Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's everyone! I wish you all the best in the coming year!

Because we're Russian, New Year's is the gift holiday in my family. When religion was outlawed, back in the day in Russia, Christmas things like family, and decorated trees, and presents brought by Santa Claus were all moved over to New Year's. Oh, and Santa is actually called Grandfather Frost (in translation, of course.) And he has a granddaughter.

So, I've just come back from two New Yearses. The first was at my grandparents', where Santa rang the doorbell and left the presents behind the door. The presents were all in a large plastic shopping bag. I got Colbert's Christmas CD, but my brother got an ipod nano. Can't say I'm not jealous.

And then, we went to our cousin's house, where we all sat around a giant table and ate all sorts of Russian food, toasted with vodka and champagne, and then sat around drinking tea and eating Russian cakes made by the cousins' grandmother. The father and mother put on Santa and Santa's grandaughter hats, respectively, and handed out presents. The grandaughter hat was a red Santa hat with braids attached, so that when you put it on, you have twin white braids. Honestly, it's the first time I ever saw such a thing, and it was amusing.

The most important present there was given to the son in the family. It was a little remote control robot that could spit out these little circular plastic disks. (And also walk and dance, but that's not so important.) My brother got it to sneak up and shoot me in the legs, because that's what little brothers are for. Or so he claims.

So, now we're back at the grandparents' place, waiting for midnight. And that's how New Year's works in my family.

Oh, to be clear, I'm spending this first part of winter break with the family. We're all visiting my grandparents. Now, I'm off to see if my brother will let me play games on his ipod!