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Hello, internet audience!
You know people who learn English here in Russia at some point all come to the understanding
that they want to know something about the culture also.
The holiday time is coming here so let's talk about the way Christmas and New Year's Day are celebrated in the USA.
First of all, you always come to Russia in December; don't you miss your Christmas holidays?
Well I think it's hardest of all for my mom
but what I miss the most is probably getting a lot of presents from my parents.
Is it snowy in Colorado in December, what's the weather like?
Well because we are at a really high altitude in Colorado we do get a lot of snow
but because of the mountains a lot of times the weather changes really quickly.
So sometimes during the holidays it'll be really snowy and other day it's other Christmases,
it'll be quite sunny outside.
You can almost get a suntan in a winter in Colorado sometimes.
Alright. As you've noticed it's really cold this year here in Russia.
Oh yeah!
Does your state have any particular peculiarities in celebrating these holidays?
Well we have during, after Thanksgiving, or in Russian Den' Blagodareniya,
we, everyone gets together in downtown Denver and we light the lights all around the Capitol.
It's a big fair where a lot of people from around the state come out and see the lighting of the state Capitol.
It's really beautiful.
Oh yeah, a lot of different lights, thousands and thousands of lights
like light up the whole city park and city Capitol.
It's great. Ok, let's move on to some traditions and stuff like that.
Watching Christmas movies we get the image of how Christmas looks like but is it really so?
Tell us how you decorate interior or exterior of your houses.
Well a lot of times we put up a Christmas tree.
It usually happens after Thanksgiving because that's when our holiday season really starts.
But a lot of times people would put a lot of lights all around their houses
and then sometimes it becomes a competition between neighbors:
who can put on the better lights show at their house.
And in more rich areas a lot of people would go around, drive around and look at the different lights
because it's quite fun to look at all the different Christmas lights.
You know we have one all-around traditional meal for New Year's day, it's Oliv'e salad,
it's even know as Russian salad abroad.
What do you cook for these holidays?
Any traditional meals?
Well we make a lot of casseroles, a lot of things in the oven.
For instance we have our main course what use to be a turkey or a big beef roast.
Sometimes people like ham but like I said a second ago our casseroles which I actually miss a lot.
I don't get to have in Russia; it's all cold salads whereas we're all about the hot food in America.
My mom makes a really good green bean casserole which I specially miss.
The most notable symbol of holiday here is a new year's tree.
And you know we decorate New Year trees here in Russia, you call them Christmas trees as I know.
So I meant it all shows that Christmas is way more important in states than New Year's Day.
Tell me something about this difference.
And is it really true that you don't get and give presents on New Year's Day?
Our big gift-giving day is Christmas.
I have especially good memories of waking up really early in the morning
and especially waking up my parents which they a lot of times want to sleep because it's there day-off.
But you know waking up really early in the morning and running down to the Christmas tree
to see what Santa brought us because that's when Santa comes.
It's the night before.
A lot of times we tried, as kids, we tried to stay awake and hoped to see, catch a glimpse of Santa.
Because we leave out cookies and milk for him to eat along he's stopped but I would always fall asleep.
I would never get the opportunity to see Santa when he would come and visit us in the states.
Ok, Drew, we have Father Frost here in Russia, so tell us something about your Father Frost - Santa,
what Santa means for Americans, something about him, maybe some historical facts or something else.
Well Santa, he always wears red whereas in Russia most of the time it's his wearing the blue coat.
He visits every single kid all across America and brings every single one of them presents.
Except if you're a bad kid, if you're a bad kid then he'll bring you coal. You don't want that.
He's got a big list of names of whether you've been naughty or nice.
Hopefully I've been nice this year and I'm gonna get some good presents
and hopefully Santa knows my Russian address here.
So be nice too.
Is it true that because the states are so big the sleigh is not the only vehicle Santa uses?
Because I heard that he comes to Hawaii on a Christmas ship and to California on a surfing board.
I don't know about ships or surfing boards, well, as far as I'm aware Santa, because he is magical,
don't forget that Santa is magical, he only needs a sleigh pulled by his seven reindeer:
Dasher, Prancer, Donner, ***, Cupid...and ah I'm not remembering all their names right now.
(Drew forgot to call Comet and Blitzen).
But because Santa is magical he only needs one sleigh to visit every single kid all across America.
Ok, that's great. So my last and the most serious question for you now.
Both Russia and the USA are multi-national countries.
But here in Russia the way we celebrate New Year is mostly the same all over the country.
So does the different origin of people and families affect the way you the celebrate Christmas in states?
Well Christmas is always a family holiday.
You must, you always spend Christmas with your family.
The only time maybe when you get to spend time with other people other than your family
is after you open all your presents and like maybe you wanna show off your presents to your friends.
Whereas New Year's is more just, you know, get drunk with your friends.
It's not really a family holiday at all unlike Christmas which is specifically a family holiday.
Ok, thanks Drew and now we're gonna sing a song for you guys.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
And a Happy New Year
Good tidings we bring for you and your kin
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Now bring us a figgy pudding
and a cup of good cheer
Good tidings we bring for you and your kin
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
We won't go until we get some
now bring some out here
Good tidings we bring for you and your kin
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
We wish you a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year
Good tidings we bring for you and your kin
We wish you a Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year