Christmas in Russia

History and survival

The observance became an official celebration following the Christian baptism of Rus under Prince Vladimir in the late tenth century. In the nineteenth century, seasonal customs expanded to include decorated fir trees, introduced from Prussia by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, alongside gifts delivered to children by Ded Moroz, the folkloric Grandfather Frost. The Soviet government banned Christmas in 1929 under state atheism, condemning it as a sun ritual and labeling trees bourgeois imports. Authorities later transferred decorated trees, gift-giving, and Ded Moroz to secular New Year festivities in 1935. Christmas was officially reinstated as a national holiday in Russia after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Services and the Holy Supper

Festivities commence on 6 January with extensive liturgical services, including the Royal Hours and Vespers merged with the Divine Liturgy, signalling the close of the Nativity Fast. Families return home in the evening for the Holy Supper, a solemn paramony meal composed of twelve meatless dishes representing the Twelve Apostles. Devout worshippers then attend an All Night Vigil and Midnight Divine Liturgy at their local church. In Moscow, the service at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is conducted by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia and broadcast nationwide on television, followed by a final morning liturgy on Christmas Day.

The festive dining table

Once the strict fast ends on Christmas Day, tables feature an abundance of substantial dishes historically prepared in the traditional masonry oven. Old Russian feasts centred on roast pig, stuffed pig's head, jellied kholodets, aspic, and a variety of poultry and game such as goose with apples, venison, or sour cream hare. Home bakers prepare numerous pies, including closed pirogi, open vatrushkas, layered coulibiacs, kurnik, and thin blini filled with meat, fish, cheese, or vegetables. Desserts feature angel wings, honey, fresh berries, fruit, and confectionery, served alongside warm sbiten, fruit kompot, kissel, and steeped Chinese tea.

Characters and secular overlap

In Russian folklore, seasonal gifts were traditionally brought by Ded Moroz, a tall figure accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden, traveling across the snow in a three-horse sleigh. During the Soviet period, these folkloric figures and decorative firs were repurposed for secular New Year celebrations. As a result, New Year remains the primary gift-giving and festive event across the country today, while Christmas retains a more religious and contemplative character. The holiday forms part of a wider ten-day winter holiday period that begins with New Year celebrations at the start of January.

How Christmas in Russia is kept

Observance begins on Christmas Eve with church prayers and the end of the Nativity Fast. Families assemble at home for a meatless twelve-course dinner to honour the Twelve Apostles. Believers then go to church for the All Night Vigil and midnight service, or watch the patriarchal broadcast from Moscow. On Christmas morning, congregations attend the festive liturgy before gathering for large afternoon feasts with relatives. Tables are laden with rich roasts, savory pies, blini, and sweets. While secular gift exchanges largely take place on New Year, Christmas remains a day for religious reflection, prayer, and shared family hospitality.

When and where

Christmas is celebrated on 7 January on the Gregorian calendar, which corresponds to 25 December on the Julian calendar used by the Russian Orthodox Church. Christmas Eve falls on 6 January. Due to calendar divergence, the holiday date will shift to 8 January in the year 2101.

The holiday is celebrated across the Russian Federation in Orthodox churches, cathedrals, and private homes. Major central liturgies are held in Moscow at the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, while regional cathedral services take place in cities and towns nationwide.

What Christmas in Russia means

For Orthodox believers, Christmas commemorates the incarnation and birth of Jesus Christ, ranking among the church's twelve Great Feasts. The twelve dishes of the Holy Supper represent the Twelve Apostles, while the preceding weeks of fasting encourage spiritual discipline. Reinstated after decades of official suppression, the feast represents religious renewal and the endurance of ancient Christian traditions.

Days Christmas in Russia is marked

Christmas in Russia dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

Questions people ask about Christmas in Russia

See also

Palm SundayA Christian Sunday feast marking Jesus's entry into Jerusalem with blessed branches.KoliadaA traditional winter caroling and solstice festival kept across Slavic EuropeEid il-BurbaraA winter feast of costumes, sweet boiled wheat, and sprouting seeds across the LevantNovy GodA secular winter celebration of decorated trees, family feasts and midnight gifts

Good reading and sources

• Christmas in Russia on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.