Novy God (Russian: Новый Год, translation: New Year) is a non religious holiday that resemble to a pagan and the Christian new Year Christmas. It is the time when families and friends come together at a table covered with many favorite dishes, to celebrate something meaningful. Fir trees are decorated with beautiful glass ball ornaments, as well as tinsel. Grandfather Frost is said to deposit presents under the tree. However, this is where the similarities end. Grandfather Frost is not a "version of Santa". He is based on the god of cold weather in Slavic pagan pantheon, a son of the goddess of death and the god of forests and animals. He dislikes those who complain about the cold, and is extremely generous to those who accept him cheerfully. Snegurochka helps her grandfather Ded Moroz in his journey to bring all the gifts.
The holiday was first positively made aware after Pavel Pustishev sent a letter to a public newspaper in 1936 [1] [2][3] and later accepted in 1947 as a holiday, from 1930 till 1947 it was just a regular work day [4], but later it become a no-work day, till the early 1990s it was considered as the only acceptable public non communist celebration (in 1990-1 the communist regime fall apart) .
while some might think the holidays (Christmas and Novy God) have a close source it a common error - the Novy God is originated in pagan rituals dated back to 950 AD [5] some find major similar aspects as the [2] rituals for the original pre communist and pre peter the great holiday .
Novy God is a major holiday in Ex-USSR countries, marked by a massively produced Novogodni Ogonek (New Year's Party): a televised celebration that includes performances from favorite pop singers and professional dance troupes, not unlike The Oscars or the MTV VMAs, with famous personalities and celebrities as presenters. It is also popular in many countries that were formerly part of the now defunct Soviet Union. The coming of the new year is marked by the Kremlin Clock striking twelve. Immigrants and non Russian citizens often start to celebrate using the Russian time zone ([6]
As this holiday is defined as a Non religious celebration, many non Christian people are still celebrating the holiday, As an example in the Jewish parts of Israel with high amount of ex USSR immigrates a person might find lots of Novi God merchandise. In Israel there is a a mjor conflict for thous who celebrate the Novy-God (non Christian): it is so common that a person could find newspapers explaining that immigrants are not celebrating the Christian new year [7], to find Anti Novy God flayers, and almost every year a person would find Anti - Novy God chain letters [8] , a bill that bans Santa and tree for showing in public places [9].
The actual Christian Orthodox Christmas celebrated by Orthodox Christians on 7 January.