The tradition of long New Year holidays in Russia originated in the 19th century when the celebrations began with the start of the Twelve Days of Christmas, a whole series of festivities.

The celebrations began on 24 December, Christmas Eve; Christmas was celebrated on 25 December; New Year on 1 January and Epiphany on 6 January. Officially, there were only four days off, but in reality, people celebrated for almost two weeks.

Church and secular traditions were closely intertwined.

On Christmas night, people went singing, and in the morning, they attended church for the solemn service. On the same day, they visited friends and relatives and went "visiting."

Throughout the holidays, wealthy and respected families held festive dinners, grand balls, and masquerades. According to etiquette, New Year visits could be made throughout January, but it was considered particularly polite to be a guest on 1 January.

By the end of the 19th century, Christmas cards appeared. These were sent not only to relatives in other cities but also to neighbours on the street.

Until the mid-19th century, Christmas trees were not set up or decorated in Russian homes. Since the time of Peter I, fir branches were brought into some, mostly Catholic, homes. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree and organising children's parties only began to gain popularity in the mid-19th century, during the time of Nicholas I. The Emperor's wife, Grand Duchess Alexandra Fyodorovna, organised the first Christmas tree party for children from respected families. The tradition quickly caught on: first, festive mornings were organised in noble families, later also in merchant families.

The first Christmas trees were sold by Russian Germans and Swiss. Many of them owned confectioneries, so Christmas trees appeared in cafés and sweet shops. One of the first Christmas tree markets was opened at the end of the 19th century in Moscow on Theatre Square next to the Bolshoi Theatre. In Saint Petersburg, one could buy a tree in the courtyard of the Anichkov Palace or in Catherine Park.

According to German custom, the tree was decorated on Christmas Eve. It was adorned with children's toys, ribbons, lanterns, and various treats like pastilles, apples, biscuits, and sweets. The children found their gifts not only under the tree but also on it – after games and entertainment, toys and treats were distributed to the guests.

For poor children, charitable Christmas tree parties with events and gift-giving were organised at Christmas. The artist and writer Maria Voloshina-Sabashnikova, daughter of a tea merchant and wife of a well-known poet, recalls the organisation of the Christmas tree party for poor children by the Moscow Society for the Support of the Poor: "My mother took part in organising such parties for the children of our neighbourhood... The candles were lit on the big tree. In the next room, gifts were distributed. Each child received calico for a dress or a shirt, a toy, and a large bag of gingerbread..."

Nowadays, Christmas tree parties for children are held both before and after New Year. However, in pre-revolutionary Russia, only one day was designated for this – Christmas Eve, the eve of Christmas.

By the end of the 1920s, anti-religious propaganda intensified, and church holidays were abolished. With Christmas, its main symbol – the Christmas tree – also disappeared.

Furthermore, contemporaries recall that patrols walked through the streets of the cities and looked into windows to see if the lights on the tree were burning. Citizens who secretly celebrated the religious festival were condemned and persecuted.

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Revival of the Holiday.

The approval for the revival of the holiday was granted in the 1930s by the almighty Joseph Stalin.

At a Politburo meeting in 1935, the New Year's celebrations for children in Sokolniki in 1918 were recalled, attended by the leader of the Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, and his wife Nadezhda Konstantinovna Krupskaya. Stalin remarked that such a holiday would surely appeal to Soviet children as well. On 28 December 1935, an article noscriptd "Let's Organise a Beautiful New Year's Tree Festival for the Children!" appeared in the newspaper "Pravda".

The return of the New Year's tree (Christmas tree) is one of the factors in the renewal of the ideology of the Soviet state. Marshals reappeared in the army, Cossack units, and the authors of films and history books began to recall the exploits of Russian princes and tsarist commanders.

Until 1953, the celebration of New Year and the return of the New Year's tree were directly associated with Stalin.

From 1936 onwards, the New Year's tree became entirely Soviet. Organising the associated New Year's festival for children became mandatory. New Year's tree festivals were held in all schools, kindergartens, and cultural institutions.

What did the New Year's tree look like during the USSR era? The main decorative piece was the red five-pointed star – a symbol of Soviet power since the time of the Civil War. A mandatory attribute was also the garland, consisting of colourful lights or lanterns. The other accessories varied in different years: sweets, gingerbread, toys of all kinds.

In the Soviet Union, preparations for the children's festival were made in advance. Parents sewed costumes, made carnival masks, children learned New Year's poems and songs, rehearsed dances and sketches. Essential figures at a Christmas tree festival were Father Frost and Snow Maiden, who handed out gifts. Every participant of the festival received a sweet gift, packed in a cardboard box or a plastic container.

Today, the Christmas tree is both a New Year's and a Christmas symbol for Russians. In Russia, people love to celebrate and do so with great effort. The New Year's holidays in Russia last almost ten days.

The Christmas tree is set up in homes and apartments in the 20s of December and is removed, at best, in mid-January.

All cities, towns, and villages in Russia are decorated for New Year. Garlands are hung on the facades of houses, on trees and lampposts, and the shop windows of stores and public institutions are festively decorated. Large fir trees are erected in central squares, where lights flash and toys adorn. Around the Christmas trees, the main events of the New Year's celebrations take place: concerts are held, games and competitions for all interested are organised.

Most Russians celebrate New Year at home – by the Christmas tree and in front of the television. This tradition was already established in Soviet times. The younger generation often celebrates in cafes, restaurants, or nightclubs. In the 21st century, New Year's trips – both within Russia and abroad – have gained popularity.

Festive fireworks are organised in all cities of Russia. Citizens also set off fireworks themselves – their noise can be heard throughout the New Year's night.

An obligatory part of the New Year's celebration is the televised address of the President of Russia to the people, which is broadcast on all television channels shortly before midnight. The head of state, standing against the backdrop of the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin, reviews the past year and congratulates his fellow citizens. The chimes ring, and the anthem of the Russian Federation is played.

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