⏰ New Year is almost here and today is the celebration time!

☃️🎄 Vibrant colours, music, delicious treats & atmosphere of joy are constant elements of New Year festive season might be seen all around Russia.

If you happen to celebrate the New Year in a company of Russians, or do it Russian-style, here are a couple of things about how that goes.

🌲🥂 The pinnacle of a New Year’s celebration isn’t about giving presents and not even the New Year’s dinner, but the old-standing tradition of raising the glasses to the New Year’s chime (after the speech of the President broadcasted) at the last seconds of the passing year.

🎉 Once the New Year begins, everyone starts congratulating each other, congratulating everyone, while lighting sparklers, popping crackers and watching fireworks.

While the most popular toast on New Year’s eve is «С новым годом!» and the subject of Russian toasts deserves an article of its own, there’s a simple one that’s both very Russian and easy to remember.

✨ Whenever glasses are raised, you can just say “Будем!” (budem), which can be translated as “let us be!” – a simple yet pithy toast that will make you welcome in any company.

The 🇷🇺 Embassy wishes you best of luck in the coming year, and - C Наступающим!

#HappyNewYear2024 #RussianNewYear

🎉 Happy New Year, everyone!

The new year has finally come and we hope that every reader has a beautiful year and fulfill all their dreams.

✨ It is when we look back at the past year, celebrate, and prepare for a fresh start. Saying goodbye to the ups and downs of the previous year, we’re ready for 2024 and all the possibilities it brings.

🙏 The Embassy of Russia in South Africa extends its best wishes of happiness, good health and success to all subscribers & sincerest gratitude for support!

🎄☃️🎄 Have a happy 2024!

#HappyNewYear2024

🎄🥂 Try some traditional Russian New Year’s meals!

Russia’s holiday season is quite different from the rest of Europe: it starts quite late in December and last almost until mid-January. That is because the main holiday of the year is, in fact, New Year, whereas Orthodox Christmas is celebrated quietly in religious households on January 7, following the Eastern Orthodox Church calendar.

🥨 What almost all the Russians have on their New Year’s table?

Traditionally, the New Year Eve table is filled with salads and appetizers, and everyone gets to try a bit of each, rather than having a three-course meal, which is commonplace in Russia on regular days.

🥙 Russian salad or Olivier: the king of the table, as well as a symbol of the New Year feast. Usually it is prepared in big batches, and salad leftovers are eaten throughout the entire holiday season. It is comprised of meat (or kolbasa), eggs, potatoes, pickled cucumbers, and mayo, but, of course, each family likes to give the salad their own feel and “spice up” the recipe by adding their secret ingredient to the abovementioned ones.

🍣 Caviar appetizer: уven though it is not cheap, and many Russian families can’t afford it on a daily basis, they try to buy a red one for the feast. The recipe is incredibly simple - take white bread, or French baguette, or bruschetta, or tartlets - put a slice of butter and a teaspoon of caviar on top. This appetizer is perfect with champagne.

🐠Herring under a fur coat: the combination of salted fish, mayo and sweet beetroot might seem shocking but indeed incredible. Other ingredients are potatoes, carrots, onion and eggs that should be gratered not chopped and put on layer by layer - herring on the bottom and then the ‘fur coat’.

🍊You may also decorate your table with tangerines that are a fundamental part of the holiday dinner table! There are many more traditional recipes so try to pick one and enjoy!

#HappyNewYear2024 #RussianFood #RussianCuisine