С Новым 2026 годом! Happy 2026!

Happy New Year! May 2026 be healthy, peaceful and happy for you and your loved ones!

Holiday garland

I think New Year is the biggest and the happiest holiday celebrated by Russian-speaking people across the world. It's also a time to reflect on the past and dream about the future.

Fun facts about New Year celebration

• New Year is a family holiday to some and party time with friends and family to others. The most important thing is to be with people you love, whose company you enjoy, and to have fun. New Year's night symbolizes the future and how you enter in the new year is considered important. So, it's your grand entrance to 2026!

• The party or dinner typically starts late in the evening on December 31st and ends on January 1st. The end time depends on how long you and your guests can stay up.

  

• Each party or family dinner is a bit different. In general, expect a lot of food, a lot of toasts, music, dancing and may be games and costumes.

• Often, two of the guests will dress up as Ded Moroz and Snegurochka to entertain the guests and distribute gifts.

  
  

• Before midnight, it is customary to raise a glass to the departing year and reflect on what we are leaving behind and what we are taking with us to the new year.

  
  

• When midnight strikes, make a wish and toast to the New Year! Expect toasts to health, future, any event your friends or family hope will happen next year.

  
  

• If you are celebrating with friends, discuss whether you should bring a gift. If you are celebrating with family, just bring gifts for everyone. Make sure to check any family traditions.

Holiday schedule

• December 31- January 1 - New Year Celebration

• January 7th - Orthodox Christmas (for those who celebrate; keep in mind that starting 2023, Ukraine celebrates Christmas on December 25th. Read BBC article)

• January 13th - Old New Year

Both New Year and Old New Year are not religious holidays and are great occasions to get together with your family and friends.

What is the most popular food to serve on New Year?

Here's a few traditional dishes you can make for a New Year/ Old New Year party:

• Salad Olivie

• Crepes (with red caviar or smoked salmon/ Gravlax)

• Cake Napoleon/ Kiev cake or any other cake you like.

While there are some traditional cakes for New Year, it is customary to bake/make any dessert you want. Usually, New Year's menu consists of appetizers, main course (can be several) and desert (-s). Traditional appetizers include Olivie salad (aka Russian salad in Spain), pickles, pies, salads, crepes with caviar and any other appetizers you want to serve. It is customary to prepare something new or a dish that will impress your guests. Main course can include several options such as meat and fish with roasted potatoes and rice. Catering is now a popular option for any stress-free and cooking -free celebrations.

If you like to listen to the New Year address and New Year concert, tune in your favorite Russian- speaking TV channel. In the United States you can watch New Year's night on TV Rain.

Happy New Year! С Новым годом!

#tvrain #Russian #Russianholidays #Russianfood