The Granddad Frost, his Snow Maiden and Russian Christmas

Provided to be there are people, who don’t know how the Christmas celebrats in Russia and who are the main personages of this greatest fest.

To speak in a roundabout way there were no Christmas in Russia officially, as it was banned in a soviet era. All Christian attributes of Christmas were replaced by neutral non-religious things, partly borrowed from paganism. Now the Christian traditions attempt to recover, but the roots were lost and not too much people take these innovations seriously.

Instead of Christmas Russians used to celebrate the coming of a New Year. It comes in the night of 31st December.

In the middle of the night the Granddad Frost comes through the window and brings presents.

The figure of Granddad Frost is a spirit of winter, a mighty hero, a furrier, who able to forge water by iron frost. He also often identifies as a impetuous winter winds. In some folk tales he helps travelers in the snowstorm to find their lost path.

Granddad Frost is a high, mighty old man with thick straight white-silver beard and hairs. These details besides physical definition of old age mean power, happiness, wellness and richness.

A fur coat is long, covering legs, blue or red, embroidered with silver and diamonds. A list is made by swan’s fluff.

A hat is red, has a half-oval form, also embroidered with a silver and brilliants, bordered with swan’s fluff.

Three fingered gloves of white color with silver ornament – as symbol of purity, saint and holiness of everything what goes out his hands.

A belt is white with red ornament – is a symbol of connection with ancestry.

The silver or red top-boots with cocked toes are on his feet.

He has a crystal or silver staff with waved, like a moon handle in the bottom, or with a head of a bull instead (symbol of fertility and happiness).

The Snow Maiden is unique attribute of a Granddad Frost. The figure of Snow Maiden aka Snegurochka is a symbol of stark water. Some tales said that she is brought to life snow woman.

She is a girl about 14-18 y.o. in white clothes. Her head is covered by octal-rayed crown, ornamented by silver and brilliants. She is very beautiful, has blue eyes and long thick white hairs, put in a plait.

Her relations with Granddad Frost are not recognized, some sources say she is his Granddaughter, others stand for mistress.
She is also very smart, quick and able, what makes a new version that she moreover is a secretary of a Frost boss.
Anyhow it is, her role in the New Year fest is to help Granddad Frost to distribute the gifts. And those unrecognizable relations are used for great source of smutty jokes.

Granddad Frost and his girlfriend Snow Maiden comes and puts gifts under the Yolka. Yolka it is a New Year tree, decorated with toys and candies.
The custom of decorating New Year trees was introduced to Russia by Peter the Great, after he visited Europe during the 1700's. Since ornaments were either very costly or unavailable, family trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and fruit. Yolka comes from the word which refers to a fir tree.

In the night of 31st December all people drink champagne and vodka, eat Oliv’e(Russian salad) and dance around the New Year Tree (not Christmas Tree!), interrupting only for listening presidents speech. After president's speach chimes beats 12 times, people clink full beakers and wish each other Happy New Year, it sounds like "S Novym Godom!".