The Russian Festive Season

In a matter of moments I will be boarding a train to Irkutsk, a city on the banks of Lake Baikal, famous for being the world’s deepest lake, and also one of its clearest. In July 2010 I visited this lake and even took a dip in its crystal clear waters, but I doubt I’ll be swimming this time round. The water will be frozen enough to walk on and temperatures are set to drop to -25 degrees. Getting there requires another trip on the Trans-Siberian Express, this time a 30-hour journey. On this occasion, I sincerely hope that I will be able to open a window…

The festive period in Tomsk has been a successful one for me. I managed to celebrate Christmas in a relatively British manner, received a couple of presents and even managed to give some to my family, thanks to a scavenger hunt, planned months in advance, which worked better than I could have possibly imagined. In Russia, the 25^th December is a normal working day, with the real celebrations beginning in the evening on the 31^st. My celebrations began on the 24^th December with a drunken, but delightful party with French, Germans and Italians. Christmas day was marvellous: my first proper, White Christmas making up for the absence of turkey and sprouts. Furthermore, I have had ample opportunities to sample the Russian festivities, which seem to last a lot longer than our British equivalents.

My Christmas meal. (Gravy was added later, do not fear).

Firstly, there is the New Year, which I have now celebrated three times. Vodka, cognac and champagne all play leading roles in the festivities, supported by lots of fish and mushrooms. Incidentally, mushrooms are a big deal here. Most people can name about 10 different species of mushroom and ‘mushroom picking’ is a popular hobby. Indeed, I heard the most wonderfully Russian tale the other day: during the summer, a man was picking mushrooms in the forest, when he came across a bear and hid in a tree for an hour, making him late for a balalaika lesson. (Alright, only two thirds of that is true.) Anyway, these celebrations involve lots of chat and lots of toasts. As I’ve already mentioned, they love a good toast here, and not toasts like we have at home, but often over a minute long, involving an anecdote or joke. I’ll be honest; sometimes you do need a break from the mushrooms. During these various New Year celebrations, I discovered a few more interesting Russian customs:

• It is bad luck to celebrate your birthday before the day itself. (So don’t throw a Russian a surprise party in advance. It won’t go down well...) 
• A man will only shake the hand of a woman if she proffers it. 
• When you play Secret Santa, you never reveal your identity. (Ever.)

My actual New Year’s Eve was spent in a cottage with about 40 other students, of several nationalities. Some Russians had prepared more traditional food and we all watched Putin give his little message (just like the Queen does on Christmas), before uncorking the champagne and dancing until the early hours. I would say that the playlist was somewhat lacking in 80s classics, but I persevered nevertheless. I was throwing all kinds of shapes, such that not one, but two Russians asked if I had taken lessons!! Apparently, my ‘latin’ moves to Juanes’ Camisa Negra looked professional… I can’t really take a Siberian man’s opinion on the intricacies of good salsa footwork seriously, can I? The evening also involved several trips to the sauna, handily placed near the front door, allowing for swift exits to throw oneself onto piles of freshly fallen snow.  

Leaping onto the snow.

The Russian festivities don’t stop there though! On the 7^th January, most people celebrate Christmas, which is a much more religious-based affair. Then, on the 13^th January, they celebrate the “Old” New Year. Now, this is completely ridiculous. Some people may not be aware that until 1918, the Soviet Union still used the Julian Calendar, rather than the Gregorian Calendar that us Britons are familiar with. The Julian Calendar is the same, just 13 days later. This means that the Russians celebrate the New Year twice in the space of a fortnight. That’s really not fair. The final celebration, as far as I can make out, is крещение (krescheniye), which means baptism. This involves people throwing themselves into ice-holes. Needless to say, I will be participating. Watch. This. Space.