Barely a New Year’s goes past in Russia without some grump in the West uttering “Bah Humbug!” and showing off their knowledge of history by condemning the holiday as a vestige of Stalinism.
New Year is the high point of the Russian festive season. Like millions of others, I spent it at home with my relatives doing all the traditional things: eating Olivye salad, drinking sickly-sweet shampanskoye and watching superannuated pop stars grind out their hits on TV.
Orthodox Christmas, a much quieter and purely religious affair, will be marked this Thursday and Friday, January 6 and 7, because it takes place according to the old, Julian calendar.
It is true, of course, that Russia’s emphasis on New Year revelry is rooted in prejudice.
Conifers
