Bright and Meaningful: Belarussian Families Share Their New Year Traditions

The beginning of December marks a significant turning point as we prepare for the New Year and Christmas celebrations. Despite our busy schedules, we find ourselves browsing for gifts and planning our holiday festivities. If you’re looking to add a fresh twist to your celebrations and create new traditions, this article is for you. We’ve gathered insights from Belarussian women on how they celebrate the New Year, and they’ve generously shared their unique and inspiring ideas.

Anastasia Ostrovskaya: “We Write Dream Letters on the Eve of the Holiday”

Anastasia Ostrovskaya, the Head of Sales at Depo Quarter, Elite Real Estate, shares her family traditions:

“Growing up in the Soviet era, our New Year celebrations were quite simple, with a festive table being the main highlight. As a mother, I wanted to create more magical memories for my children. When my son and daughter were young, we dressed them in fairy-tale costumes and invited Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden to our celebrations.

Even when we celebrated the New Year abroad, we tried to bring some magic with us. Once, while vacationing in the Czech Republic, we prepared a gift package for our daughter. According to our story, it ‘magically’ appeared in our hotel room. When I pretended to be surprised, saying, ‘Oh, look, the window is open… and there’s a gift package… Could someone have visited us?’, our daughter noticed, ‘I have a feeling that Grandfather Frost doesn’t exist because I saw this package in our car.’ We managed to convince her otherwise at that moment, but her belief in Grandfather Frost faded later when he failed to deliver her requested gift and instead gave her a desk lamp. We laughed together as a family and started new magical traditions.”

Planning with the Kids

“For several years now, on New Year’s Eve, my children and I have been writing letters outlining our goals and plans for the upcoming year. After 12 months, we reread these letters and see what we’ve accomplished.”

Meeting with Neighbors

“We intentionally started and maintained this tradition. We were the first to prepare gifts and introduce ourselves. Now, every year, we congratulate each other, grill meat outside, and enjoy our time together.”

Spring Cleaning

“As the saying goes, sweeping all the corners invites new events and joys into your life. We clean the house with the kids while listening to music. This routine task turns into a moment of engaged communication.”

Decorating the House

“Our house starts glowing with lanterns from December 8th, my son’s birthday. Neighbors joke that our house resembles a ‘spaceship.’ We’re happy with that because beauty during these days should be special, pleasing to the eye and soul.”

Yanina Goncharova: “I Continue to Believe in Miracles”

Yanina Goncharova, the Chairman of the Belarusian Chamber of Fashion and founder of the Belarus Fashion Week project, shares her thoughts:

“The New Year is a magical time for me. Despite being an adult and having children of my own, I continue to believe in miracles and look forward to surprises. It’s also a time for emotional renewal. In modern terms, we reset, leave the old behind, and enter the new year with fresh thoughts and plans.”

“It’s an opportunity to create a mood for those around us. We give each other gifts, congratulate one another, and say many kind words that we often forget to express in our daily lives. The sense of family is very important to me. This extends to my work as well. Our team is like a fashion family. Every year, we organize a gala dinner and invite designers from all over Belarus. Everyone comes with their spouses and children.”

The Signature New Year’s Dish

“In our family, we have two children, and my mother lives with us. Everyone has different food preferences. I’m a vegetarian, while my family members are meat-eaters. However, the holiday table, including the New Year’s table, is set considering everyone’s preferences. There’s one dish that everyone enjoys. My husband lived in Hong Kong for over 10 years and, probably to win my heart, learned to cook it. Now, it’s our main gastronomic tradition. We call it Steam Fish or simply ‘Hong Kong-style fish.'”

Cooking Hong Kong-Style Fish

“We need a specific type of fish: sea bass, gilt-head bream, or zander. We clean it, salt it, and put finely chopped ginger inside. We cook it in a wok on a water bath. As it cooks, we make incisions on the fish. We heat olive oil to boiling point (we do this in a coffee maker) and pour it over the fish. Then, we add a mixture of oyster and soy sauces. We top it with fresh green onions and cilantro. The fish is served with rice. It’s a very tasty and beautiful dish. This is what we use to lure our guests. Believe me, you won’t try this in any Minsk restaurant.”

Olga Sikorskaya: “We Almost Celebrated the Holiday at the Airport”

Olga Sikorskaya, the Head of Marketing at the Kia distributor in Belarus, shares her story:

“Our family has a long-standing tradition of traveling for the New Year. Speaking of trips, I recall a funny incident. Once, my husband, son, and I were flying to Stockholm with a layover in Moscow. At Sheremetyevo Airport, we were dropped off at a backup runway for our connecting flight. We had very little time left, so we ran from one terminal to another: my husband with the suitcases, and I with the child. Airport staff, like in a movie, opened all the doors for us. But we were late. Aeroflot offered us to fly the next day, on December 31st, and stay overnight at their expense in a capsule hotel. I imagined some innovative hotel, but in reality, the room was a small ‘dormitory’ room that barely fit two beds and cost us the price of an expensive European hotel. It seemed like a good reason to be upset. But we saw so many people at the airport who were in a similar situation and had to celebrate the New Year’s Eve with their suitcases. We, however, flew safely. So, once again, I realized that everything is relative.”

3 Fairy-Tale Routes for the New Year

“Copenhagen, Denmark: We were in love with this city. We visited the famous Tivoli Gardens, which was beautifully decorated for the New Year. We also visited the Christmas market at Nyhavn and tried traditional Danish pastries.”

“Vienna, Austria: This city is incredibly beautiful during the New Year. We visited the Christmas markets, listened to classical music concerts, and enjoyed the festive atmosphere.”

“Prague, Czech Republic: This city is magical during the New Year. We visited the Old Town Square, enjoyed the Christmas market, and tried traditional Czech dishes.”