Decorate the tree – check. Get gifts – check. Plan the holiday menu – check. With all these items checked off your holiday to-do list, it’s now time to literally face the music. Do I need to remind you that легко на сердце от песни весёлой (the heart grows light with a joyful song)?

There are lists of New Year-themed songs making rounds on the Internet. First, there are all the nice, family-friendly, traditional ones. Russians know many of these c младых ногтей (from the youngest age). Most of these songs are either from cartoons of wholesome family movies. These are songs to play до полуночи (before midnight). To understand these songs you need a fairly solid grasp of Russian.

В лесу родилась ёлочка

5 Минут

Три белых коня

Песенка про медведей

Пока часы 12 бьют

Расскажи, Снегурочка

Кабы не было зимы

Then there are the songs best saved for после полуночи (after midnight) since they are funky, weird, rowdy, over-the-top ones. They are the visual and auditory version of салат Оливье (Olivier salad) chased down with a swig of шампанское (sparkling wine). They are the мишура (tinsel) on the New Year tree. They are the impromptu fireworks set off by your neighbors right under your window в новогоднюю ночь (on the New Year night) . Don’t worry if you don’t understand the words. They are not at all important for the songs in this category.

Группа “Блестящие”. Новогодняя песня.

Серёга и Маша Малиновская – С Новым годом!

Верка Сердючка. Новогодняя

Дискотека Авария – Новый год

MMDANCE – Новогодняя

OKSI – Новогодняя

ВИА Гра – Новогодняя ночь

Reflex – Это новый год

MC Вспышкин и Никифоровна – Меня прёт, новогодняя

And then there’s One song to rule them all, One song to find them, One song to bring them all and in the coldness bind them. To understand it, you will need to know these few words мороз = frost, морозить = to freeze, конь = horse or, more poetically, a steed, жена = wife, обнять = to hug, напоить =  to give a drink. Got it? Let’s see if you can figure out the first part:

Ой мороз, мороз!

Не морозь меня.

Не морозь меня,

Моего коня.

Here’s the rest of the song:

This list is, of course, incomplete. Help me add to it!