Merry Russian Christmas!

Many of you may not know that Christmas is celebrated on January 7th in Egypt, Russia, the Ukraine, and much of Eastern Europe. Orthodox Christians believe that January 7th is the actual birth date of Jesus, and not December 25th.

We are all aware that celebrations vary from country to country, but one that sticks out for its unique nature is the Russian figure of Ded Moroz (literally “Grandfather Frost”).

While Ded Moroz is the Russian equivalent of Santa Claus, he is absolutely Russian in appearance-and attitude. He is typically shown in a long, Russian-style coat in the colors of icy blue or red which is lined or trimmed with white fur. The blue color that Ded Moroz wears looks like the color of the sky. Russsia usually doesn’t have enough sunny days in winter – which is the reason for his blue coat! He lacks the cone shaped cap worn by the Western Santa and instead sports a rounded Russian cap generously trimmed with fur. He protects his feet from the c old by tall valenki or leather boots.Traditionally, he is shown as a tall and much skinnier than our Santa. Guess no "belly like a bowl full of jelly"! Maybe the Russian Santa drinks lots of vokda instead of eating cookies?

Unlike Santa Claus, he walks with a long magical staff, and does not say "Ho, ho, Ho,". Instead of the North Pole, the Russian Santa Claus officially makes his home at an estate in the Russian town of Veliky Ustyug.

Ded Moroz rides a troika. The three horses of the Russian troika offer enough vavoom  and speed to get Ded Moroz to where he needs to go – the Russian Santa has no need for eight reindeer! And none of the horses have a red nose!

 

Ded Moroz delivers gifts on New Year's Eve rather than on Christmas Eve. He does not go down the chimney, however he walks right in through the door!  Good thing Russian’s don’t have home alarm systems! Parents, family, and friends usually exchange gifts for both Christmas and New Years! Ded  Moroz is often accompanied by a figure from Russian fairy tales, Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden. In the legend of Ded Moroz, she is said to be his granddaughter. She is a unique attribute of the image of Father Frost – none of his foreign colleagues has a similar companion.

After the 1917 Communist Revolution, the Christmas tree was banned in Russia because it was seen as a symbol of religion. New Years Day became the important holiday and people started decorating "New Years" trees instead. Most people didn't have a lot of money, so they decorated with handmade ornaments and even fruit. The Russian Christmas tree is called a "yolka". Since ornaments were often very costly or unavailable, trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and even fruit (a luxury for many Russians during winter).