Hello, my dear friends!
I still have a New Year mood and that's why I invite you to share some interesting New Year customs and traditions! I think every country has something unique and unusual. New Year is a holiday when miracles can happen. So let's try to prolong this condition of miracles anticipation.
In Russia we’ll celebrate Christmas only on the 7th of January, that’s why New Year celebration is more important than in many countries of Europe and America. Now all Russian people are having New Year holidays ( from 1st till 8th January).
Of course, some New Year traditions are similar around the world but I’m sure that every country has its own peculiar customs. Here in Russia we have our own Santa Claus and he’s called Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). He’s old and he wears a long furry blue or red robe and a furry cap. He lives in the North of Russia in the town of Veliki Ustug.
But my favourite New Year character is Snegurochka - Russian Snow Maiden. I have had great passion for this tradition since my childhood. I adored animated cartoons and films about this magic character. When I studied at school I always performed the part of Snegurochka at our school New Year celebrations. I was so proud about it. And not only me. My daughter also did it many times.
The name Snegurochka is derived from the Russian word for snow, sneg.
A version of a folk tale about a girl made of snow and named Snegurka or Snegurochka was published in 1869 by Alexander Afanasyev in the second volume of his work The Poetic Outlook on Nature by the Slavs. In this version, childless Russian peasants Ivan and Marya made a snow doll, which became alive. Snegurka grows up quickly. A group of girls invite her for a walk in the woods, after which they make a small fire and take turns leaping over it; When Snegurka's turn comes, she starts to jump, but only gets halfway before evaporating into a small cloud.
In another story, she is the daughter of Spring the Beauty (Весна-Красна) and Father Frost, and yearns for the companionship of mortal humans. She grows to like a shepherd named Lel, but her heart is unable to know love. Her mother (Spring) takes pity and gives her this ability, but as soon as she falls in love, her heart warms and she melts. This version of the story was made into a play The Snow Maiden by Aleksandr Ostrovsky, with beautiful music by Tchaikovsky in 1873.
The tale was also adapted into an opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov titled The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale (1880-81).
The story of Snegurochka was adapted into two Soviet films.
In late Russian Empire Snegurochka was part in Christmas celebration, in form of figurines to decorate the fir tree and a character in children's pieces.
In early Soviet Union, the tradition of Christmas was banned, together with other Christian traditions. However in 1935 the celebration of the New Year was allowed, which included, in part, the fir tree and Ded Moroz. At this time Snegurochka acquired a role of the granddaughter of Ded Moroz and his helper. The Russian Snegurochka is a beautiful girl with blond hair and blue eyes and she usually wears a long silver-blue robe and a furry cap.
For me the image of Snegurochka is always connected with childhood, New Year and miracles!
If you have any peculiar traditions and customs, please, share!
Comments
Grace, in my turn I'm very grateful to all of you for sharing New Year customs and traditions. It was so interesting to know about them! Learning about these interesting facts in such a friendly way is the best way to memorise them!
I've got a question for you or for Scarlett. According to the Chinese Astrology Calendar 2013 is the year of Snake. What's your opinion of the coming year?
Thanks a million, Galina. I learned many from your blog and glad to know we share similar culture between Scarlett's and ours. Scarlett, I have the same feeling as yours. Being younger sisters or brothers are luckily receiving more "lucky money" than older ones. No matter how much we get or give it out, it means a lot and endless blessing. :)
Thanks for the explanation, Scarlett. And our moms, without any doubt, are the most precious and caring people in the universe.
Wow, really thanks a lot dear Galina in advance for your plan to send me virtual lucky money, that would be the most lucky wish for me at this New Year coming.
As for lucky money, I think here is the same with Grace's place in regarding who might receive lucky money. Just in some families, Adults think their children who've already got job would not be presented that red envelops, especial in their relatives' mindset. So, I always joke with my younger sisters like they always earned so much more money than me at the new year :)
Anyway, my sweet mom still give me a very small amount of lucky money just for a wish of luck :)
Oh, it's a pity, Scarlett, you won't get this "lucky money". I thought not only children but young people also receive it. Grace wrote about the tradition of red envelops with money in her country and she mentioned that children and unmarried young people get it at the New Year celebration. So, it's a bit different in your country. Ok, scarlett, don't worry. I'll send you virtual 'lucky money" just for having luck!
Oh.. Dear, you are right. I also think Grace would celebrate the same Holiday with me :)
Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness always. Okay, I'll remind you with my great pleasure.hihi...but now I'm not a child any longer, so... I might not receive those lucky money, and in opposite, I have to do it for my nephew, my sisters, brothers and present for my parents. Anyway, Tet is such a great time for us to welcome.
I'm praying for that miracles, my dear!
Scarlett, thanks a million for such interesting description of your New Year traditions! So, you follow the Chinese Calendar and your New Year is called Tet Holiday. It's very interesting! I think you're going to celebrate New Year at the same time as Grace. And it'll happen in February! Scarlett, remind me, please, about it the day before celebration, ok? I like the tradition of "lucky money". It'll be a great time for you, Scarlett, won't it?
As for our dreams, I think they'll come true, because miracles can happen! I'm absolutely sure in it!!!
Dear, Thanks a lot for kindly welcoming me to your country. I'm so glad and absolutely will come there as soon as possible. And I wish you could come here someday too. Although the opposite climate would frighten us at first, but I make sure that would be very exciting moments for spending with if we could have a chance. :)
My dear Galina,
The way you called my name again, again and again really warmed my heart like when Snegurka takes turn leaping over the fire, thanks dear :) hihi..
Galina, Thanks for asking me about our traditions. You know, we, Vietnamese are going to celebrate the Lunar New Year (or the Tet Holiday), we followed the Chinese Calendar, it means around the beginning of February. We will have a long holiday extend to 10days. During Tet, Vietnamese visit their relatives and temples, forgetting about the troubles of the past year and hoping for a better upcoming year. Nowadays we still keep doing some traditional activities like making "Banh Chung" and "Banh Day" (means : Chung cakes and Day cakes). There is also a legend talking about those cakes, that we sometime talk about and recall our history in new year.
And an interesting thing that I and all of the children are really love that is "lucky money" we called it is "lì xì". in the New Year day, our parent, grandparents and relatives would give us some of them for wishing luck and wealth for new year. :)
Wow, so, you can ski with skis! great! As I saw that is really difficult game to play. Here, I just can skate in the large flat area by the shoes have wheels under. But, you know, I had some "very hurt fall" in the line of skating in the past. hihi... that's my sweet memories with friends. but to be honest, I'm still very poor in it now :P
Scarlett, thank you very much, my dear, for your kind words! I'm so happy that you liked our Russian fairy-tale character Snegurochka. I think it's really a unique character, as many countries have male-character like Santa Claus, but I think few countries have the same female-character.
Scarlett, of course your country have different unique traditions, which are very important for you and are part of your childhood!
Scarlett, it would be really great if you could come to Russia and touch and feel the snow, and ski and skate. I also dream of coming to some tropical country and experience some unknown moments for me!
Scarlett, when do you celebrate New Year and do you have some special traditions? Thanks for your nice comment!
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