друга, посылая в магазин или в аптеку с невыполнимым поручением (например: «Купи мне комариного жира»).

Дата добавления: 2014-12-29