New Year in the Soviet Union, and now in Russia
Some people said they'd like to hear more--hope you enjoy ;)
~~~
Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost") is the Slavic equivalent of Santa Claus, but he acts just a bit differently from the St. Nick that Americans are used to. He does wear a long red fur coat and fur-trimmed hat, but Ded Moroz also carries a magical staff, and instead of sneaking down chimneys to deposit gifts before disappearing into the night, he actually shows up at New Year's parties to give kids their gifts. He’s also accompanied everywhere by his granddaughter Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden.
Ded Moroz had a tough time in the Soviet Union. After the Russian Revolution, he didn't come at all for a few years due to a ban on Christmas-like New Year's traditions. Joseph Stalin reversed the ban in 1935, but he ordered that Ded Moroz wear a blue coat so that no one would confuse him with the Western Santa Claus.
(Source: 9 Holiday Characters Around the World, from Mental Floss--take a look, quite a few interesting characters and stories in there)
(I see from my Google images search that many of the Deds wear red now, too...;)
And no, he doesn't ride flying reindeer either, he rides in a sleigh pulled by a trio of horses:
And yes, his magical staff makes the tree light up, when he comes to children's parties :)
The children are usually asked to sing a song or to recite a poem, first. And it is traditional to dress up for these parties, usually as a snowflake, a rabbit, etc.
He also brings gifts to children on New Year's Eve, at midnight.
~~
ETA: There were other things...it's changed now, I understand, to become much more like Christmas here. But the gifts that children got were chocolates and nuts and oranges, and the adults didn't really exchange gifts...it was more of a holiday to spend with family and/or close friends.
~~
Additional ETA: https://venividiv0dka.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/how-russians-celebrate-new-year/
Here's one of the traditional children's songs:
https://youtu.be/VAG1UTfDSjY
Автор текста (слов): Кудашева Раиса Адамовна
Композитор (музыка): Бекман Леонид Карлович
В лесу родилась ёлочка,
В лесу она росла,
Зимой и летом стройная,
Зелёная была.
Зимой и летом стройная,
Зелёная была.
Метель ей пела песенку -
Спи, ёлочка, бай-бай,
Мороз снежком укутывал,
Смотри, не замерзай.
Мороз снежком укутывал,
Смотри, не замерзай.
Трусишка зайка серенький
Под ёлочкой скакал,
Порою волк, сердитый волк,
Рысцою пробегал.
Порою волк, сердитый волк,
Рысцою пробегал.
Чу, снег по лесу частому
Под полозом скрипит,
Лошадка мохноногая
Торопится, бежит.
Лошадка мохноногая
Торопится, бежит.
Везёт лошадка дровеньки,
А в дровнях мужичок,
Срубил он нашу ёлочку
Под самый корешок.
Срубил он нашу ёлочку
Под самый корешок .
Теперь она нарядная
На праздник к нам пришла
И много-много радости
Детишкам принесла.
И много-много радости
Детишкам принесла :)
Lyrics: Kudasheva, Raisa
Composer: Beckman, Leonid
A little fir tree was born in the forest,
And in the forest it grew,
All through the winter and summer
It stayed slender and green.
The blizzard sang it a lullaby--
"Sleep, little fir tree, sleep!"
The frost covered it up with snow,
"Look out now, don't freeze!"
The timid little gray hare
Would leap around under the little fir tree,
And sometimes a wolf, an angry wolf,
Would lope past.
But listen, the snow
Creaks under the sleigh runners,
The mossy-legged horsie
Is running, hurrying here.
The horsie is pulling a sled,
And in the sled is a man,
He cut down our fir tree
To the ground.
And now our fir tree is all dressed up
And came to our holiday party
And brought lots and lots of joy
To all the children here.
~~~
Ded Moroz ("Grandfather Frost") is the Slavic equivalent of Santa Claus, but he acts just a bit differently from the St. Nick that Americans are used to. He does wear a long red fur coat and fur-trimmed hat, but Ded Moroz also carries a magical staff, and instead of sneaking down chimneys to deposit gifts before disappearing into the night, he actually shows up at New Year's parties to give kids their gifts. He’s also accompanied everywhere by his granddaughter Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden.
Ded Moroz had a tough time in the Soviet Union. After the Russian Revolution, he didn't come at all for a few years due to a ban on Christmas-like New Year's traditions. Joseph Stalin reversed the ban in 1935, but he ordered that Ded Moroz wear a blue coat so that no one would confuse him with the Western Santa Claus.
(Source: 9 Holiday Characters Around the World, from Mental Floss--take a look, quite a few interesting characters and stories in there)
(I see from my Google images search that many of the Deds wear red now, too...;)
And no, he doesn't ride flying reindeer either, he rides in a sleigh pulled by a trio of horses:
And yes, his magical staff makes the tree light up, when he comes to children's parties :)
The children are usually asked to sing a song or to recite a poem, first. And it is traditional to dress up for these parties, usually as a snowflake, a rabbit, etc.
He also brings gifts to children on New Year's Eve, at midnight.
~~
ETA: There were other things...it's changed now, I understand, to become much more like Christmas here. But the gifts that children got were chocolates and nuts and oranges, and the adults didn't really exchange gifts...it was more of a holiday to spend with family and/or close friends.
~~
Additional ETA: https://venividiv0dka.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/how-russians-celebrate-new-year/
Here's one of the traditional children's songs:
https://youtu.be/VAG1UTfDSjY
Click to viewАвтор текста (слов): Кудашева Раиса Адамовна
Композитор (музыка): Бекман Леонид Карлович
В лесу родилась ёлочка,
В лесу она росла,
Зимой и летом стройная,
Зелёная была.
Зимой и летом стройная,
Зелёная была.
Метель ей пела песенку -
Спи, ёлочка, бай-бай,
Мороз снежком укутывал,
Смотри, не замерзай.
Мороз снежком укутывал,
Смотри, не замерзай.
Трусишка зайка серенький
Под ёлочкой скакал,
Порою волк, сердитый волк,
Рысцою пробегал.
Порою волк, сердитый волк,
Рысцою пробегал.
Чу, снег по лесу частому
Под полозом скрипит,
Лошадка мохноногая
Торопится, бежит.
Лошадка мохноногая
Торопится, бежит.
Везёт лошадка дровеньки,
А в дровнях мужичок,
Срубил он нашу ёлочку
Под самый корешок.
Срубил он нашу ёлочку
Под самый корешок .
Теперь она нарядная
На праздник к нам пришла
И много-много радости
Детишкам принесла.
И много-много радости
Детишкам принесла :)
Lyrics: Kudasheva, Raisa
Composer: Beckman, Leonid
A little fir tree was born in the forest,
And in the forest it grew,
All through the winter and summer
It stayed slender and green.
The blizzard sang it a lullaby--
"Sleep, little fir tree, sleep!"
The frost covered it up with snow,
"Look out now, don't freeze!"
The timid little gray hare
Would leap around under the little fir tree,
And sometimes a wolf, an angry wolf,
Would lope past.
But listen, the snow
Creaks under the sleigh runners,
The mossy-legged horsie
Is running, hurrying here.
The horsie is pulling a sled,
And in the sled is a man,
He cut down our fir tree
To the ground.
And now our fir tree is all dressed up
And came to our holiday party
And brought lots and lots of joy
To all the children here.