How is traditional Russian Christmas celebrated? Complete information in one place

Are you interested in foreign cultures and customs ?

Do you like traveling from the comfort of your home?

Do you want to be inspired by Christmas customs from abroad this year?

Try a real Russian Christmas!

Great tips for imaginative delicacies, delicious sweets, and traditional customs – that’s Christmas in Russia!

When is Christmas celebrated in Russia?

Christmas ( Nativity ), the second most important church holiday, is subject to the traditional Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind ours. Christmas Eve is not celebrated until January 7th, after the New Year celebrations!

In practice, Christmas celebrations often occur as early as December 31, when the family gathers for a festive dinner and exchanges gifts. At midnight, the new year is celebrated.

According to legend, Santa Claus ( Děd Moroz ) and his helper Snow White ( Sněguročka ) carry gifts.

Unlike the American Santa Claus, Grandfather Frost traditionally wears a white suit.

Orthodox Christmas is then celebrated mainly by attending the midnight service on the night of January 7-8, and the Russian New Year does not officially begin until January 14.

Many Russians have a day off on Christmas Day, December 24, but Christmas celebrations do not take place.

Russian Christmas traditions and customs

As in many countries, Christmas in Russia is primarily a holiday of meeting in a close family circle and perceiving the spiritual dimension of these holidays.

Don’t be mistaken by the influence of Western cultures – Russian Christmas is still primarily an Orthodox holiday, especially since the fall of the communist regime, which practically altogether banned any celebration of Christmas.

However, several folk customs are connected to Russian Christmas celebrations. In addition to the Santa Claus mentioned and the unusual timing of Christmas celebrations, we can also name others.

12 Christmas courses

The celebratory dinner is usually started by the oldest family member with a prayer and a blessing. The actual meal should then consist of 12 different courses, which represent the 12 apostles.

Christmas caroling

Especially in the countryside, there is a tradition of carolers who go from house to house during the holidays, sing Christmas carols ( kolyadki ), and receive a small treat and money as a reward, ensuring the prosperity of the visited house. Check out the traditional Russian Christmas carols:

Russian traditions Folklore Children Singing Dance Zima Winter Kolyadki

Image of the groom in the mirror

Young girls, in particular, traditionally look into the mirror at Christmas with a lighted candle in hand to supposedly see the image of their groom-to-be. All kinds of home fortune-telling are popular pastimes during the holidays, but the church officially forbids it.

Christmas Eve Sochivo

A traditional Christmas dish, sometimes called Kutya, is a cereal porridge made with honey and poppy seeds. According to tradition, the flakes symbolize hope, the honey symbolizes happiness, and the poppies symbolize peace until the following year. Two symbolic ingredients also often appear in other festive dishes:

• Honey – meaning the sweetness of life
• Garlic symbolizes its bitterness.

A bowl of dried fruit and nuts on the holiday table is supposed to ensure the whole family’s prosperity throughout the following year.

Christmas movie – Irony of fate

Maybe you can’t imagine Christmas without classic fairy tales, romantic movies about love, etc.

In Russia, everybody loves the Christmas movie The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!

This romantic comedy is considered a classic of Soviet cinema and is watched by almost everyone in Russia at Christmas and New Year.

Russian Christmas decorations

In Russia, modern lifestyles are mixed with traditional patterns and materials during the holidays, and this is best seen in the decorations. Just as Russian cuisine is rich at Christmas, decorations are carried in a pompous spirit.

Hand-painted ornaments, traditional matryoshka dolls, and many lights are Christmas decorations in Russian.

Do you want to bring a bit of Russia into your holiday home?

Get one of the decorative pieces inspired by Russian.

Look for traditional patterns, golden shine, and striking colors.

Russian Christmas cookies

Sweets belong to Christmas not only in our country but also in Russia. They have their favorite festive sweet treats. This year, in addition to traditional recipes for Czech Christmas cookies, try one of the novelties according to our easy recipes :

Snowballs (Snezhki)

The most famous and typical Christmas cookies baked in Russia are undoubtedly snowballs ( Russian снежки—” snezhki” ).

Unlike soft vanilla crescents, they are easier to prepare. In addition, even children will enjoy wrapping fragrant balls in sugar “snow,” so don’t be afraid to involve them in baking.

Russian Honey Rolls with Cinnamon (Rogaliki)

Although the world is known primarily for sweet snowballs, most Russians cannot imagine a holiday table without tender rolls with honey and cinnamon. They bite into hot Georgian tea, and you can enjoy them too.

There are dozens of recipes for this delicacy all over Russia, but they all have one thing in common – a delicious result.

Russian Christmas dishes

As in other countries, Christmas holidays in Russia are also associated with specific foods.

In Russia, festive meals consist of a variety of dishes, including roast meats, mayonnaise salads, and small bags filled with various fillings.

Festive Blini with caviar

The famous Russian blini are nothing more than a variation on a pancake. While in Western Europe, pancakes are traditionally eaten sweet, they are also prepared in a savory version in Russia.

Blinis with caviar are among the most traditional and, at the same time, festive.

If you want to serve your guests the best, get black caviar with large grains and a low proportion of added salt.

Russian festive vegetable salad

Russian cuisine traditionally includes many vegetable dishes, and this is no different on holidays. But Russians are not slouchers, and when they prepare a salad, it’s really rich with lots of vegetables.

A typical Russian salad is specific in that it is mixed just before serving. This is because it usually contains beetroot, which would color the other ingredients, causing guests to lose the experience of an otherwise colorful dish.

Salad with herring, sometimes called herring in a jacket, is also traditionally served at Christmas. Most Russian salads contain mayonnaise, so they are not extra light dishes.

Get inspired by Russian cuisine and try to prepare an original salad this year. It will not only delight your taste buds but also literally charm guests with its festive appearance.