{"id":1734,"date":"2011-01-04T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2011-01-04T08:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=1734"},"modified":"2014-07-17T14:22:23","modified_gmt":"2014-07-17T14:22:23","slug":"and-its-christmas-time-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/and-its-christmas-time-again\/","title":{"rendered":"And It&#8217;s Christmas Time Again!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>At 11:55pm on December 31, as I was about to raise my glass to the New Year, it occurred to me that, given <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0440<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 <\/strong><strong>\u0432\u043e <\/strong><strong>\u0432\u0440<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [time difference], my Russian friends were just about to wake up to a massive <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043f\u043e\u0445\u043c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [hangover]. <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0416<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span>\u0437\u043d\u044c <\/strong><strong>\u043d\u0430 <\/strong><strong>\u0437<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u0438\u043c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0435\u0442 <\/strong><strong>\u0441\u0432\u043e<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span> <\/strong><strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0438\u043c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0443<\/span>\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430\u00bb<\/strong> [Western life has its advantages], I mused, thinking primarily of the geographic ones that allow us to celebrate some time after most of the world has gone to bed.<\/p>\n<p>Now, of course, it\u2019s early January and the holiday season in the US is over. Done. Finished. Christmas trees are lying at the curb. At the same time, in Russia the holidays are really just starting:<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">January 1-5<\/span> are official <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0431<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [days off] known as <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u041d\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0433<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u043a\u0430\u043d<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span>\u043a\u0443\u043b\u044b\u00bb<\/strong> [New Year holidays]. Since this year January 1 fell on Saturday, <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0432\u044b\u0445\u043e\u0434\u043d<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [a weekend day], Russians will be compensated by taking an extra weekday off, Thursday, January 6<sup>th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">January 7<\/span> is <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span> <\/strong><strong>\u0425\u0440\u0438\u0441\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> [Christmas] and another day off. This year it falls on a Friday and thus Russians end up with an uninterrupted string of 10 days off!<\/p>\n<p>The reason Christmas in Russia is celebrated after the New Year is simple &#8211; <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0420<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0443<\/span>\u0441\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f <\/strong><strong>\u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u043e\u0441\u043b<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0432\u043d\u0430\u044f <\/strong><strong>\u0446<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u043a\u043e\u0432\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [Russian Orthodox Church] uses <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u044e\u043b\u0438<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u043a\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [Julian calendar], not the Gregorian one. Julian calendar dates are also referred as <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong><strong>\u0441\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0443 <\/strong><strong>\u0441\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044e\u00bb<\/strong> [according to the old style]. So when you hear your Russian friends talking about celebrating <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0421\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u044b\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u041d<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u044b\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u0433\u043e\u0434\u00bb,<\/strong> you\u2019ll know that they are talking about celebrating a New Year <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043f\u043e <\/strong><strong>\u0441\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0443 <\/strong><strong>\u0441\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span>\u043b\u044e\u00bb.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Julian calendar is not a terribly accurate one, it seems (no wonder it\u2019s been replaced). Over the years the discrepancy between the two calendars <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0432\u0441\u0451 <\/strong><strong>\u0443\u0432\u0435\u043b<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0432\u0430\u0435\u0442\u0441\u044f\u00bb<\/strong> [is increasing] at the rate of <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043d <\/strong><strong>\u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [one day] every <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0441\u0442\u043e <\/strong><strong>\u0434\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0434\u0446\u0430\u0442\u044c <\/strong><strong>\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0441\u0435\u043c\u044c <\/strong><strong>\u043b\u0435\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [128 years]. In the next century, Russian Christmas will move to <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0432\u043e\u0441\u044c\u043c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u044f\u043d\u0432\u0430\u0440<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u044f<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [January 8<sup>th<\/sup>]. Will this lead to a further increase in the number of <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043d\u0435\u0440\u0430\u0431<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u043f\u0440<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0437\u0434\u043d\u0438\u0447\u043d\u044b\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u0434\u043d\u0438\u00bb<\/strong> [holiday days off] in Russia?<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u041a\u0430\u043d<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0443<\/span>\u043d <\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [Christmas Eve] is not the time for <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0437\u0430\u0441\u0442<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u0435\u00bb<\/strong> [feast] since traditionally 6 weeks before Christmas are spent in <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u043f\u043e\u0441\u0442\u00bb<\/strong> [the Christmas fast]. This means more than simply going without meat, dairy and eggs, but includes the time for reflection and <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043e\u0447\u0438\u0449<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u043d\u0438\u0435 <\/strong><strong>\u043e\u0442 <\/strong><strong>\u0433\u0440\u0435\u0445<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0432\u00bb<\/strong> [absolution from sin]. Furthermore, <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u0441\u043e\u0447<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u043b\u044c\u043d\u0438\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [Christmas Eve] is the time of an even stricter fast <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0434\u043e <\/strong><strong>\u043f<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u0437\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u044b<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [until the first star]. This fast is broken with <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0441<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0447\u0438\u0432\u043e\u00bb<\/strong> &#8211; a dish made out of wheat grain boiled in water and mixed with some honey and walnuts.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"\u0421\u0443\u0432\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0432 (Bank Imperial)\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4VFjBc9St48?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Some of the Russian readers of this blog will undoubtedly remember this commercial from years back (has it really been 15 years?!). It\u2019s Christmas Eve at Catherine the Great\u2019s palace and everyone is enjoying a sumptuous feast. That is everyone except for the famous Russian <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u043f\u043e\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0434\u0435\u0446\u00bb<\/strong> [general] Count Suvorov. When asked by the Empress: <strong>\u00ab\u0410 \u0447\u0442\u043e \u044d\u0442\u043e \u0443 \u043d\u0430\u0441 \u0433\u0440\u0430\u0444 \u0421\u0443\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0440\u043e\u0432 \u043d\u0438\u0447\u0435\u0433<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span> \u043d\u0435 \u0435\u0441\u0442, \u0430?\u00bb <\/strong>[And why is Count Suvorov not eating anything, eh?], the Count replies with <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0414\u0430 <\/strong><strong>\u0432\u0435\u0434\u044c <\/strong><strong>\u043f\u043e\u0441\u0442, <\/strong><strong>\u043c<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0442\u0443\u0448\u043a\u0430. <\/strong><strong>\u0414\u043e \u043f<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0432\u043e\u0439 \u0437\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u044b<\/span> \u043d\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0437<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u044f<\/span>\u2026 \u0416\u0434\u0435\u043c-\u0441&#8230;\u00bb<\/strong> [It\u2019s fast, little mother. Can\u2019t eat \u2018til the first star\u2026 A-waiting\u2026] The Empress immediately awards her general a star. This, of course, is completely fictional story.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to get into the mood <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0432 <\/strong><strong>\u043f\u0440\u0435\u0434\u0434\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0438\u0438 <\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [in the run-up to Christmas, lit: on the threshold of Christmas], I strongly encourage you to read <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u041d\u043e\u0447\u044c <\/strong><strong>\u043f<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0440\u0435\u0434 <\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u043c\u00bb<\/strong> [The Night Before Christmas] by <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u041d\u0438\u043a\u043e\u043b<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u0439 <\/strong><strong>\u0413<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u043e<\/span>\u0433\u043e\u043b\u044c\u00bb<\/strong> [Nikolay Gogol]. If you are pressed for time or can\u2019t find a copy of the book, read the (English-language) <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Christmas_Eve_(Gogol)\">synopsis<\/a> here and watch the (Russian-language) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=dE-AhC5d_N4\">cartoon<\/a> or a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=jOPOCiF0Y34&amp;NR=1\">movie<\/a>. There\u2019s also a wonderful poem <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0420\u043e\u0436\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0435<\/span>\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f <\/strong><strong>\u0437\u0432\u0435\u0437\u0434<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u00bb<\/strong> [the <a href=\"http:\/\/smbr.ru\/hl\/rz.htm\">Christmas Star<\/a>] by <strong>\u00ab<\/strong><strong>\u0411\u043e\u0440<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0438<\/span>\u0441 <\/strong><strong>\u041f\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440\u043d<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">\u0430<\/span>\u043a\u00bb<\/strong> [Boris Pasternak]. Oh, and don\u2019t throw away that Christmas tree just yet!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"277\" height=\"350\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2011\/01\/Christmas-277x350.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2011\/01\/Christmas-277x350.jpg 277w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2011\/01\/Christmas.jpg 474w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px\" \/><p>At 11:55pm on December 31, as I was about to raise my glass to the New Year, it occurred to me that, given \u00ab\u0440\u0430\u0437\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 \u0432\u043e \u0432\u0440\u0435\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0438\u00bb [time difference], my Russian friends were just about to wake up to a massive \u00ab\u043f\u043e\u0445\u043c\u0435\u043b\u044c\u0435\u00bb [hangover]. \u00ab\u0416\u0438\u0437\u043d\u044c \u043d\u0430 \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0430\u0434\u0435 \u0438\u043c\u0435\u0435\u0442 \u0441\u0432\u043e\u0438 \u043f\u0440\u0435\u0438\u043c\u0443\u0449\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0432\u0430\u00bb [Western life has its advantages], I mused&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/and-its-christmas-time-again\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":1736,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,913],"tags":[1088,13239,1219,1240,1288],"class_list":["post-1734","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","category-traditions","tag-gogol","tag-night-before-christmas","tag-russian-christmas","tag-russian-holidays","tag-russian-traditions"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1734"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6254,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1734\/revisions\/6254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1736"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}