In our great country can celebrate the New Year several times. And not just because the holiday is walking through many time zones. Traditions, customs, and even Santa Claus - enough!
There's a fun setting to celebrate the New Year! The slogan of "Carnival Night" once again relevant. A fun - and it is diverse. Let's see what interesting and from which the region can be found.

In on l on r odskaya area

fact that Santa Claus has received since 1998, permanent residence in the city of Veliky Ustyug Vologda area, they know already, probably, is all. Traditionally, to visit him gather colleagues and relatives - Santa Claus from the U.S., Joulupukki of Finland, Mikulas from the Czech Republic.
Here Vologda fabulous countrymen - Goldfish from Lipina Bora Vytegra River, Onega Father, the Prince and Princess Belozerskaya. On this day, open up a special mailbox, which can be omitted congratulations for Santa Claus.

Karelia

One of the guests Velikiy grandfather - Karelian Pakkayne. Only he is not an old man with a huge beard and a rather mischievous boy. According to legend he was born in early winter during a return convoy to the town shopping Olonec. Pakkayne called it, which is translated from the Karelian means "frost". When he grew up, was to travel a lot - because in real life he was, like his father, a merchant - and in its overseas Olonets shop brought sweets and various unusual items. Pakkayne was a dandy, and in every place he loved primp in the mirror. And when leaving, his reflection was chosen from the mirror, and continued to live in this place. But in the winter all of its reflection went into Olonec where organized races, trying to prove who is the real Pakkayne.

Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District

; But young frost - it is still an exception. In all the other dads and gray hair and beard are available. Here, for example, has a master's grandfather and not far from Salekhard, as they say here "on the edge of the earth." Good magician Yamal Erie comes to visit, he and invites guests to her, gives gifts, helps those in need, and all possible reconciles. Grandfather of Yamal is a wonderful staff, and a magic drum drives away evil spirits. Recently, the North a magician, too, has a specific address on the Yamal land. He settled in the tribal lands of princes Tayshinyh in the village of Gorno-Knyazevsk.

Yakutia

New Year to celebrate the summer Yakut , the summer solstice of 21 to 22 June - is a traditional holiday Ysyakh. But, in order not to violate obschefederalnogo calendar Yakut Santa Chishan (Chyshaan) is ready to work hard in the winter. In the Yakut grandfather has a huge bull that comes out each fall from the ocean and begins to sprout horns. The longer the horn - the stronger the freezing cold. Antlers grow simply unrealistic - in fact came to Velikiy grandfather Yakut grandfather proudly called himself the master of the permafrost. And posed for a hat with horns - a bull can be seen, turned out to couch potatoes.
Yakutia so big that it was already two of Santa Claus. Ehee Dyl - it is like a Grandfather of the Year, Time Lord. A Chishan - universal guardian of cold, to which the Russian Santa Claus, and Santa Claus are coming to the cold. Yakut Santa divided and the two poles of the cold: Chyshaanu got Ojmjakon and Ehee Dylu - Verkhoyansk.

Buryatia

Another colorful character - Sagaan Ubugunov of Buryatia, which means "White Elder." In fact, and he had "twins" is - in Mongolia, for example, his name Tsagaan Evgen, and great mountain Bogd near Lake Baskunchak - a place of sacrifice Kalmyk his white old man. But the main features - general: it is the keeper of life and longevity, one of the symbols of fertility and prosperity, a very revered in the Buddhist pantheon. A New Year in lunar calendar in 2011 will come on Feb. 3.

Kostroma Region

Well, what kind of Santa Claus without granddaughter - gay Maiden, which is helping him to distribute gifts and playing with children? As it is already possible to guess snegurok in Russia too much. At Veliky birthday already three frosty beauty arrived: Maiden of Ugra Surgut, Zhygulivs'ka Maiden of Togliatti, and most did home - from Kostroma. After all Shchelykovo, the estate of the great playwright, has become in recent years, considered the birthplace and residence of the All-Russian Snow Maiden. Here, in a place called now Yarilin valley and melted heroine of "spring fairy tale." Ice-free source, the Blue Key at the bottom of which hit the springs, rhythmically moving ground. "It beats Snegurochkino heart" - says the guide.

About m Mosque in 's up to the outskirts of the most

Another character Ostrowski, King Berend, from time immemorial lived in Pereslavl, but in Gatchina to Cathedral Street just a year ago opened the residence of his own Santa Claus - among other things, the World and the Cossack. Arkhangelsk, recently declared himself a "home Snowman", Klin, near Moscow, it appears, has registered all of the twelve brothers-months. And how many characters are not already covered! Here is Frost-red nose, Claus-governor, of whom more Nekrasov wrote - is not a brand for the Yaroslavl area? Karabikha something better than Shchelykovo will!

Wes Dade - is Santa Claus, Kabardino-Balkaria, Nishku - Mordovia, Hel Mucha - Chuvashia. Shoo Babai lives in Tatarstan, Tol Babai - Udmurtia, kind and beautiful Yushto Kugyza Lumudyr - Mari El. Graced Velikiy celebrations and foreign visitors - with St. Nicholas Ukrainian, Latvian gay guy and his girlfriend Lachplesis Lyme. And again, there is a Belarusian Zyuzya, long-bearded god of winter, who lives in the woods and walks barefoot Yyuluvana Estonian, Lithuanian, Khaled Sinelis. And even in Uzbekistan have their grandfather - the children come on a donkey Korbobo.

Where there until the historical prerequisites for the emergence of exclusive grandfather, local visionaries something, yeah invent. November 18 at the mall "SaniMart" in the center of Penza hosted the annual summit of Santa Claus. In Kungur based on the famous ice caves created a summer residence of the Ural Father.

Clever use in the Perm Krai in the Russian tradition of a New Year's dumplings and jelly. "Pelmeni capital" a few years ago declared itself Perm, and then there's a local brand "Permyak - salty ears", and where the salt - there Solikamsk, and in Solikamsk even the Robinson Crusoe visited (this is the second part of the book, not so famous) . So what will be there, perhaps Santa Claus hat in robinzonovoy walk and dumplings all treat.

Since I came on New Year's table it, we must remember that salad "Olivier "come up in Moscow, a half-century ago French chef worked in a restaurant on the Pipe area. Further - more creative Muscovites recently invented a new tourist route - the place where invented at least favorite cake "Fairy Tale". And certainly let's not forget that in the Moscow Father Frost legitimate living space is available - in a historic manor park Kuzminki.

Author: Mikhail Gurevich
Photo: Irina Filchenkova