5. Reading

1. This is the biggest and most favourite celebration for Russians. It is the belief that the way you celebrate this event shows how your year will be, so Russians prepare the best meals and celebrate in style. Duck or goose, stuffed carp, and a jellied meat called 'holodets' are among the common most dishes, as are small pies/pastries filled with cabbage, apple, meat, or a range of other fillings. On the morning of January 1, people usually don’t cook and eat the leftovers.

2. The main tradition at this time is the painting of hard-boiled eggs. Red is the predominant colour, as it signifies new life. Russians exchange eggs and kind wishes for the celebration.

3. It is tradition for the father to plant a tree, wishing the child to grow up strong and healthy just like the tree.

4. The husband must carry his wife over the threshold in his arms. It is a very old custom and began because people thought that a new wife would be wanted by evil spirits, and thus the husband should hold her tightly and protect her from them.

5. Before departing on a long trip, Russian people often sit in silence for a few minutes, praying for good luck and fortune during the journey.

6. At the beginning of spring, as the weather warms, and the days become brighter, children and young adults often play outside. They play different Russian games, they play with the snow, and often fall in love. At this time, Russians also celebrate pancake because a pancake is round like the sun, and it symbolises the new life beginning in springtime.

7. It is a custom for the certain person to organize a celebration, and this includes paying for dinner if it takes place in a restaurant. The celebration can sometimes go on for more than one day. A playful form of congratulations to the person in question is to pull their ears for the number of years they are! It is a playful joke, but it means that we wish them a long and happy life.