Russian Christmas Tree Tradition

Many christmas traditions such as decorating a fir tree and giving presents turned into new year s traditions.

Russian christmas tree tradition.

In the orthodox tradition nothing is eaten or drunk on christmas eve until the first star appears in the sky. The russian santa claus is named ded moroz or father frost. It began regaining popularity only recently partially because russian leaders starting with vladimir putin annually attend a christmas liturgy. On new year s eve he places presents for children under the new year tree as opposed to a christmas tree.

Russian christmas religious traditions. Celebrating the new year is a more important holiday in russia than christmas. Christmas became an official holiday and a non labor day in russia in 1991. Russian orthodox christmas takes place on january 7th following the old calendar this is the 25th of december and the celebration lasts for six days.

Often russian christmas and russian new years are combined into a long winter celebration. In russia the christmas holiday became the official celebration with the baptism of rus ordered by prince vladimir in the late 10th century. However given the early christian community kievan rus celebration may have a longer history. During the early mid soviet period religious celebrations were discouraged by the official state policy of atheism until 1936 but despite this.

He is accompanied by snegurochka a snow maiden said to be his granddaughter. Christmas is a time for visiting family attending church services and enjoying a christmas feast.