Russian Christmas Tree Tradition

Christmas became an official holiday and a non labor day in russia in 1991.

Russian christmas tree tradition. It began regaining popularity only recently partially because russian leaders starting with vladimir putin annually attend a christmas liturgy. Eclipsed by new year s celebrations russian christmas is somewhat less important than it is in other eastern european nations. In russia the christmas holiday became the official celebration with the baptism of rus ordered by prince vladimir in the late 10th century. The russian santa claus is named ded moroz or father frost.

Christmas is a time for visiting family attending church services and enjoying a christmas feast. Christmas in russia occurs on january 7th according to the russian orthodox calendar. He is accompanied by snegurochka a snow maiden said to be his granddaughter. During the early mid soviet period religious celebrations were discouraged by the official state policy of atheism until 1936 but despite this.

Celebrating the new year is a more important holiday in russia than christmas. January 7 through january 19 mark the dates for russian christmastide also called svyatki. On new year s eve he places presents for children under the new year tree as opposed to a christmas tree. In the orthodox tradition nothing is eaten or drunk on christmas eve until the first star appears in the sky.

However given the early christian community kievan rus celebration may have a longer history. Often russian christmas and russian new years are combined into a long winter celebration.