Planning to visit Russia in 2019? Get the most out of your experience! Learn here about the most important holidays in Russia - fast and easy with RussianPod101!
| January 7, 2019 | Orthodox Christmas Day |
| January 14, 2019 | Old New Year |
| January 25, 2019 | Russian Students’ Day |
| February 23, 2019 | Defender of the Fatherland Day |
| March 8, 2019 | International Women’s Day |
| April 12, 2019 | Cosmonaut’s Day |
| April 28, 2019 | Orthodox Easter |
| May 1, 2019 | Spring and Labor Day |
| May 9, 2019 | Victory Day |
| June 6, 2019 | Day of the Russian Language |
| June 8, 2019 | Social Workers’ Day |
| July 7, 2019 | Ivan Kupala’s Day |
| August 2, 2019 | Day of Air-landing Forces |
| September 1, 2019 | Day of Knowledge |
| October 5, 2019 | Teacher’s Day |
| November 4, 2019 | Day of National Unity |
How well do you know holidays in Russia?
In this article, you learn all about the top Russia holidays and the traditions and history behind them. Check the must-know Russian vocabulary for popular holidays in Russia too!
That way, you can easily talk about Russian holidays while improving your vocabulary and overall speaking skills. You will pick up key vocab, phrases, and cultural insights you won’t find in a textbook.
Perfect for any student interested in learning more about Russian culture. We will teach you the what, why, when and how of Russia holidays.
“Christmas,” or as it’s known in Russian, Рождество (Razdestvo), is actually observed in Russia on January 7. Christmas in Russia is a warm, family-centric holiday which most Russian people try to spend at home. In Russia, it’s not customary to give each other presents for Christmas, there’s no Santa Claus, and people don’t decorate a Christmas tree. On this holy day, a great number of people attend celebratory church services, make confessions, and receive communion.
Russian “Old New Year’s Eve,” referred to in Russian as Старый Новый год (Staryy Novyy god), is observed on the eve of January 14. Even though this holiday is ‘t officially recognized, many Russian people return to the festive New Year atmosphere and gather together around the festive table once again. Nowadays, Russian people have a variety of ways to observe the Old New Year, but typically it’s done among family or with lively company.
Students’ Day in Russia is celebrated on a very large scale. Big groups of students gather together and celebrate the holiday in bars or restaurants. A festive service is traditionally held in the Church of St. Tatiana at Moscow State University; afterwards, students at the Lomonosov Monument light up the symbolic “cup of knowledge” which in Russian is called чаша знаний (chasha znaniy). And of course, a colorful fireworks display takes place in the evening.
“The Defender of the Fatherland Day,” or in Russian, День защитника Отечества (Den’ zashchitnika atechestva), is the day reserved to celebrate those who defend the peace of Russia. This holiday emerged after the 1918 Revolution and was initially called “Red Army Day” or in Russian День красной армии (Den’ krasnay armii). Nowadays most Russians consider this holiday a “men’s day.” The holiday is celebrated at home or at a gathering at someone’s house. On that day, men not only receive presents, but there may also be parties at their places of work.
On this day, all men congratulate women and give them подарки (padarki) or “presents.” People will typically greet and congratulate not only their own families, but friends, coworkers, and strangers as well. As March 8 is a day off work, congratulations and celebrations begin as early as March 7. At the office, men congratulate their female coworkers and give them flowers; as a rule, after work, they lay a small festive table. Some companies even arrange a company party.
On April 12, 1961, the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin launched his spacecraft Vostok-1 into space. In the first manned spaceflight in history, Yuri Gagarin orbited the Earth for 108 minutes. In honor of this milestone, the historical event of Cosmonautics Day was established in 1962 with a Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. On this day, the President of the Russian Federation offers his appreciation and congratulations to astronauts of all nationalities. Various space-themed exhibitions, displays, and holiday concerts are arranged in parks, museums, libraries, and exhibition halls.
Just as in many other countries, Easter is celebrated every year, but has no fixed date in Russia. The date of Easter is determined by the lunar and solar calendars, but it always falls on a Sunday. Like in all countries that recognize it, Easter is a celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Russia, for Easter, people bake “Easter bread” or кулич (kulich), and dye eggs that can then be blessed in church. Easter eggs are often dyed red to symbolize the blood of Christ.
Spring and Labor Day is observed every year on May 1 as a national holiday and a day off work. Spring and Labor Day starts the sequence of the so-called May festivities popularly known as “May holidays season,” or in Russian, Майские праздники (Mayskie prazniki). People often joke that on May 1, the country’s entire population splits into two groups that are referred to as дачники (dachniki) or “country house people” and шашлычники (shashluchniki) or “barbecue people.”
Victory Day celebrates the victory of the Soviet people over Germany in World War II, or as it’s referred to in Russia, the “Great Patriotic War.” In Moscow on May 9, a massive military parade is held on the “Red Square” or Красная площадь (krasnaya ploshchad’). People can not only see a grand demonstration of military equipment, but also enjoy advanced aerobatic displays. On this day, people also lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and the whole country honors the memory of the fallen with a minute of silence. Festive fireworks take place in the evening.
Developed by UNESCO, Day of the Russian Language is essentially a celebration of each UN language and of the diversity which they represent. An interesting facet of this holiday is that it’s also the birthday of poet Aleksandr Pushkin, whose work is held in high regard in literary circles.
Russians celebrate their social workers on June 8 each year since 2000. This important job sector is in charge of ensuring the safety, well-being, and even comfort of the country’s citizens, and the profession officially began according to an old ritual in which one healthy person was made to care for ten elderly people. Oftentimes, those who’ve served as a social worker for 15+ years is awarded with a title of honor indicating this.
One of the most ancient and important Slavic holidays in Russia is the holiday of Ivan Kupala, celebrated every year on the evening of July 6. The symbols of the holiday of Ivan Kupala are “fire,” which in Russian is огонь (agon’), “water,” which in Russian is вода (vada), and “grass,” which in Russian is трава (trava). This is why a lot of traditions and beliefs are linked specifically to these symbols. One of the main rites of the holiday is jumping over a bonfire made on the night of Ivan Kupala, an activity which is said to have curative powers.
Russia’s Day of Air-landing Forces commemorates the establishment of its Soviet Airborne Forces in 1930. The Soviet Airborne Force is a significant aspect of Russia as it provides a strong source of defense for the country. On this day, it’s common for people to go to concerts, watch demonstrations, and participate in fairs.
“Knowledge Day,” which in Russian is День знаний (Den’ znaniy), marks the start of the new school year and is celebrated every year on September 1. On this day, all schools hold a festive assembly ceremony, known as “First Bell,” or in Russian, Первый звонок (Pervyy zvanok). During this assembly, all students line up in the schoolyard in a certain order according to their grades. Traditionally, a student from a higher grade picks up a first-grade student, usually a girl, who’s holding a bell and walks around the schoolyard with her in his arms. The bell’s chime is the first bell of the new school year.
Russians celebrate Teacher’s Day on the first Sunday of each October, in order to show appreciation toward teachers. This is typically done through giving flowers to teachers, as well as giving speeches to honor them.
This holiday is connected to the liberation of Moscow from the Polish invaders in 1612 by the people’s army, which was led by Кузьма Минин (Kuzma Minin) and Дмитрий Пожарский (Dmitry Pozharsky). It was thanks to the unity and solidarity of all the people that the victory over their common enemy was achieved. On this festive day, the President of the Russian Federation presents government awards to Russian Federation citizens and foreign citizens who’ve contributed to the strengthening of friendly relations and cooperation with Russia, and to the popularization and development of the Russian language and Russian culture in other countries.
You may ask why it is advantageous to know Russian holidays. There are a number of good reasons!
If you’re keen to learn Russian on your own, there are a number of ways to do this. Why not choose holidays as a theme? You can start by learning about the Russian culture, so find a video or TV program about holidays in Russia. Better still - find a video or program about holidays in Russian, and watch it a few times! That way your ear will get used to the spoken language. You could also watch Russian movies without subtitles, as this too will train your ear to what correct Russian sounds like.
If you’re more advanced in Russian, you can practice your writing skills by writing a letter to your Russian friend about the holidays video. Or write a short review of the video, and post it on social media! Imagine how impressed your friends will be!
Practice your Russian pronunciation, and record yourself talking about your holiday in Russia. Pronouncing words correctly in any language is very important, or you may find yourself saying things you don’t mean!
If you’re an absolute beginner, it would be best to start with a book, a CD series, free PDF cheat sheets and preferably your Russian friend who can help you. Or, you can start with RussianPod101, for free!
Holidays in Russia can also be the perfect opportunity to practice your Russian! For the best experience, make sure to master at least Level 1 of your Russian lessons here on RussianPod101 before you go on holiday to Russia. Then don’t be shy! Use it with every native speaker you encounter in every situation. Practicing continuously to speak a language is one of the most important habits if you want to become fluent. Or, if you’re a new subscriber to RussianPod101 in a hurry to get to Russia, study Absolute Beginner Russian for Every Day to help you get by as a traveller - you will be surprised how far a little Russian can go!
RussianPod101 is uniquely geared to help you master relevant, everyday vocabulary and phrases, pronounced correctly and in the right context - this will set you on the right track. Our courses are perfectly designed to help you in fun ways!
But do have a holiday first. Ideally you will enjoy a different culture with a visit, and enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine. Don’t wait till 2020 to learn Russian through RussianPod101 though - it will open a whole new world for you!
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