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What makes this countries celebrations each year so vast and enjoyable?... ALOT!...
There are some dates in the history of Russia that are remarkable for every Russian citizen: New Year Holidays, Orthodox Christmas, Day of Russia, Day of the National Unity, Victory Day, Constitution Day, Soviet Army Day, International Worker`s Solidarity Day, Day of Reconciliation and Harmony, Day of the Defenders of the Fatherland, Valentines Day, International Women’s Day, and Day of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation. They are especially remarkable because people don’t work on these days (these are national holidays).
 
The memorable day in Russia is Victory Day which is celebrated on May 9th, to commemorate the victory of the Russian troops over Nazi invaders. Love for freedom has been in the natural character of Russian people, so no enemy has been able to conquer this country. On May 9th, a great army parade takes place in every city (the biggest celebration being in Moscow) and in the evening people enjoy fireworks. On this day, main streets of each city are closed to organize free concerts and art exhibitions.
May Day is regarded as Labor Day or the Day of Solidarity of the Workers of the World. It commemorates the tragic events of the 1884-1888 years in Chicago when workers were fighting for their rights. Despite the name of the holiday, people have two days of vacation, May 1st and 2nd. Many poor people and people of the middle class, (even those living in the cities) have small pieces of land in their private property so they spend this holiday planting something (usually potatoes). In Soviet times, Russian people used to celebrate this holiday widely. They organized huge demonstrations with red flags, slogans and air balloons in which everybody
participated but now not much happens. People used to have the same huge demonstrations during the political holiday – Revolution Day. It was celebrated in Soviet Times on the 7th of November, as the day when Socialist Revolution took place in St. Petersburg. Now this day is still a day off despite it’s not an official holiday anymore. Some people call it the Day of the Consent and Reconciliation. The Constitution Day on December 12th, when the Constitution of the Russian Federation was accepted and the Day of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation, on June 12th, are two other political holidays which give people an opportunity to do nothing all day long.
 
The Day of the Defender of the Motherland, on February 23rd, has its origin from The Day of the Red Soviet Army which was established on this day in 1918. Russia has compulsory military service for all men from the age of 18 till the age of 28. They are taken to the service right after finishing their education and have to spend 2 years there (people with high education – 1 year). So all the
Russian men were or will be in the service someday, that’s why women give
presents to all of them on February 23rd. Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th in order to commemorate the memory of Clara Tsetkin, who organized the first Womens Revolution group. On this day men give presents and flowers to women and do all of the housework.
However, the most celebrated holiday is New Years. Russian people celebrate this holiday two times: on January 1st, and on January 13th. The second time is an unofficial day and isn’t a day off. It’s connected with the date change from “the old style” to “the new style” in the beginning of the 20th century. The only result of the change is that Russian people celebrate all the religious holidays 13 days later than the other Christian world. Russians started to celebrate the New Year on January 1st less than 300 years ago according to decision of the first Russian Imperator, Peter the 1st. Before that, this holiday was celebrated on September 1st as Harvest Day and ancient Russians had New Year on March 1st. For Russians the New Year means 3 days of (from January 1st through January 3rd), fur trees decorated with toys made of glass and small colorful lights, fireworks and a lot of delicious food. The Russian tradition of the New Year Celebration is close to the Christmas Celebration in Western Europe and the United States.
The Russian equivelant of Santa Clause is Father Frost, (Ded Moroz), who lives in Great Ustug with his daughter (granddaughter?) Snow Girl (Snegurochka). On New Years night, they travel together all over the country on a sled in which three horses are harnessed and they leave presents for children under the fur trees. When clocks strike 12 p.m., Russians drink Champaign, and give presents to their friends and relatives (usually something connected with the symbol of the new year according to the Chinese Horoscope). While clocks are striking they make a wish for the new year hoping for it to come true. People usually have big parties with many guests on New Years night. New years celebrations receive widespread coverage by mass media interrupted with old movies and music programs.
Recently new national holidays have appeared: Christmas and Easter. Religious holidays were prohibited in the USSR for many years and someone could even be imprisoned for celebrating them. Now Russia has all of the same religious holidays as all of the rest of Christian countries but 13 days later. Russian Christians usually attend church on this day (in Russia it is an Orthodox Service). It is a sin to do any kind of physical work on religious holidays which are usually Sundays. On Easter people cook special cakes with raisin called kulich and color boiled eggs in different colors and sometimes even draw pictures on them.
Some years ago people started to celebrate some international holidays such as St. Valentine Day. Some people even celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, which is very strange considering that there are no Irish people in Russia. Almost every weekend people of some profession have their professional holiday. Russia has many remarkable events in its history so its people could celebrate something everyday even if it’s just “a day of a drinking glass”(that’s the way they call a celebration without any good reason).
Written and Copyrighted; Not to be Shown.
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The memorable day in Russia is Victory Day which is celebrated on May 9th, to commemorate the victory of the Russian troops over Nazi invaders. Love for freedom has been in the natural character of Russian people, so no enemy has been able to conquer this country. On May 9th, a great army parade takes place in every city (the biggest celebration being in Moscow) and in the evening people enjoy fireworks. On this day, main streets of each city are closed to organize free concerts and art exhibitions.
May Day is regarded as Labor Day or the Day of Solidarity of the Workers of the World. It commemorates the tragic events of the 1884-1888 years in Chicago when workers were fighting for their rights. Despite the name of the holiday, people have two days of vacation, May 1st and 2nd. Many poor people and people of the middle class, (even those living in the cities) have small pieces of land in their private property so they spend this holiday planting something (usually potatoes). In Soviet times, Russian people used to celebrate this holiday widely. They organized huge demonstrations with red flags, slogans and air balloons in which everybody
participated but now not much happens. People used to have the same huge demonstrations during the political holiday – Revolution Day. It was celebrated in Soviet Times on the 7th of November, as the day when Socialist Revolution took place in St. Petersburg. Now this day is still a day off despite it’s not an official holiday anymore. Some people call it the Day of the Consent and Reconciliation. The Constitution Day on December 12th, when the Constitution of the Russian Federation was accepted and the Day of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation, on June 12th, are two other political holidays which give people an opportunity to do nothing all day long.
The Day of the Defender of the Motherland, on February 23rd, has its origin from The Day of the Red Soviet Army which was established on this day in 1918. Russia has compulsory military service for all men from the age of 18 till the age of 28. They are taken to the service right after finishing their education and have to spend 2 years there (people with high education – 1 year). So all the
Russian men were or will be in the service someday, that’s why women give
presents to all of them on February 23rd. Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8th in order to commemorate the memory of Clara Tsetkin, who organized the first Womens Revolution group. On this day men give presents and flowers to women and do all of the housework.
However, the most celebrated holiday is New Years. Russian people celebrate this holiday two times: on January 1st, and on January 13th. The second time is an unofficial day and isn’t a day off. It’s connected with the date change from “the old style” to “the new style” in the beginning of the 20th century. The only result of the change is that Russian people celebrate all the religious holidays 13 days later than the other Christian world. Russians started to celebrate the New Year on January 1st less than 300 years ago according to decision of the first Russian Imperator, Peter the 1st. Before that, this holiday was celebrated on September 1st as Harvest Day and ancient Russians had New Year on March 1st. For Russians the New Year means 3 days of (from January 1st through January 3rd), fur trees decorated with toys made of glass and small colorful lights, fireworks and a lot of delicious food. The Russian tradition of the New Year Celebration is close to the Christmas Celebration in Western Europe and the United States.
The Russian equivelant of Santa Clause is Father Frost, (Ded Moroz), who lives in Great Ustug with his daughter (granddaughter?) Snow Girl (Snegurochka). On New Years night, they travel together all over the country on a sled in which three horses are harnessed and they leave presents for children under the fur trees. When clocks strike 12 p.m., Russians drink Champaign, and give presents to their friends and relatives (usually something connected with the symbol of the new year according to the Chinese Horoscope). While clocks are striking they make a wish for the new year hoping for it to come true. People usually have big parties with many guests on New Years night. New years celebrations receive widespread coverage by mass media interrupted with old movies and music programs.
Recently new national holidays have appeared: Christmas and Easter. Religious holidays were prohibited in the USSR for many years and someone could even be imprisoned for celebrating them. Now Russia has all of the same religious holidays as all of the rest of Christian countries but 13 days later. Russian Christians usually attend church on this day (in Russia it is an Orthodox Service). It is a sin to do any kind of physical work on religious holidays which are usually Sundays. On Easter people cook special cakes with raisin called kulich and color boiled eggs in different colors and sometimes even draw pictures on them.
Written and Copyrighted; Not to be Shown.