New year’s day in Russia

In Russia New Year is a favourite holiday, especially with children

The celebration of the New Year is the oldest of all holidays. Peter the Great took this custom from Holland and other countries of Western Europe

He ordered to decorate homes with fir-trees and to make fireworks

New Year is a family holiday. People begin to prepare for this holiday beforehandThey decorate their New Year Trees with tinsel, various toys and colored lights

They usually put their presents under the Tree. There is a great air of expectations.

When the Kremlin clock strike 12, people see the Old Year off and the New Year in.

New Year’s toys are popular as gifts and decorations of a tree. They are important parts of this holiday

Initially fir trees were decorated with wooden toys,fruits, nuts and sweets.

Decorations of glass came into fashion from 1850

Figures from the dough, wrapped up in a gold or silver foil were the most favourite fur-tree toys in Russia.

Many toys became the hands. They were from a fabric, cotton wool, pate-mashe

In Soviet period cones, icicles, rockets.

were the most popular fur-tree toys

People decorated the New Year Tree with

Fruit and

vegetables

with animals

and fantastic characters

snowmen Father Frosts and Snow maids

the most popular Soviet toys

the toys of XXI century