Marathon New Year holidays in Russia

Vladimir Radyuhin

Extended New Year holidays officially continue from January 1 to January 7, the Russian Orthodox Christmas, but with weekends added they run for about 10 days. Moreover, many Russians begin celebrating on December 25, the Catholic Christmas.

Statistics for the marathon holidays read like reports of a natural calamity. The Russian economy has suffered losses of about $25 billion, as government offices, private businesses and printed media stay closed for nearly two weeks. Russians have consumed at least 300 million bottles of vodka (for a population of just over 140 million) and 200 million bottles of champagne and wine, not counting some 800 million bottles of beer. Add uncounted millions of bottles of samogon, moonshine vodka, and the apocalyptic picture of nation-wide two-week carousing is complete. The New Year alcohol marathon will have taken the lives of some 3,000 Russians, according Prof. Alexander Nemtsov of the Institute of Psychiatry of the Russian Health Ministry.

Ever since the long winter holiday was legislated in 2004 it has been criticised as being harmful for people’s health and morale.

“We’ve spent the holidays sitting at home as venturing outdoors at minus 30 Centigrade was little fun,” complained a resident of Omsk in Siberia reflecting the view of about 90 per cent of Russians who cannot afford to travel or indulge in costly recreational activities.

Opposition parliamentarians have repeatedly tabled bills to cut New Year holidays to three or four days and move the other days-off to May when millions of Russians go to dachas to work their gardens. The ruling party, United Russia, has invariably opposed changes.

“Long winter holidays were introduced for the sake of a few hundred of the powers-that-be so that they could bask in the sun in the Seychelles or have some winter fun in the Russian elite’s favourite Alpine ski resort, Courchevel,” said economist Mikhail Khazin.