WHILE IN THE BELLS, OFTEN IN A WISH, THEY WRITE IT ON A BURNED PAPER AND THEN POUR THE ASHES INTO A CHAMPAGNE GLASS AND DRINK IT TO THE END. THOSE WHO FOLLOW THIS CUSTOM AFFIRM THAT THEIR WISHES ARE EFFECTIVELY FULFILLED.
Ded Moroz, it is a kind of Santa Claus. Actually this character born during Soviet times is inspired by a character from the ancient Eastern Slavic mythology, and his name could be translated by the "grandfather of cold or snow". Ded Moroz arrives during the old night and deposits the gifts under the fir tree. The fir is another of the traditional elements of this celebration.
According to the Russian agricultural tradition, the year had its beginning on March 1, while the calendar year began on September 1. It was Pedro I who in 1699 ordered that it be celebrated on the same day as the rest of Europe, on January 1.