Old New Year

The Old New Year (Russian: Старый Новый год) is a traditional holiday, celebrated as the start of the New Year (Новый год) by the Julian calendar (Юлианский календарь). In the 20th and 21st centuries, the Old New Year falls on January 13/14.

Although the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic officially adopted the Gregorian calendar (Григорианский календарь) in 1918, the Russian Orthodox Church (Русская православная церковь) continued to use the Julian calendar. The New Year became a holiday which is celebrated by both calendars.

As in most countries which use the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day in Russia is a public holiday celebrated on January 1. On that day, joyous entertainment, fireworks, elaborate and often large meals and other festivities are common.

The New Year by the Julian calendar is still informally observed, and the tradition of celebrating the coming of the New Year twice is widely enjoyed: January 1 (New New Year) and January 13 (Old New Year).

Usually not as festive as the New New Year, for many this is a nostalgic family holiday ending the New Year holiday cycle with traditional large meals.

via wiki

Ice and Fire

Ice and Fire (Лед и пламень) - the famous Russian ice show with skater-star teams prepared by A.Zhulin and I.Averbukh and competing against each other.
The skaters are: T.Navka, I.Lobacheva, T.Totmyanina, A.Semenovich, R.Kostomarov, P.Tchernishev, also A.Sikharulidze, S.Novitski, M.Shabalin and others.
Below are some videos from the show.

Л. Арзамасова, М. Ставиский

Russian Orthodox Christmas

17th century Christmas card 

During the Soviet era, religious celebrations were discouraged by the officially atheist state. As a result, Christmas celebrations in Russia were not common as in Western countries. Instead, emphasis was shifted to the secular New Year celebration. In the Russian Orthodox Church, Christmas is celebrated on the January 7 (or strictly speaking, December 25 on the Julian Calendar, which is now 13 days behind the internationally used Gregorian Calendar). The tradition of celebrating Christmas has been revived since 1992, after decades of suppression by the Communist government. It is now a national holiday and increasingly important, but many Russians continue to focus on the New Year's celebration.

Unlike its Western counterparts, Christmas is mainly a religious event in Russia. On Christmas Eve (6 January), there are several long services, including the Royal Hours and Vespers combined with the Divine Liturgy. Devout families will then return to church for the "всеночная" All Night Vigil. Then again, on Christmas Morning, for the "заутренняя" Divine Liturgy of the Nativity.

During the Soviet period, Christmas traditions were largely kept alive by shifting many of them, including the visit by gift-giving "Dyed Moroz" (Дед Мороз) "Grandfather Frost" and his granddaughter, "Snegurochka" (Снегурочка) "The Snowmaiden", to New Year's Day. Many current Russian Christmas customs have been preserved through the New Year's celebration. This includes the decoration of a tree, or "yolka" (spruce, or sometimes pine), festive decorations and family gatherings.

via wiki

Hymns

Divna Ljubojevic - Troparion (Tone 4)

Тропарь праздника (глас 4) Рождество Твое, Христе Боже наш,  возсия мирови свет разума,  в нем бо звездам служащии  звездою учахуся Тебе кланятися,  Солнцу Правды,  и Тебе ведети с высоты Востока.  Господи, слава Тебе!

Troparion (Tone 4) Your Nativity, O Christ our God, Has shone to the world the Light of wisdom! For by it, those who worshipped the stars, Were taught by a Star to adore You, The Sun of Righteousness, And to know You, the Orient from on High. O Lord, glory to You!

Putin and Medvedev Сartoon Duet 2011

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dance in a new years cartoon broadcast on Channel One Russian TV.

President's New Year's Address to the Nation and Russian National Anthem

Photo: the Presidential Press and Information Offices address to the nation. 

December 31, 2010

Ever since the late 90’s, watching the New Year’s message from the President minutes before midnight has become a tradition everyone actually waits for. Usually, the President talks about the past year: what went wrong, what was good. It is basically a wrap-up of the year past, and wishes for a good year to come. 

Interestingly, Vladimir Putin was the first President who took the New Year’s message “outdoors.” Previously, all of them were taped indoors, but Putin was the first one to escape the stuffy studio and deliver his message from inside Moscow’s heart – the Red Square.

-ytfiles.com