Family holidays

First of all, let me tell you a few words about my family. We are an average-sized Belarusian family. There are four of us: my mother, my father, elder brother and me. Besides, we have a lot of close and distant relatives. Most of my family holidays would not be possible without them and our numerous friends.

Actually my family isn’t conservative, but it makes sense to say that in the course of our family life some special traditions, which are very dear to us, have come to stay. First and foremost, receiving guests and observing certain celebrations and holidays have become entire necessity. They provide superb opportunities for relaxation, merrymaking, swell chats and create a peculiar atmosphere of warmth and comfort. The best thing about these inspiring occasions is that they knit the whole family close together. We just forget about our worries, put off all our routine concerns and find time to devote all our time to one another. Frankly speaking, in our daily routine, we are usually either so tired or so busy that we can’t just sit together and have a heart-to-heart conversation with one another, share our ups and downs, sorrows and hopes without having to rush anywhere. And we are happy when there is some free time for a tea conversation in the evening. Luckily, we can make up for this lack of communication on a couple of red-letter days of the year.

Every new year starts with the celebration of this wonderful event. New Year is like a big party which goes on for two days. This is magic, mysterious time. It brings out the child in all of us. Everyone believes that something wonderful might happen. As for me I begin to feel anxious somewhere on the 29th of December because preparations for New Year’s Eve are an integral part of the holiday. New Year’s Eve is time for putting everything in order in the house before New Year arrives. The whole flat has to be swept and all the debts paid. Anything that has been borrowed has to be returned, clothes mended, clocks wound up, pictures which hang crooked on the walls straightened, silver and brass polished, china and glass washed.

When everything is sparklingly clean, we begin to decorate the flat. It is mainly my concern. I install our artificial New Year Tree on a special table. I trim it with coloured glass balls, tinsel, nice electric garland, bright paper bows and colourful ornaments. Then I put a large piece of cotton wool under the tree and liven up this imaginary snow with a couple of spangled cones and lovely candles. We use it as a hiding place for our presents and cards. I also hang a few wreaths and symbolic small besoms on the walls in the living room. Meanwhile, my mum is busy cooking a holiday dinner. She has a flair for cooking. That is why our dinner parties are generally successful. Then we lay the table together. Sandwiches, salads, roast chicken, mashed potatoes, ham, chops, ice-cream, fruit and champagne are usual musts for our New Year’s Eve Dinner. And my task is to compose poems wishing all the members of our family a Happy New Year and to write them on special cards. I would say it is extremely absorbing. My parents and brother, in their turn, usually spend a few hours going around the shops to look for New Year presents for one another and for me.

At roughly half past 10 we sit at the table, turn off the lights, lit candles, switch on the TV and drink a toast to the Old Year, to all the good it has brought us. The thing is that we see in New Year twice: by Russian time and by our local time.

So when the chimes on the Spasskaya Tower of the Kremlin strike 12, we greet New Year with holiday toasts and champagne, wish one another a Happy New Year and come to the New Year tree to look for the presents which are waiting for us. On New Year’s Eve we usually make resolutions to get rid of bad habits and start good ones. At midnight everyone shouts “Happy New Year ” and we drink a toast to our real New Year. Afterwards we sit in comfort, watch TV, eat at ease and recall the most memorable events which happened during the past year.