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День защитника

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День защитника Отечества (Defenders of the Fatherland)

День Космонавтики (Cosmonautics Day)

Праздник весны и труда (Labor Day)

День Победы (Victory Day)

День России (Russia Day)

День народного единства (Unity Day)

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Святки / Коляд

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Святки / Коляда (Svyatki / Kolyada - Winter Festival)

Масленица (Maslenitsa - Spring Festival)

День Ивана Купала (Ivan Kupala Day - Summer Festival)

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The four legally recognized religions in the Russian Federation are: Russian Orthodoxy, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism. Here are some major holidays celebrated by these communities:

Russian Orthodox: Рождество (Christmas) & Пасха (Easter)

Навруз (Persian New Year) - originally Zoroastrian, now celebrated in Turkic and Persian communities (primarily among Muslim populations)

Muslim: Курбан-байрам (Eid al-Adha) & Ураза-байрам (Eid al-Fitr)

Buddhist: Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian Lunar New Year) and Zul (New Year's Day)

Jewish: Еврейская Пасха (Passover) & Йом-Кипур (Yom Kippur)

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Новый год (New

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Новый год (New Year)

Старый Новый год (the Old New Year)

Татьянин День (Tatyana's Day or Students' Day)

8 марта (International Women's Day)

День русского языка/День Пушкина (Russian Language Day)

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I chose this holiday because I am from a relatively small town in New Hampshire that gets very cold in the winter. Winter is a really festive time, and people get together to do outdoor activities: pretty much everyone goes cross country or downhill skiing, ice skating, or sledding. Every year we had a town "pond party" when the main pond in town froze over. I saw that this festival was called the "Winter Festival," and it reminded me of this.

Svyatki is a festive period of time from December 24 to January 6. It was traditionally associated with pagan rituals celebrating the solstice and the beginning of a new solar year. It's now associated with the Christian tradition, spanning the 12 days from the feast of the nativity of Christ to the feast of the Epiphany. During Svyatki, children and teenagers walk from house to house singing carols/kolyadki. They greet people, and are given candy and small amounts of money. People typically wear festive clothes and go caroling in costumes, scarves, and animal masks (specifically bear and goat characters). Fortune-telling is also a significant part of the celebrations, particularly for girls and young women.

Here is a link with more information and also video clips of songs:

https://www.gw2ru.com/arts/3539-kolyadki-song-at-christmas

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День Космонавтики

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День Космонавтики

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День Победы, which translates to Victory Day, is a holiday in Russia that is celebrated on May 9th every year. I chose to research this holiday because I didn't know too much about this holiday and I was curious to find out what this holiday is about and how it's celebrated. The holiday celebrates the Soviet Union's victory in defeating Germany during World War II. It is celebrated by Russian people throughout the country. Victory Day has a few traditions. The biggest tradition is having military parades in the country, with the largest one happening in Moscow's Red Square. During Victory Day, Russians also wear a striped orange and black ribbon as a way to show support during the holiday.

Link: https://www.expresstorussia.com/experience-russia/victory-day-may-9th.html

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Burning Lady Масленица on the last day of the festival

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Масленица (Spring Festival)

Масленица is Russia’s annual, week-long spring festival, held the week before Lent (in March of February) similar to Western traditions like Mardi Gras or Carnival. I chose this festival because I recognize the name Масленица from my heritage speaker childhood and was curious to learn what it meant; I also find the concept of spring festivals very useful and lacking in American culture. To me, the end of winter is the real new year.

Масленица, though now an Orthodox holiday, still carries with it ancient Slavic traditions and was originally celebrated on the vernal equinox. The origin of the name Масленица is related to the Russian word for butter or oil, hinting at the importance of блины (Russian ‘pancakes’) to the festival. Блины are absolutely everywhere during the holiday, being given to friends and family constantly. In the Slavic tradition, a блина’s circular form was considered sacred and a protection from evil, connecting to other traditions like decorating a cartwheel or doing a circular dance. Every day of Масленица has its own unique traditions.

Масленица’s signature and climactic tradition is the burning of ‘Lady Масленица,’ a remainder of Pagan tradition. She is built of straw and brightly clothed, representing Масленица itself and the fertility of the coming spring. The end of Масленица is an opportunity to leave frustrations and grudges behind in the winter or thrown into the fire before the cleanse of Lent. Her ashes were traditionally buried in the fields around the town in order to help fertilize them. Other traditions include select organized fistfights and, in some cases, Roma dancing bears - a symbol of Russia.

Further reading, including the daily list of activities:

https://russiapedia.rt.com/of-russian-origin/maslenitsa/,

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/03/14/174097702/its-russian-mardi-gras-bring-on-the-pancakes-and-butter

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Татьянин День

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Татьянин День

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I selected Tatyana's day because my mother's name is Tatiana and my parents would always take my sister and I to dinner to celebrate. I found that both Tatyana's Day and Students' Day are celebrated on January 25th, although this is purely coincidental. The day of the Roman Saint Tatiana happened to occur on the day that Empress Elizabeth Petrovna signed the decree to establish Moscow University.

To celebrate Tatyana's day, there are large gatherings at Moscow University, while at other academic institutions anybody is allowed to enter and see the classrooms and libraries. Additionally, free entry to various museums and institutions is granted to people named Tatyana on this day.

For students' day, graduates and students hold a large folk celebration that includes music, dancing, and a lot of drinking. Per Anton Chekhov, students "drank everything except the Moscow River, and that only because it froze." Many superstitions are associated with Students' Day, such as going to church and praying to the Saint Tatiana prior to drinking in order to ensure that future studies will go well.

Explore further here: https://en.iz.ru/en/1825751/alena-svetunkova/january-25-tatianas-day-and-students-day-how-holidays-are-connected-customs-and-omens

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I chose this holiday because it is my favorite holiday to celebrate with my family. Every New Year's I see my all cousins, which is rare because they've all moved away to college in different states. We spend the whole evening and night celebrating together, so it holds a special places in my heart. Before the new year, many Russians will do all their laundry or clean their homes. Russian New Year is celebrated from the evening of December 31st until January 1st, just like it is in America. However, the time difference means people in Russian celebrate it 8 hours ahead of time. We often video call my family in Russia at that time to celebrate it together. New Year's, rather than Christmas is where families and friends exchange gifts. Many families, regardless of political morals, watch Putin's New Year's speech. The speech is often full of hope for the coming year. As a family, Russians eat a large dinner together and have many dishes throughout the night. Meals often include a lot of meats, salads like olivier, caviar in various ways, and lots of alcohol. My cousin always makes a huge tiramisu for the family, with lots of rum and vodka. Fireworks are a big part of the celebration, often to excessive amounts.

https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-christmas-new-near-traditions-food-customs/31010307.html

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День русского языка

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День русского языка

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I chose this holiday because I have never heard of it and am curious as to what it entails in terms of celebration, tradition, and if it is actually widely celebrated since it says it's secular(ized)!

Russian Language Day is celebrated on June 6th, the birthday of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin (considered the father of modern Russian language)! The UN (United Nations), UNESCO who established the holiday (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), an agency of the United Nations) and its member states (Permanent Delegation of the Russian Federation and other countries) celebrate this holiday. UNESCO hosts events at its headquarters in Paris, including an opening ceremony, a concert, and a film screening, with participation from delegations of member states, observer missions, and the secretariat. The UN also observes Russian Language Day, with events taking place in New York, Geneva, and Vienna, featuring poetry readings, literature recitals, theatrical performances, documentaries, gala concerts, cultural performances, film screenings, and hybrid seminars.

Additional Info: https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/russian-language-day-0

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I chose this holiday because, as an IR major, I've extensively researched the Space Race throughout the Cold War, and Cosmonautics Day was a groundbreaking advancement of the time.

Cosmonautics Day, celebrated on April 12th, commemorates the first human spaceflight. Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth for 108 minutes aboard the Vostok 1 in 1961. This day celebrates the achievement of space exploration in the Soviet Union as a source of national pride.

In Russia, Cosmonautics Day includes concerts, exhibitions, and memorials dedicated to the Soviet Union's cosmonautics achievements and aerospace industry. The holiday is also known as the 'World Space party' or 'Yuri's Night'.

Here is a link to more information:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-spaceflight-day

For more photos on the St. Petersburg celebration last year:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202404/1310666.shtml

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День Космонавтики

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День Космонавтики

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I chose this holiday because I'm very interested in space and aeronautics. In high school for my Russian class I did a presentation on the Space Race and Cold War and I assumed this holiday would be related. The holiday was in fact established in the Soviet Union in 1962 to commemorate the anniversary of the Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin's first crewed space flight in the world. In 2011 The United Nations established April 12th as the International Day of Human Space Flight. The holiday celebrates the first ever manned space flight in the world by then 27 year old Yuri Gagarin in 1961 on the Восток 1 spacecraft. He was in a Low Earth orbit for an hour and 48 minutes. The historic flight was a monumental moment in the Cold War and Space Race (Холодная Война и Космическая Гонка), and a major triumph for the USSR. Later that same year the United States sent Alan Shepard into orbit. Today the holiday is celebrated with a ceremony beginning in Kоролёв, near Gagarin's statute, and continues into Moscow's Красная Плошадь, where Gagarin's grave is located in the Кремль. Read more here: https://nationaltoday.com/cosmonautics-day/

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I chose International Women’s Day because of its importance in celebrating the contributions of women as well as recognizing the struggles they have faced and continue to face today.

While it is observed in many countries across the globe, it is not formally established as a holiday in the U.S., even though some of its earliest forms originated there. International Women’s Day emerged around the turn of the 20th century out of the suffragist movement and within a few years, several countries adopted their own versions of it, such as Denmark in 1911 and Russia in 1922 to commemorate the women who played a vital role in the Revolution of 1917. In 1975, the United Nations officially recognized International Women’s Day and in 1977, established March 8th as a designated holiday.

In many countries, including Russia, it is customary to celebrate by giving flowers and small gifts. In some countries such as the U.S, there are public rallies and marches in support of women’s rights.

Here is a useful link to the IWD official page which provides a detailed historical timeline:

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/Timeline

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I chose this holiday because it felt different from other religious holidays, most of which I already have a general understanding of. Navruz stood out to me, as it didn’t seem like the other Muslim holidays I’m familiar with.

Navruz is primarily celebrated by people of Iranian and Turkic descent, but it isn’t rooted in Islamic customs. In fact, it predates the spread of Islam in the region. While most who celebrate it today may be Muslim, the holiday itself has no religious connection to Islam.

One of the main traditions is thoroughly cleaning the area and our surroundings, and the settlement of debts. The acts are symbolic of welcoming a “new day” and the arrival of spring.

A unique part of the celebration involves preparing seven symbolic dishes (which vary by region). These dishes are offerings to ancestors, seeking their blessings for the coming year. Visiting and cleaning ancestors’ graves is also common during this time.

Overall, Navruz is about leaving behind the old and embracing the new, with the hope of ushering in a fertile and prosperous year. https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/bst-tashkent/news/2025/02/25/guide-to-navruz

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I chose The Old New Year because I have always been interested in the past and how things change as time passes. So, seeing both the current new year and the old one being celebrated is fascinating to me. Additionally, after researching a little, I learned I participate in this holiday with my family in the U.S.

The Old New Year is on the 14th of January.

Activities: Typically, people celebrate with parties that include music and food. A round of absolution and forgiveness of last year's wrongs. Preparation for the new year, including cleaning the house and cleaning yourself up. Since 1941, it has been tradition for the president to give a speech every year, and many people tune in to hear it.

Source/ further information: https://nationaltoday.com/novy-god-russian-new-year/

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Novy God is celebrated annually on January 14. By this time, most of the world has settled into the new year. Want to learn more?

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Старый Новый год

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Старый Новый год

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I picked the Old New Year as I grew up celebrating it with my babushka every year. She normally celebrates it with just as much focus as New Year's and the more relaxed festivities are always enjoyable. It's celebrated every January 14th, due to the swap from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. As the Russian Orthodox Church continued to and still uses the Julian calendar, this created a mismatch. The main traditions are largely the same as New Year's except for being a bit quieter and smaller. For my family we would have a big dinner and eat caviar.

While this article is in Russian, it has some interesting information. https://www.culture.ru/s/vopros/staryi-ng/

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I chose this holiday because a lot of people celebrate it, (Christmas) and it made me curious how different the attitude surrounding Christmas in Russia is. Рождество is celebrated by Christians. Some old folk traditions surrounding Christmas include caroling in exchange of treats, building and burning a haystack. People at this time would eat various pork dishes in Russia, like suckling pig and aspic. In the religious aspect, people attend a service at church. I don't celebrate Christmas much in the recent years, but when I do it is nice to enjoy time with family I haven't seen in a while. We have a big dinner together, do karaoke and catch up.