Russian Christmas Table Decorations

by Antonina
(Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Traditionally we celebrate New Year's more than Christmas here in Russia, partly because we had 80 years of atheism, and partly because Orthodox Christmas comes after New Year's, on January 7th.

This New Year's celebration was fabulous :-)

We went to the New Year's gala concert at the most glamourous theatre in the city, all dressed up and everything, and then celebrated with family and friends at my parents' place, which is always my favourite.

My pictures here aren't really of a Christmas table setting, but it's the decor I had at home :-)

If there is one thing that really puts everyone in Russia into a festive Christmas spirit, it's the aroma of tangerines! We eat tons of them in the winter. It probably started with our Soviet friendship with Cuba or some other country that exported the lovely fruit to us :-)

Another Christmas-mood-inducing element to is the wonderful smell of wax candles, especially right after they've been blown out. In Russia, when you smell wax candles you know it's Christmastime.

And then there are the Christmas baubles of course, just poured them onto this vintage plate.

And then, you'll laugh, these Coca-Cola bears are currently a huge success here! I got this one as a present, but I've seen hundreds of people waiting in line to get one of these bears for a number of Coca-Cola bottle caps :-)

Did my best with the pics ... hope that was interesting, and thank you for the wonderful opportunity to share traditions :-)