On celebrating New Year.
When I was growing up in the Soviet Union we did not celebrate Xmas. New Year’s Eve was a big thing. Few days in advance we would buy a Xmas tree (or set up a plastic one) and decorate it. Mom would spend the whole of December 31st cooking. I would be sent to sleep in the afternoon, so I can stay up all night (which usually meant 2 a.m.). Guests would arrive at 11 p.m. We all will be sitting around the table full of delicious food watching TV, talking and drinking champagne.
After perestroika began, two Xmas celebrations have been added to normal Russian person’s calendar of celebrations: western Xmas on 24th of December and Orthodox Xmas on 7th of December. Russian people (as any other normal people) do not pass up the reason for a party. Don’t forget another Russian tradition to celebrate so-called ‘old new year’ on 14th of December (the New Year’s Eve according to the pre-revolution calendar). All together it gives a proper excuse to party from 24th of December to 14th of January to all Russians, Byelorussian’s, and Ukrainians.
I’ve not had a proper Russian-style New Year’s Eve party since I moved to Canada. First of all, my Hindu husband does not celebrate it, and, secondly, I usually end up in India exactly around this time. Salted herring, champagne and Xmas tree are not commonly accessible things out there. A coconut palm is not an appropriate substitute for a Xmas tree.
Being in Ukraine, I have decided that I am going to have a proper New Year’s Eve. After mild harassment, Manoj had acquired a miniature spruce that was solemnly installed in a bottle. Being very happy about our first family Xmas tree I lost all restraint and covered it with the amount of decorations sufficient for a lot taller tree. As a friend remarked, the result was a very Indian looking tree – all gold and red, and totally invisible from under the decorations. Still we had our first tree!
I spend the whole day cooking. Looking back at my childhood, I begin to appreciate my mother’s efforts. After the full day of cooking and cleaning I have been exhausted. Evening we sat with our full plates to watch TV. We were invited for dinner at a friend’s place. The idea was to go there for an hour and head off to the Central Square where the big concert was happening and wait for a countdown. To make the story short, all of us left my friends’ place at 1 a.m. It was something about 20 below. It was freezing. The Independence Square was covered with broken champagne bottles and severely drunk people. By 1.40 we were back to our place, where all food I cooked was appreciatively consumed. In total, we had a proper Russian New Year’s Eve, and I am NOT showing the pictures.
©Lidia Bhaskar, 2003