RUSSIAN NEW YEAR'S is not your ordinary New Year holiday. It is a holiday that lasts for two to three days. It is filled with partying, drinking, family, friends, loved ones, and a lot of food. Since Christmas is not widely celebrated in Russia, New Year's takes up two holidays. Russians are usually given seven to ten days off to rest and celebrate. If one is fortunate enough to celebrate New Year's in Russia, then one will have a hard time remembering what happened in the two or three days one spent during this celebration. =)

There are several ways Russians celebrate New Year's. The most common way is with the family. Russians will gather their family in a room with a large dinner filled with salads, meat, sandwiches, caviar, and of course alcohol. They will exchange presents under the new years tree, discuss what they look forward to in the new year, drink vodka, wine, and champagne and watch the presidents speech at midnight. After this, the party really begins. Fireworks are a huge celebratory event during this time. Russians will run outside to light off fireworks and cheer for the New Year to begin. The traditional family gathering on New Years  is perhaps the most popular way to bring in the New Year.  "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath part I and part II", "Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures", and "A She-Prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik's New Adventures" are the three old soviet movies that are traditionally shown on TV on every new year's eve and that are so much loved by all Russians.

Another popular way to celebrate New Years is to go to a club or on the streets of the city center in St. Petersburg. With an enormous amount of clubs in SPB, one can always find a great party anywhere they look on New Years. Since the party will be on New Year's, one can expect the most craziest and wildest party of one’s life, as Russians are great party people. People usually also flock to Nevskiy Prospect to wildly bring in the New Year. Cars honking, people screaming, and drinking. The amount of alcohol consumed on New Years is extraordinary. Russians are known party animals, and New Years is the time when they go all out. =)

For celebrating New Years, it depends how one wants to celebrate. If one wants to have a nice time at home with friends and family, then the traditional Russian home party is right up your alley. If one wants to have a wild and crazy time, then a club is exactly what the doctor prescribed. But if one wants to do something completely different, then go to Nevskiy Prospect and join the hundreds in an outdoor celebration that is filled with booze, lights, people, and great atmosphere. Don’t worry about the cold weather; the amount of vodka in your system will keep you warm for days. Be Russian and celebrate New Years as it should be celebrated. =)

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