There are traditional Russian festivals which celebrate religious, historical and political events and there are also those that celebrate food, film, theatre, summer and winter. Let’s see some of the biggest Russian Holidays and how they are celebrated. The year starts with the Russian Orthodox Christmas, which is celebrated on January 6th and 7th. It is mostly a religious holiday, where families attend church services on the 6th and then have a very special Christmas supper, including a dish called kutia (a dish of boiled grains (usually wheat berries) mixed with honey, nuts, spices, and a few other ingredients). On January 25th Tatyana’s Day is celebrated, St. Tatyana is the patron saint of students and Russian Student Day is celebrated on this day. There is a third celebration in January, which includes snow and ice. This is The Magic Ice of Siberia competition, where teams of sculptors and artists come together to create massive frozen artworks on the banks of the Yenisei river. In February, the Maslenica Festival is celebrated, which is basically Russia’s pancake week. They mark the end of winter and the beginning of spring with the Christian tradition of feasting. There are different activities each day, which include making Maslenica dolls from straw and old clothes and burning them on the last day of the festival. In March, there is International Women’s Day, although it is mostly just called “the 8th of March”. On this day, women’s achievements are celebrated – both personal and professional. Giving gifts, such as flowers or chocolates to important women in their lives is something everyone does on this day. The Golden Mask Theatre festival is Russia’s very own theatre festival covering all genres from drama to puppet theatre and modern dance. The Award Ceremony is scheduled for 16th April 2019. Another traditional and mostly religious celebration is Easter in April. Boiled eggs are painted in different colours, churches are all filled with lights and everyone has traditional Easter feasts. Since the sun never fully sets in St. Petersburg due to its northerly location, you can see the sun at midnight, which is great for the annual White Nights Festival, an art festival with music and dancing by international and Russian guests. There are a lot of operas, classical concerts and carnivals. On May 9th Victory Day is celebrated with parades and fireworks. The most impressive event is in Moscow’s Red Square where soldiers, tanks and missiles are on display while military planes fly overhead, celebrating the end of World War II. In June, there are a lot of interesting festivals for people who love summer. There is the Moscow International Film Festival, where more than 200 films are screened, there is the Taste of Moscow where top restaurants open their doors for tasting sessions and master classes and there is the Wild Mint Folk Festival. In July there is Ivan Kupala Night, a celebration related to John the Baptist, and there’s also a big rock festival called Nashestvie One of the best known Russian festivals takes place in August on the banks of the Moscow River. Afisha Picnic only lasts for a day, but it’s a very big event attracting international stars. The Day of Accord and Reconciliation in early November celebrates the communist revolution. The Russian Winter Festival is celebrated in every city, but the biggest celebration is in Moscow. There are song and dance performances, sleigh rides and ice sculptures. The New Year is usually celebrated on December 31st, meaning that the new year comes before Christmas. Because of this, most Russians celebrate a second new year in January after the Christmas celebrations.