Many are waiting for the winter time only for the sake of a couple of the most significant holidays, completely unaware of how many reasons for joy pass them by. Arm yourself with our calendar, and you will always know which holidays in the winter of 2017 can be turned into a good tradition, charging the coldest season with the warm energy of the festive table, the joy of loved ones.

December holidays

The first month of winter ends very enchantingly, this is what he is famous for. But it is better to start preparing for the main event of winter gradually, already from the beginning of December. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for this:

Have you ever written a letter to Santa Claus? It's time to start, for this there is a special day - December 4;
— On December 7, Civil Aviation Day is celebrated all over the world;
- On December 10, you have a choice: either celebrate World Football Day if you love this sport. Or arrange a feast in honor of Human Rights Day;
– don’t know what holidays in winter can be celebrated on the move? Prepare a revealing outfit and incendiary music for the most passionate holiday - Tango Day on December 11, and before that, learn to amaze everyone;
- December 12 - Constitution Day of the Russian Federation;
- tea for the winter season is like gasoline for a car: without it, no one would have gotten further than the bed. His World Day is celebrated on December 15;
- Winter presents Orthodox holidays in the guise of the Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker on December 19;
— December 22, a professional celebration for power engineers;
- December 25 knocks on the doors of all Catholics and some Orthodox;
- national holidays in winter cannot do without December 31, when exciting, troublesome, but such favorite preparations begin, because this is New Year's Eve!

List of January holidays

The abundance of official holidays, the refrigerator bursting with goodies and the incessant flow of guests - this is what we love in January. We know what holidays are celebrated in winter, and we will help you not to get lost in the endless string of red days of the calendar:

January 1 is the first winter holiday in the new year. Few people remember its daylight hours, but only babies miss the night part of the celebration;
- church holidays in winter include such a significant event as the Nativity of Christ, which is celebrated by all Orthodox Christians on January 7;
- January 11 is the most polite of the holidays - Thank You Day. The more words of gratitude you give, the more positive you will receive in return;
- there is never too much good - January 14 - Old New Year;
Wikipedia celebrates its birthday on January 15th. Thanks to her for our encyclopedic knowledge!
- what holidays in winter allow you to test the strength of the spirit, faith, so this is the Baptism of the Lord on January 19;
- use the moment to enjoy warm communication with loved ones - January 21 is Hug Day and let the whole world wait;
- Popsicle Day on January 24 - the official occasion to enjoy sweets atypical for the winter season;
- students are those who tested the force of gravity on themselves in the morning lectures, set a record for the speed of writing a term paper on the last night before passing, and they have their own holiday - Tatyana's Day, January 25;
- January 26 - International Customs Day;
- test your willpower with the help of the International Day without the Internet on January 31st. Can you last?

What are the holidays in February?

The shortest month of the year also has something to surprise:

- On February 5, all erudite people celebrate the holiday, for whom the book is a faithful companion in life, friend and brother;
- On February 6, it makes sense to visit entertainment, drinking establishments. So you will not only congratulate bartenders on their professional holiday, but also get the opportunity to participate in competitions, watch the competitions of bartenders;
- February 7 - a real winter sports holiday - Winter Sports Day;
- a great reason to visit the dentist and at the same time congratulate him on his international holiday - February 9;
- On February 14, the world is illuminated by light from the sky-white wings of Cupid, the messenger of love. This is the day of cute valentines, memorable souvenirs and hot confessions -!
- there is a magical day in the year - February 17, when we celebrate the Day of spontaneous acts of kindness. On this day, noble impulses cannot be restrained: if you want to feed a kitten - go ahead, participate in a charity marathon - please, the main thing is that you sincerely want this;
- it is difficult to imagine the holidays in winter in Russia without Maslenitsa. In 2017, it will begin to be celebrated on February 20;
- 23 February is celebrated in a number of countries as Defender of the Fatherland Day;
- each of us has our own lottery ticket, we just don't always take it seriously. Trust fate and participate in the lottery on her birthday on February 24th;
- a unique opportunity to forgive all the spiteful critics and clear your conscience yourself, having received the forgiveness of dear people - February 26. On this day in 2017, Forgiveness Sunday will be celebrated.

Now you will always be aware of what holidays are celebrated in winter. Winter should be a magical time, full of joy and fun for those who know how to meet it and what to prepare for. What holidays are you most looking forward to? Share with us in the comments!

For our ancestors, who lived in ancient times in Russia, holidays were an important part of both family and social life. For many centuries, the Russian people honored and sacredly kept their traditions, passed down from father to son in every generation.

The daily life of an ordinary Russian person in those days was not easy and was dedicated to the hard obtaining of daily bread, so the holidays were a special event for him, a kind of sacred day, when the life of the entire community merged with their sacred values, the spirits of their ancestors and their precepts.

Traditional Russian holidays implied a complete ban on any daily activity (mowing, plowing, chopping firewood, sewing, weaving, cleaning, etc.). During the holiday, all people had to dress in festive clothes, rejoice and have fun, conduct only joyful, pleasant conversations, for failure to comply with these rules, a fine or even a punishment in the form of whipping was due.

Each season played its own specific role in the life of a Russian person. The winter period, free from work on the ground, was especially famous for its festivities, noisy fun and games.

Main Russian holidays in Russia:

Winter

January 7 (December 25) Russian Orthodox people celebrated Christmas. This holiday, dedicated to the birth of God's son Jesus Christ in Bethlehem, ends the Christmas fast, which lasts for 40 days. On its eve, people were preparing to come to him with a clean soul and body: they washed and cleaned their homes, went to the bathhouse, put on clean festive clothes, helped the poor and needy, and distributed alms. On January 6, on Christmas Eve, the whole family gathered at a large festive table, on which the obligatory first course was the ritual porridge kutya or sochivo. Dinner was started after the appearance of the first star, they ate silently and solemnly. After Christmas came the so-called holy days, which lasted until Epiphany, during which it was customary to go from house to house and glorify Jesus Christ with prayers and hymns.

Christmas time (Christmas week)

The holidays of the ancient Slavs, and then passed into the church celebration, the days of Christmas, begin from the first star on Christmas Eve and before the feast of Epiphany, the blessing of water ("from the star to the water"). The first week of Christmastide was called the Christmastide week, it is associated with Slavic mythology, associated with the turn of winter to summer, the sun becomes more, the darkness less. On this week, in the evenings called holy evenings, holiness was often violated by mythological rites of divination, which was not welcomed by the church, and during the day, magicians dressed in clothes with flags and musical instruments walked the streets, entered houses and amused the people.

On January 19, Orthodox Baptism was celebrated, dedicated to the sacrament of the baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River, on this day the Great Blessing of Water was performed in all churches and temples, all water in reservoirs and wells was considered holy and had unique healing properties. Our ancestors believed that holy water could not deteriorate and kept it in a red corner under the icons, and believed that this was the best cure for all ailments, both bodily and spiritual. On rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, a special hole was made in the ice in the form of a cross called Jordan, bathing in which was considered a charitable and healing activity, relieving ailments and all sorts of misfortunes for a whole year.

At the very end of winter, when, according to the beliefs of our ancestors, Spring-Red with the help of heat and light drove away cold and cold, the Maslenitsa holiday came, known for its exuberant fun, which lasted for a whole week on the eve of Lent. At this time, it was customary to bake pancakes, which were considered a symbol of the sun, to visit each other, have fun and dress up, sled down the hills, and on the final Forgiveness Sunday, burn and bury an effigy symbol of the defeated winter.

Spring

On this feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem, although in Orthodoxy it does not have a prefeast, since Holy Week begins next, believers bring willow branches to the church (in the Slavic they replaced palm branches), which in the morning after the all-night vigil are sprinkled with holy water. Then the Orthodox decorate icons in their houses with consecrated willows.

Holy Easter was considered the biggest holiday of the entire Christian people in Russia, on this day the resurrection of Jesus Christ and his transition from death on Earth to life in heaven were revered. People cleaned and decorated their houses, put on holiday clothes, attended Easter services in churches and temples, went to visit each other, treating each other with Easter painted eggs and Easter cakes, after Lent. Meeting people said “Christ is Risen!”, In response, you need to say “Truly Risen!” and kiss three times.

The first Sunday after Easter was called Krasnaya Gorka or Fomin's Day (on behalf of the Apostle Thomas, who did not believe in the resurrection of Christ), it was a symbol of the arrival of spring and the long-awaited warmth. On this holiday, festivities began at night and lasted all day, young people danced round dances, rode on a swing, young guys met and got acquainted with girls. Holiday tables were laid with plentiful treats: fried eggs, loaves in the form of the sun.

Summer

One of the most significant holidays of the summer was Ivan Kupala or Ivan's Day, named after John the Baptist and celebrated on the day from July 6 to 7, on the summer solstice. This holiday has an ethnic origin and deep pagan roots. On this day, they burn large bonfires, jump over them, symbolizing the cleansing of the body and spirit from sinful thoughts and deeds, lead round dances, weave beautiful wreaths of flowers and meadow herbs, let them go with the flow and tell fortunes about their betrothed.

One of the folk festival revered since ancient times, to which many beliefs, signs and prohibitions are timed. On the eve of the holiday on Thursday and Friday they baked ceremonial cookies and stopped field work. And on Ilyin's day it was strictly forbidden to carry out any household work, it was considered not to bring results. A "brotherhood" was held, all the inhabitants of the nearest villages were invited to a common meal, and after the treats ended with folk festivals with songs and dances. And most importantly, Ilyin's day is considered the border of summer and autumn, when the water becomes cold, the evenings are cool, and the first signs of autumn gilding appear on the trees.

In the middle of the last summer month, namely on August 14 (1), Orthodox Christians celebrated the feast of the Honey Savior (saved from the word savior), which honored the death of the seven Maccabee martyrs who were martyred for their Christian faith by the ancient Syrian king Antiochus. Houses were sprinkled with poppy seeds that protected them from evil spirits, the first honeycombs collected on this day, when the bees stopped collecting nectar, were taken to the temple for consecration. This day symbolized farewell to summer, after which the days became shorter, the nights were longer, and the weather was cooler.

On August 19 (6), the Apple Savior or the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord came, among our ancestors it was one of the very first harvest holidays, symbolizing the beginning of autumn and the withering of nature. Only with its onset, the ancient Slavs could eat apples from the new harvest, which were necessarily consecrated in the church. Holiday tables were laid, grapes and pears began to be eaten.

The last, Third Savior (Bread or Nut) was celebrated on August 29 (16), on this day the harvest season ended and the housewives could bake bread from the new grain harvest. Holiday loaves were consecrated in churches, and nuts were also brought there, which were just ripe at that time. Finishing the harvest, the farmers always knitted the last "birthday sheaf".

Autumn

One of the most revered holidays of autumn, which came to the ancient Slavs from Byzantium, was Intercession Day, celebrated on October 14 (1). The holiday is dedicated to an event that took place in the 10th century in Constantinople, when the city was besieged by the Saracens, and the townspeople brought prayers for help to the Holy Mother of God in temples and churches. The Blessed Virgin Mary heard their requests and, having removed the veil from her head, sheltered them from their enemies and saved the city. At this time, harvesting work was completely over, preparations for winter began, round dances and festivities ended, gatherings with needlework, chants and conversations began. On this day, tables were laid with treats, gifts were brought to the poor and orphans, a visit to a church service was obligatory, and the time for wedding celebrations began. Marriage on the Intercession was considered especially happy, rich and durable.

Winter in Russia is rich not only in snow and frost, but also in holidays. Moreover, many of them are not just "red days of the calendar", but real celebrations, accompanied by fun festivities, as well as days off.

What are the winter holidays in Russia? When and how are they celebrated?

St. Nicolas day

December 19 is a pleasant memory from the childhood of many Russians. It was on this day that it used to be customary to give gifts to children. A few decades ago, on this winter children's holiday, letters were written not to Santa Claus, but to St. Nicholas. This custom appeared thanks to one legend.

In ancient times, a poor man lived in Russia, who did not make any fortune. But he had three daughters, the maintenance of which fell on the shoulders of the father. And in order to somehow improve his financial condition, the father sent his daughters to earn money, but in a sinful way - fornication. Nicholas the Wonderworker found out about this and decided to save the girls from such a life. For three nights in a row, he secretly entered the room of each and left each with a gold ingot. It is not known how, but the people learned about this noble deed.

After a while, when the Day of the Savior Nicholas became a holiday, one of the customs was to write a letter with a request to Nicholas. Children especially liked this holiday. After all, their parents secretly planted gifts for them, supposedly from the Miracle Worker.

New Year. Fun and bright

A series of winter holidays begins with the main celebration - the New Year. The official date is January 1, legalized by Peter I in 1699. Probably, many people know that until the 15th century the New Year was celebrated in March, and since the 15th century - in September. And only to Peter we owe winter festivities and a decorated Christmas tree.

And what is the New Year without traditions?

The main and most pleasant is dressing up the Christmas tree. After the New Year became a winter Russian holiday, it was customary in the houses of the nobility to decorate spruce branches. But full-fledged Christmas trees began to be set only in the 30s of the XIX century.

In the same 19th century, another New Year's tradition appeared and took root - drinking champagne for the holiday. True, at first the drink was accepted with skepticism: its "exploding" cork and the abundance of fizzy bubbles frightened the Soviet people, unaccustomed to such drinks.

Lush feast. It is difficult to imagine a celebration without this tradition. It became fashionable to decorate the table not only with dishes, but also with beautiful decoration during the reign of Alexander III. Particular attention was paid to serving: in addition to a beautiful service, there were candles, fir branches, exquisite napkins and tablecloths on the tables. The design of the dishes was also given due attention. But an innovation was the design of the menu: on beautiful cards with monograms and other patterns, they wrote the names of the dishes served.

Festive party. Since the beginning of the 20th century, Russians have had a new tradition - to celebrate the New Year at home, in the circle of relatives and friends, and after midnight to go out to have fun in restaurants or other entertainment places. In modern Russia, it has become popular to celebrate the celebration on Red Square, where concerts, mass skating and fireworks are held.

Write According to one version, this tradition came to Russia from the United States. American children write letters to the "analogue" of our Santa Claus - Santa Claus. According to popular belief, only those children who behaved well all year can qualify for gifts.

The night from December 31 to January 1 is considered magical. To be more precise, that one minute, which is the boundary of the change of times. It is while it lasts that it is customary to make a wish.

So, we can say that the New Year's winter holiday is endowed not only with magic, but also with mysticism.

Christmas

January 7 is Christmas Day. Since it is included in the category of New Year holidays, the Christmas tree is not yet removed at Christmas. Lush feasts are not organized, but some religious families prepare their traditional dishes for the celebration. Night services are held in the churches, which gather a large number of people of all ages under the dome. The service for the birth of Christ lasts all night.

40 days before Christmas, a fast is established, which is especially tightened on January 6 - on the eve of the holiday. On January 7, the post ends.

old New Year

Old according to the old style) is a Russian winter holiday, celebrating its centenary in 2018. It is from 1918 that every year on January 14, or rather, on the night of 13 to 14, this celebration takes place.

However, far from many celebrate it, and not as grandiose as the New Year. But this is another reason to get together with family or friends, to review the replay of the New Year's television program.

On the Old New Year, it is customary to go from house to house and "sow". Children or adults go from house to house and sprinkle the threshold of the house with grain, saying: "I sow, I sow, I sow, I congratulate you on the New Year!" This tradition has been preserved since ancient times, when the New Year was celebrated in the spring. And sowing is a wish for a good harvest.

Baptism

January 19 - Epiphany. The main feature of the holiday is Epiphany water, which on this day acquires healing properties. From early morning people rush to the church to bless the water. At night, mass bathing takes place in the ice-holes in the open air. It is on January 19 that everyone expects Epiphany frosts - the most severe for the whole winter. This fuels interest in swimming. It is believed that, having bathed in ice water, a person not only improves health, but is also "born again" - relieves himself of the burden of problems that have fallen and feels free.

Earlier, on January 19, it was customary to remove Christmas decorations until next year, and burn the Christmas tree. Now this is irrelevant.

Valentine's Day

February 14 is a very popular holiday - Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Day. This is a borrowed celebration that is firmly rooted in Russia and has won popular love. Even the primordially Russian Peter and Fevronia (July 8) is not as widely celebrated as Valentine's Day.

Defender of the Fatherland Day

February 23 - Defender of the Fatherland Day, when it is customary to congratulate all men, regardless of whether they are involved in the army. In fact, all men are defenders of the Motherland.

The holiday is dedicated to the creation of the Red Army in 1918. But he began to celebrate after 4 years, accompanied by military parades.

What other holidays are there in Russia

The above celebrations are the most popular in the country. They are celebrated according to all the rules of the festivities, and most of them provide for days off.

However, Russian winter holidays do not end there. There are many more primordially Russian festivities that originate from the time of paganism. Many of them have remained only at the hearing and are not celebrated as before. But it is impossible not to mention them.

December

1. December 1 is the holiday of the beginning of winter. In ancient times, the first day of winter was a landmark for the entire period, until spring. They said this: "What is Plato and Roman - such is our winter!" That is, if the day of December 1 begins with frost, then the whole winter will not be warm. On this holiday, people went out into the streets and had fun, welcoming the new season.
2. December 7 - celebration of Catherine the sleigh. On this day, the period of divination for the betrothed was opened, which continued until the January Christmas time. Another feature of "Ekaterina" was sledding. Their holding carried not only an entertaining meaning, but also a psychological one. Sledding took off all mental hardships and worries.
3. December 9 - St. George's Day - another winter holiday celebrated in Russia, and now in Russia. Even before the adoption of Christianity in Russia, this day was the most important in December. By the way, the saying "Here's to you, grandmother, and St. George's Day" is dedicated to this holiday. In 1607, she was "accidentally abandoned" as a reaction to the fact that serfdom "started" in Russia.
4. December 13 - Andrew the First-Called. The celebration is dedicated to the first disciple of Christ, who said that a new faith would soon be spread in Russia. This holiday was especially loved by unmarried virgins, who actively began to guess at the betrothed and pray, asking God to send a good spouse. It was believed that it was in prayers that they bear fruit.
5. December 19 - Nikola Zimny. This is the time of honoring the elders of the family.
6. December 22 - Anna Dark (or Winter). The time of the winter solstice, when the sun "retuned" to spring time.
7. December 25 - Spiridon-Solstice. From that moment on, people glorified the sun, drew circles as a symbol, and organized festivities.
8. December 31 is not only the celebration of the New Year. Centuries ago, this day was called the End of the Cold Moon. After him, the sun was gaining momentum and heading towards spring. On this day, it was customary to keep the fire in the stove or on candles, on fires. It was believed that this not only helps the sun, but also scares away evil spirits. Now such a fire has been replaced with Christmas tree garlands and holiday candles.

January

1. January 1 is the first day of the New Year. But before the decree of Peter I, January 1 was the date of veneration of the holy Christian martyr Boniface.
2. January 2 - the day of Ignatius the God-bearer.
3. January 6 - Christmas Eve.
4. January 25 - Tatyana's day.

February

1. February 10 - Kudesy. This is the date of honor and respect for Domovoy - the keeper of the hearth. On this day, it was customary to cajole a representative of evil spirits, carrying only good. Treats were left on the table as a sign that the Brownie would not leave the house and stop playing tricks.
2. February 15 - Candlemas, that is, the "middle" between summer and winter. From that moment on, people lived in anticipation of spring and early warmth. On February 15, all people's prayers were addressed to the sun, to requests for its imminent arrival. If the weather was sunny that day, it meant that spring was just around the corner. But if it was overcast, then the frosts will still declare themselves.
3. February 24 - Vlasiev Day - the date of veneration of the pagan God Veles, the patron of livestock and all animals.
4. The last week of February - seeing off winter, Maslenitsa.

P.S.

Winter is the most fun celebration of the year, accompanied by lavish festivities and grandiose feasts. And the abundance of snow and frost only enhances the enthusiasm and desire to continue the celebration on the street.

Looking through the history of winter holidays in Russia, you understand that most of the holidays have sunk into oblivion, and mention of them can only be found on the pages of history. It is not so far left before the onset of the traditional New Year holidays, and we decided to make a short review of the winter holidays, briefly describe their features.

The calendar of winter holidays opens with one of the twelve church holidays - the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin, celebrated on December 4th. It was believed that from this moment winter officially comes into its own. It was on this day in the old days that they tried the toboggan path. This right to a beautiful, light painted sleigh was granted to the newlyweds.

December 7 is the day of Katerina the sleigh. On this day in Russia, sleigh races were traditionally held. The whole village gathered on some hillock, and watched the breathtaking spectacle of the sleigh winding along the snowy road. Evening "under Catherine" was considered one of the best for divination and divination.

New Year in Russia began to be celebrated on January 1 by decree of Emperor Peter I. It was he who ordered to decorate houses and streets with New Year's decorations and arrange fireworks, which he simply adored.

But the custom of decorating a Christmas tree came later and was borrowed from the Germans. Did you know that the first Christmas trees were sold in candy stores because they were decorated with sweets? And only then, after a certain number of years, a Christmas tree could be bought at the market in Moscow.

The Vasiliev Evening holiday falls on the eve of the Old New Year - January 13, just at the time when a new chronology was introduced in Russia. They celebrated this day by singing carols. The mummers with songs went from house to house and put treats from generous hosts into a bag prepared for this occasion. Today, this holiday does not lose its relevance, and, as statistics show, every second inhabitant of our country celebrates the Old New Year. After all, this is an occasion to once again see close and dear people, in everyday bustle it is sometimes not so easy to do this.

The Feast of the Nativity of Christ is one of the most important holidays of the winter calendar. In terms of the solemnity of the celebration, Christmas is inferior to another Orthodox holiday - the Resurrection of Christ (Easter), but in the West it is the most important holiday of the year.

The most accurate fortune-telling fell on the holy week before the feast of Epiphany (celebrated on January 19). Both science and the church consider divination to be empty superstition, but people nevertheless turn to this kind of prediction of the future.

On February 15, the church holiday of the Presentation of the Lord is celebrated. On this day, according to the narration of the Evangelist Luke, the Mother of God with the Christ Child in her arms came to the Temple in Jerusalem.

On February 23, the whole country celebrates Defender of the Fatherland Day. It will be a little wrong if on this day we congratulate only military personnel. Every man, regardless of his status and occupation, is primarily a defender of his homeland, his family. The older generation remembers that this holiday was called the Birthday of the Red Army, in Soviet times it had a proud name - the Day of the Soviet Army and Navy, but whatever it is called, for us it is first of all the Day of Real Men. After all, if there are real men nearby, then we feel completely safe.

And, of course, Maslenitsa. This holiday was considered the most fun in Russia, and even now it is celebrated no less interesting. The whole day was like a continuous kaleidoscope of different amusements. These are sleigh rides, and serious wall-to-wall fights, as well as fistfights, and, of course, the most important thing - pancakes! In terms of the scope of the celebration, Maslenitsa is similar to foreign carnivals. On Maslenitsa it was customary to visit close relatives, friends, neighbors. In the last days of Shrovetide, a doll was made of straw, which was dressed up and seated in a large sleigh, followed by mummers, singing songs. On Sunday evening, an effigy of Maslenitsa was burned in the presence of the whole village on a built fire on a hill near the village - with jokes and cries. Thus, it was believed that winter would finally recede and the long-awaited warming would come.

The modern population does not celebrate all the holidays that are described above, and if they do, it is no longer on such a scale as they did in Russia. Nowadays, they mainly celebrate the New Year, Christmas, Defender of the Fatherland Day and Shrovetide. Gradually, those traditions that the previous generation adhered to during the festivities go into the background.