We in Russia know how to start the year properly – with a good long holiday. The year begins with 8 days of holiday before the first official working day.
 Within this period we also celebrate our Christmas on January 7^th. The Julian calendar that we use after the October Revolution marks Christmas 13 days after its Western counterpart. The Russian custom is to fast on Christmas Eve until the first star appears.
 Another interesting present-day Russian feature is to follow the Chinese tradition in celebration. 2007 is the year of the Pig. Not the pigs from George Orwell’s Animal farm but Chinese pigs! According to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Pig is the last in cycle, following the Year of the Dog. Russians love horoscopes, not just the Western horoscope but the Eastern too.
The Chinese New Year doesn’t fall on specific date, so it is essential to check the calendar to find the exact date on which the Pig year actually begins. But that doesn’t bother us and that’s why our celebration is filled with Pig symbolic – puppet pigs, pig key rings and other kinds of piggy presents.