Yelena Vladimirovna Dushechkina, Dr. Sc. in Philology, Professor of Saint Petersburg University
Winter in Russia has always been the merriest time of the year. The Christmas was followed by the Christmastide which ended with the Epiphany. The New Year drops out of the Christmas holidays due to discrepancies in the Gregorian and Julian calendars and for this reason many people also celebrate the Old New Year. What characters and what mythology are behind the New Year holidays? What are the traditions of these holidays in Russia?
History of the New Year Holidays, The Obvious and The Incredible, episode of 17 January 2009
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