RUSSIAN HOLIDAYS YOU WILL ENJOY

Good morning everyone, today’s post is on Russian holidays you will enjoy. Now this can be a daunting task in itself as there are so many places to visit. Where does one begin, Russia being one of the largest countries in the world. Well here’s one way to travel via the famous Trans-Siberian railway. The Trans-Siberian Railway is a network of railways connecting Moscow with the Russian Far East. With a length of 9,289 kilometres, from Moscow to Vladivostok, it is the longest railway line in the world. There are connecting branch lines into Mongolia, China and North Korea. This is one way for you to take in the scenery along the way and enjoy the culture.

 

Image Source: Pixabay

Now if you are considering to travel on the famous Trans-Siberian railway, let me inform you on some Russian holidays and the dates when they celebrate them. Here are a list of some of the major holidays that are celebrated in Russia.

New Year 

While we all celebrate the arrival of a new year, for Russian people, it signals the start of a 9-day holiday (Jan 1st to Jan 10th). Who wouldn’t be happy about that! Most Russians will spend this time at home with their families, as the weather is hardly suitable for travel. If you are lucky enough to be invited to a Russian New Year party, expect to see the vodka flowing. Don’t make the mistake of trying to match the locals glass for glass, otherwise you will not see the chiming of midnight!

Epiphany 

The 19th of January sees many Russian people climbing into ice cold water, after digging a hole in the ice. This symbolises cleansing of the soul and you are not advised to join in, unless you love the idea of plunging into sub-zero water!

 

Image Source: Flickr

Defender of the Fatherland Day 

February 23rd is the day to celebrate the Defender of the Fatherland Day This was changed after the fall of the Soviet Union, it used to be called “The Day of the Soviet Red Army and Navy.” While this holiday is to celebrate the armed forces and the good work they do, most children will give their father a nice card on this day.

International Women’s Day 

March the 8th is a day when men give their wives or girlfriends flowers and a gift. This beautiful spring holiday is most often celebrated in the family circle with a festive meal and champagne. Another popular way to celebrate this day is by visiting friends. Some men also like to undertake all household duties on this day. Starting with washing dishes and ending with cooking dinner and looking after children, so that the women can enjoy a full day of rest.

 

Image Source: Flickr

Maslenitsa 

This festival lasts for one week, and falls on different dates, so check the Russian calendar. The festival celebrates the long-awaited arrival of spring by burning effigies of winter and eating pancakes. As the festival lasts for one week, it is a major event for the people. If you are travelling on the Trans-Siberian railway from Vladivostok to Moscow during this time, you will have an amazing experience. The locals still celebrate this even when they are travelling. When you consider how cold it is in the winter, it is no wonder they are very happy to see the end of freezing temperatures.

Cosmonaut’s Day 

The Russians celebrate their space endeavours on April 12th, as it was on this day in 1961 that Yuri Gagarin became the first man to get into orbit. As you can imagine, this day fills the Russian people with pride, as they were the first country to put a human being into orbit, and they celebrate this day with parties and lashings of vodka!

There are far too many holidays to fit into this article. However if you are interesting in knowing about them all, please refer to the informative guides online. You might like to spend some time thinking about when to take this iconic railway journey, as they have four separate seasons in Russia. The winter is obviously very cold, but if you are OK with that, the winter is a great time to visit Russia, whilst most tourists opt for the summer, which is not only very hot, it is also crowded. Spring or autumn might make for a better choice, but at the end of the day, regardless of the time of year, this train journey ranks among the best in the world.

Thank you for reading, please do leave a comment below.

 Until next time, Safe travels everyone!

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49 Comments

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 18, 2019 / 7:47 am

      Thanks Molly

      xoxo
      Lovely

  1. February 17, 2019 / 3:04 pm

    Such an interesting post! My husband is really keen to visit Russia!
    I’m not too keen on plunging into freezing water but I think I would like the Maslenitsa festival (pancakes are always a good idea and I could definitely eat them for a week!)
    Julia x
    https://www.thevelvetrunway.com/

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 18, 2019 / 7:49 am

      I am glad you find it useful Julia.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:07 am

      Great to hear it Ann, and thank you.

      xoxo
      Lovely

  2. February 18, 2019 / 11:44 am

    I’ve never been to Russia, and I didn’t know they had so many fun holidays! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Hope that you had a great weekend 🙂 I just posted my weekday wear linkup, I’d love you to join! 🙂

    Away From The Blue

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:07 am

      Thanks Mica, had relaxed one.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:08 am

      Thank you so much Nina.

      xoxo
      Lovely

  3. February 18, 2019 / 11:58 am

    Very nice and informative post. I’m from Slovakia and 8th of March is the same international women’s day which is nicely celebrated.
    Have a wonderful day!
    Dusana 😉

    http://www.letnedni.com

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:08 am

      Ahh thats wonderful to hear and thank you.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:08 am

      Thanks Gemma.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:09 am

      Me too babe, have a fab day!

      xoxo
      Lovely

  4. February 18, 2019 / 1:26 pm

    I don’t know much about Russia but thanks for sharing about these holidays. They seem like so much fun.
    http://sophieatieno.com

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:09 am

      Your welcome Sophie and thanks.

      xoxo
      Lovely

  5. February 18, 2019 / 6:09 pm

    A friend of mine told me about the Defender of Fatherland holiday, if I understood correctly it is also called a men’s day, something similar to father’s day in the west. It seems like a cool tradition. There are a lot of interesting celebrations and holidays in Russia. I’m interested in Russian culture and currently I’m trying to learn more. Some day I’d also like to learn the language.

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:10 am

      Oh wow that is really awesome Ivana!

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:10 am

      Thanks Vanessa.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:10 am

      Thank you Ester.

      xoxo
      Lovely

  6. February 18, 2019 / 10:31 pm

    Incredible places to visit ♥

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 19, 2019 / 8:11 am

      Glad you think so and thank you.

      xoxo
      Lovely

  7. jade bevan
    February 19, 2019 / 10:14 am

    amazing blog post! loved this 🙂

    jadieegosh

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:17 am

      Thank Jade.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:18 am

      Thanks.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:18 am

      Thank you Wendee.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:18 am

      Thank you so much Aditi.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:19 am

      Thanks Rena.

      xoxo
      Lovely

  8. February 19, 2019 / 9:34 pm

    I never thought about going to Russia, but it’s great to know when the best times to visit are!

    x Kara | http://karascloset.net

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:19 am

      It’s always good to be informed and thanks hun for stopping by.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:20 am

      Your welcome darling.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:20 am

      Thanks Juliana.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:21 am

      Thanks Melody.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:21 am

      Your welcome hun.

      xoxo
      Lovely

    • Lovely
      Author
      February 21, 2019 / 8:21 am

      Thanks Mercy.

      xoxo
      Lovely

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