S NOVIM GODOM!!! С Новым Годом, Lada! Thanks for sharing the linguistic and cultural origins of this Christmas season. I really enjoy the spirit and good cheer amongst ppl 🙂
Why Russians celebrate the New Year, and not Christmas, with New Year’s Tree?
That’s because the tradition of celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of the next with a decorated and lit up green tree, symbolizing the new growth and new prosperity is a pagan tradition that by far predates Christianity. Much later it was adopted by Christianity to coincide with the designated birth of Christ – Dec. 25. In fact the Western Christmas continues symbolizing death and rebirth. The year’s shortest day is around this time of year, during Dec 22 Winter Equinox. After this the day again begins getting longer, thus denoting rebirth of the new year and new hope. The tradition itself predates any cultures and any religion known today – it was born in the days when humans were still united.
The proper Russian Orthodox Christian Christmas (Rus: Kreshchenie) is celebrated one week…
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