Adopting from Russia

Here is the article form Adoptive Families that I was telling you to read.

Adopting from Russia
What's it like to adopt from Russia, and what changes may lie ahead? AF spoke with experts in the field. BY EVE GILMAN

Since Russia formalized an international adoption program in 1991, more than 50,000 children have found families in the U.S. The program ran smoothly through 2004, when Americans adopted an all-time high of 5,862 children from Russia. Although Russia remains one of the most viable programs, numbers have declined in recent years, to just 1,857 adoption in 2008.

The process calls for a high degree of motivation on the parents' part. Families must travel to Russia at least twice (it's becoming more common for parents to travel three times), and paperwork requirements can vary on a case-by-case basis. "Adopting from Russia is not like adopting from China, where you send in your dossier and that's it." says Kim Bernstein, manager of the Russia program for Wide Horizons for Children , in Waltham, Massachusetts. "In most regions of Russia, you continually update your paperwork until your child comes home." Judy Strigger, director of international adoption for The Cradle, in Evanston, Illinois, adds, "The program is very stable from an overall perspective, but in the day-to-day minutia, it's highly variable."

Russia's Orphans
Nearly 750,000 children in Russia are classified as orphans, though, as Berstein points out, "the vast majority still have legal connections to their birth families." And more of the children who are legally freed for adoption are staying in Russia as a direct result of the government's efforts to encourage domestic adoption, including a public relations campaign to debunk adoption myths and financial subsidies to Russian adoptive and foster families. The efforts have been successful on a large scale. "Last year, for the first time, more children were adopted by Russian citizens than by families in other countries," notes Tome DiFilipo, president and CEO of the Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS). "I think that's a good thing for children."

Age and Health of Children
No one would dispute the idea that children finding homes in their country of birth is positive, but it changes the face of intercountry adoptions. "For families here, the big deal is that the number of kids available for adoption is decreasing. And the youngest, healthiest kids are being adopted in Russia," says Strigger.

"In the last year, we have seen a dramatic change in the health of the children who are available for adoption in Russia," adds Bernstein. "I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that nearly all of the kids have at least moderate health risks, beyond the standard delay in growth and development that we used to see."

Agencies are also seeing a change in the age and gender of children available for adoption. The agencies AF spoke with allow parents only to request a child younger than 18 months. Agencies are also less willing to permit families to specify gender. "We tell families that, the more preferences you have, the longer you'll wait," says Alla Goncharova, Russia program director for Adoption Associates, in Jenison, Michigan. Boys age three and older are most in need of adoption.

Parent Requirements
Married couples and single women can adopt from Russia. Russian law doesn't specifically prohibit single men, but few, if any, regions will approve them to adopt. Most agencies set eligibility limits regarding parents' ages based on the preferences of adoption officials in the regions they work in.

Social workers commonly indicate that a family "can parent a child with minor, correctable problems" in the homestudy. But Goncharova points out that a child may have undetected psychological or health complications. "We have to make sure the family can handle unpredictable problems" she says. When medical information is available, Stigger says that is must be taken with a grain of salt. "Some of what we worry about, like alcohol exposure, might not be on record because a mother's alcoholism isn't always known," she says. Medical terms are also used differently in the U.S. and Russia-or even in different regions of Russia.

Such concerns have led adoption professionals to call for a more careful approach to homestudies. The change is already underway. "JCICS is working with the U.S. government to develop specific homestudy language to indicate that parents are appropriately educated and prepared for any physical or mental health issues the child may have," says DiFilipo.

As part of the homestudy, adoption agencies must also verify the parents' fitness to raise a child. "Russia has gotten much more restrictive on health and mental history and criminal records," says Bernstein. She advises people with questions about their backgrounds to discuss the specifics with an agency. For years, adoption professionals have speculated that Russia will begin mandating psychological testing for prospective parents. Though several regions and adoption agencies require such testing, it's not yet stipulated by Russian law. Talk about closer scrutiny of parents was renewed in late 2008, after Miles Harrison, a father who caused the death of the toddler he'd recently adopted from Russia, was acquitted of charges. At the time this issue went to press, no one could predict what stricter guidelines might entail.

The Adoption Process
After turning in a dossier, families receive an "invitation to travel" and meet a child. If a married couple is adopting, both parents must make the trip. Russian law prohibits parents from receiving any identifying information about the child they are referred, so many parent travel "blind".

At the orphanage, parents are allowed to take photos and videos of the child, and ask questions. "We encourage our families to hire bilingual pediatricians in Russia to assist with a medical evaluation," says Goncharova.

Families generally wait two to five months to make a second trip, for their court date. It's hardly an idle wait, as most parents must gather additional information to present to the judge. The paperwork can be extensive, ranging from updating their homestudy based on the child's medical condition to submitting new documents.

Both parents must travel to appear in court and officially gain parental rights to the child. Russian law prescribes a 10-day waiting period after the court date before the new family can leave the country. Historically, nearly all judges waived this waiting period, but this is now very rare. The agencies AF spoke with noted that most of their families chose to fly home and make a third trip, due to the high expense of staying in Russia for those 10 days. (Moscow is currently one of the most expensive cities in world to visit, and families should figure $10,000 to $25,000 in travel expenses into a total adoption budget of about $40,000 to $55,000.) Only one parent needs to return for the third trip.

Every family must conclude their adoption journey in Moscow, to obtain the child's visa. U.S. Consular Affairs previously issued visas in two business days, but in March, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services took over the procedure. At press time, it was unclear whether the timeline for the final step would lengthen.

The Russian adoption process depends heavily on the region the child is coming from. Some regions have been known to provide photos or brief medical backgrounds before the family's first trip. Some ask for excessive paperwork updates before the court date, others require one parent to remain in country for the 10-day waiting period. These variations, says DiFilipo, highlight why "it's critical that prospective parents utilize a service provider who is very familiar with the laws and procedures of the regions they work in."

Focus on Post-Adoption
Children adopted from Russia retain their birth country citizenship until age 18, and must be registered in the U.S. with the Russian embassy. Russia requires post-placement reports from adoptive families for three years after the child comes home.

In general, Russia has been looking more closely at post-placement. In the past decade, at least 15 Russian adoptees have died in the care of their new families in the U.S., and each case received media attention throughout Russia. Concharova notes a pattern-all of these tragic deaths took place less than a year after the child came home-that seems to call for better support for families through the transition, in addition to tighter screening of the parents' mental health.

Differences in Russian and American culture also cause friction. Stigger says that the not-guilty verdict in the Harrison case was confusing to Russians because their legal system doesn't allow for acquittal when something has clearly gone wrong. Attitudes toward child care also differ. "In Russia, it is normal for a new mother to take at least one year of leave, and the law provides for that. But in the U.S., most women take just two to three months. It's difficult for Russian to understand this," says Goncharova.

Aside from the expected tightening of parent and agency requirements, experts don't see dramatic changes on the horizon. DiFilipo says, "Our assessment is that Russia will continue to be a viable option-not for parents, but for children to find homes through international adoption." EVE GILMAN is the editor of Adoptive Families.

For more international updates visit adoptivefamilies.com/internationaladoption.

Finally, Word From Russia

We have finally heard back from our agency regarding what the hold up is in Russia. Apparently, they are waiting for the "officials" (whoever that is) to produce some document that is necessary for foreigners to adopt our girl. Right now they seem to think it will take until the end of May to have everything in order, but are trying to get more info. from the regional officials for us. Hopefully, they will have a better idea for us sometime next week. I will let you know if I hear something next week...I'm not holding my breath!

A Must Read

I just read a great article in Adoptive Families Magazine titled "Adopting from Russia" and I felt it would be great for everyone I know to read it too. This is one of the most current and accurate articles on Russian Adoptions I have read. Everyone keeps asking me for details on how everything works and this is it. I will try to find a way to post this article or at least a link to it, but in the meantime try to pick up an April Issue of Adoptive Families and check it out. (If you live close, you may borrow mine.)

I called my agency...

...and asked them if they could at least give me an estimate on how much longer we could expect to wait. We have been waiting for 10 weeks now. They are contacting our coordinator in Russia as I write this and should have an answer for me by early next week. (I know that sounds like a long time, but St. Pete is eight hours ahead of us so communication is not the best.) I will let you know more as soon as I do. You had better pray hard for us because I am once again running out of things to post, so it is time for another Russian History lesson...

Also, as a quick reminder for those of you that recently accepted the invitation to read our blog...Do not share any of this information with ANYONE until our daughter is home. (See post titled "Going Private.") Thank You!!!

Still Nothing

Well, now we are at nine weeks and counting and still nothing! Oh, how I hope and pray it will be soon!!! As you know she was born in March, so I am really hoping we get to be there with her for her first birthday. Oh, I don't know how so many parents have done this before me. The wait is just awful. Her picture is hanging beside me, staring at me. Her little eyes are begging me to come and get her! I know I will be fine, but she is laying in some orphanage, bored out of her mind and I am still waiting to even visit her...it's just not fair. Please pray for us as this journey seems to drag on and on. Pray for ALL of the orphans laying in orphanages bored out of there minds waiting on someone to come and get them. Pray that more families would answer the call to welcome these children into their homes.

Travel Update!

As you may remember, we were originally told we should travel 3 to 8 weeks after accepting our referral. Well, this week will be 7 weeks. So, I finally emailed my agency this past week as I couldn't stand the "not knowing" anymore. This time I spoke to a different person that seems to be more familiar with the Leningrad region. She said travel can take actually up to 12 weeks and they won't even start asking questions until 10 or 11 weeks. So, we get to wait a little longer.

Toooo Cute!!!

I just found a baby picture of our daughter on a Russian website. It is a site by the Ministry of Education that lists the children that are available for adoption. It is supposed to be for Russian families, but I have been learning to read some Russian and was able to navigate the website. I am so excited!!! Most adoptive parents never get the chance to see their child before the referral photo. So, this is REALLY special to me! I just wish I could share it with you. Hopefully, she will be ours soon and I will be able to share all the photos I want!

Saint Petersburg, Russia

Here is some basic information about Saint Petersburg, Russia. Our baby is somewhere in the Leningrad Oblast (Region). Since I don't know exactly where, I thought I would share some information about Leningrad's capital city. You didn't know following our adoption journey would qualify you for a World History degree, huh? Enjoy...

Saint Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, Russia was founded on May 16, 1703. It is the capital of the Leningrad region (although not administratively part of it) and the administrative center of the Northwest district. Located in NW European Russia at the head of the Gulf of Finland on both banks of the Neva River and on the islands of its delta, St. Petersburg's port is linked by deep water a canal with Kotlin Island, where the outer port and the Kronshtadt (krənshtät`)naval base are located.

Russia's second largest city and its former capital, St. Petersburg is a major seaport, rail junction, and industrial, cultural, and scientific center. Although the harbor is frozen for three or four months annually, icebreakers have prolonged the navigation season. The seaport is one of the world's largest, but it handles relatively little traffic because the volume of foreign trade for Russia is small. The river port, one of the most important in the country, stands at the end of two artificial waterways, the Volga-Baltic and the White Sea–Baltic. A series of canals within the city carries considerable cargo. The city's diverse industries include shipbuilding, metallurgy, oil refining, printing, woodworking, food and tobacco processing, and the manufacture of machinery, electrical equipment, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.

Points of Interest

The city's main thoroughfare is the celebrated Nevsky Prospekt. On it are the high-spired admiralty building; the Winter Palace, built by Rastrelli; the Hermitage (ĕr'mētäzh`), one of the world's foremost houses of art, Cathedral of St. Isaac, the equestrian statue of Peter the Great, Falconet's masterpiece and the subject of Pushkin's poem "The Bronze Horsemen." The city's oldest building is the fortress of Peter and Paul (1703), which served as a political prison in imperial days. Among the baroque buildings of the early 18th century are the Alexander Nevsky monastery (1710), the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (1733), the Winter Palace (1762), and the Smolny convent (1764). Neoclassical buildings of the late 18th and early 19th cent. include the Academy of Arts (1772), the Marble Palace (1785), the Taurida Palace (1788), the cathedral of the Virgin of Kazan (1811), and the Exchange (1816). Among the city's educational institutions are the St. Petersburg State Univ. (est. 1804) and the St. Petersburg State Univ. of Economics and Finance. There are numerous theaters, museums, scientific and medical institutes, and libraries, including the Maryinsky Theater, the Saltykov-Shchedrin Public Library (1795) and the Academy of Sciences library. Outside the city are Pushkin (psh`kĭn), with the Summer Palace, and the former imperial residence of Peterhof (now Petrodvorets (pyĕ'trədvəryĕts`), formerly Peterhof and Gatchina (gä`chēnə). A striking phenomenon of St. Petersburg is the prolonged twilight, or the "white nights," of June and July.

History

The city was built by Peter I (Peter the Great), who sought an outlet to the sea and a port for trade through the Baltic. It was built in 1703 in what was then Ingermanland (ĭng`gərmənlănd) or Ingria, an area conquered from Sweden during the Northern War. The fortress of Peter and Paul was erected to defend the projected new capital, which was to be a modern city and a "window looking on Europe." Construction was carried out at tremendous human and material cost. The capital was moved from Moscow in 1712, although the land on which the city stood was not formally ceded to Russia until 1721. Italian and French architects planned the city, giving it the spacious, classical beauty that it has retained.

St. Petersburg soon replaced Arkhangelsk (ərkhän`gĭlsk) or Archangel as Russia's leading seaport and became an important commercial center. From the second half of the 18th cent., it was also the country's principal industrial center, at first for shipbuilding and engineering and later for textiles. In 1851, a rail link with Moscow was completed. One of the world's most brilliant capitals and cultural centers, St. Petersburg was immortalized in the novels of Pushkin, Turgenev, Dostoyevsky, and Tolstoy. Its apex as an international center of literature, music, theater, and ballet and as the scene of lavish and reckless social life was reached in the late 19th and early 20th cent.

Under the surface, however, the seeds of social upheaval ripened, especially among industrial workers. Secret revolutionary societies arose, and an attempt by city workers to petition the czar precipitated a revolution in 1905. The city was renamed Petrograd in 1914. The workers, soldiers, and sailors of Petrograd also spearheaded the revolutions of Feb. and Oct., 1917. Although it lost much of its former glamour, the city remained the economic and cultural rival of Moscow, which replaced it as capital in 1918. Petrograd was renamed Leningrad in 1924. During World War II, the city was cut off from the rest of the USSR by the fall of Schlüsselburg (now Petrokrepost (pyĕ'trəkryĕ`pəstyə), formerly Schlüsselburg to the Germans (Aug., 1941). It was besieged for over two years, during which many hundreds of thousands died of famine and disease. The city's original name was restored in 1991. In the 1990s, the city struggled to convert its heavily military-related industries to civilian purposes.

Saint Petersburg Facts

Territory: As of 2003 the territory of the city is 606 (377 sq mi) square kilometers, and 1 439 square kilometers (894 sq mi) with the suburbs. The length of the city from North to South is 44 kilometers, and 25 kilometers from West to East.
Highest elevation: 42 meters above the sea level (Poklonnaya Gora)

Distance to the nearest cities:

Tallinn - 330 km
Helsinki - 383 km
Stockholm - 710 km
Moscow - 650 km

Neighbouring countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Denmark (The Baltic Sea Region).

Neighbouring Russian regions: Leningrad Oblast, Novgorod Oblast, Vologda Oblast, Pskov Oblast, Kaliningrad Oblast and Republic of Karelia.

Population: According to the last census that took place in 2003, there are 4.7 mln people in St.Petersburg (which makes approximately 3% of the Russian population).

Gender distribution: men — 45.1%, women — 54.9%.

Ethnic: Russians, Ukrainian, Belorussian, Moldavian, Tatar, Jews, Karelian, Azerbaidzhanian and Gypsies (Roma).

Resources: Fresh surface waters and underground waters. The surface fresh waters are concentrated in the columbine of the water system "Lake Ladoga — the Neva River — the Neva Inlet — the Gulf of Finland". On the territory of the city and its environs there are sand and gravel quarries, pebble stones, sands, clays, sandstone, loamy soils, as well as peat (the resources make approximately 17.5 bin m3 of raw peat which is the equivalent of about 2 bin tons of dried peat).

Islands: The city is located on 44 islands formed by the Neva River and 90 more rivers and canals.

Bridges: The abundance of islands has led to the construction of a multitude of bridges. Of these, nowadays there are 308 within the city proper, and 534 if suburbs are included. 22 of the bridges are drawbridges. The total length of all the bridges is about 16 kilometers. The longest bridge across the Neva is the Alexander Nevsky Bridge (909 meters with runways), the widest bridge is the Siniy Bridge on the Moika River (99.5 meters).

Language: Russian

Religions: Predominantly Russian Orthodox, Islamic, Buddhism, Jewish concessions, Catholic and Baptist Church.

Voltage Requirements: 220 volts

Time Zone: 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight Saving Time is observed March-October.

Airport Departure Tax: None

Telephone Code: country code-7; St.Petersburg city code-812

Tipping: Tip 10%-15% in restaurants and hotels. Taxi drivers aren't usually tipped.

Nicknames of the city:

"The Venice of the North" (referring to St.Petersburg's many rivers and canals)
"The Palmyra of the North" (referring to architecture of St.Petersburg and harmony of the city and its rivers and canals)
"The Northern Capital of Russia" (referring to the centuries-old rivalry between St.Petersburg and Moscow)
"Cultural Capital of Russia"
"The Babylon of the Snows"
"The Window on the West"
"The Window into Europe"
"Russia's Crown Jewel"
"The Cradle of the Revolution"

Symbols of the city:

The Angel with a Cross (weather-vane on top of the Peter and Paul Cathedral)
the Little Ship (Korablik), weather-vane on top of the Admiralty tower
drawbridges
White Nights
The Seal: A sea anchor and a river anchor with a scepter — a symbol of royal power — on a red field.

Local government: The Governor and the Governor's Office, The Legislative Assembly.

Zoning: 20 administrative districts, including satellite towns under St.Petersburg's jurisdiction.


Saint Petersburg's Seasons

Winter

The first snows fall in November. The Neva starts to freeze in great ripples of ice. The City takes on a new romantic quality as snow shrouds its famous landmarks and buries its parks in an icy mantle.

Made more temperate than Moscow by the waters of the Finnish Gulf, the snows come and go before setting into a thick white cloak soon after New Year. This is the time for Troika rides in the countryside and steaming bowls of Borscht.

Restaurants in the main hotels offer choices of Russian and international cuisine and bars and restaurants throughout the City provide a good choice of traditional Russian home cooking and international options.

Ballet and Opera are a major part of the City's winter attractions. The works of Russia's most talented musical sons Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov are at their best performed here in their cultural homeland.

The Russian festive season combines two Christmases and two New Years! So there is plenty to celebrate! As Russia re-discovers Yuletide traditions, long forbidden and forgotten, the big celebration is still New Year. That is when Father Frost alias Father Christmas, comes to town and the City puts on its glitziest face and parties until dawn.

Spring

As the snows melt and the first blossoms peep from St. Petersburg's many beautiful parks, the City casts off its winter mantle and embraces the spring sunlight.

The last of the winter ice flows dramatically down the Neva and out to sea. The haunting notes of St. Petersburg's street musicians can again be heard as the days grow ever longer and the City of the Tsars is filled with a vibrant sense of re-birth.

Spring is an ideal time to visit The Hermitage - the magnificent former residence of the Tsars and home to one of the world's greatest art collections. Ahead of the summer crowds, you can gaze in relative privacy at works of art by a multitude of famous artists from Rubens to Van Gogh.

Immerse yourself in the intrigue of pre-revolutionary Russia with a visit to Yusopov Palace, home to the once mighty Yusopov family and site of Rasputin's infamous murder. Or take a trip into the countryside and visit Paul's Palace at Pavlovsk - one of the finest examples of restoration work in Russia. After viewing the treasures of the Palace, enjoy the spring sunshine in the picturesque landscaped gardens which surround it.

Summer

St. Petersburg's Summer starts in early June and runs right through to the end of August. Long summer days linger late into the night providing a haunting quality to the light as it caresses the ornate facades of Peter's City.

The lango-rous evenings are ideal for lazy boat rides through the canals. As you glide gently under picturesque bridges and pass through the subdued elegance of the City's backstreets, St. Petersburg reveals its beauty from a new and more subtle perspective.

Enjoy summer picnics in the parks, on the sandy beaches north of the City, or by secluded wooded lakes in the surrounding countryside.

A typical Russian picnic comprises home grown cucumbers, tomatoes and fresh herbs, freshly baked bread, cold meats and the classic grilled Shaslik, not to mention plenty of Vodka and Russian Champagne!

The famous White Nights with their legendary midnight sun, fall in June each year, lending the City an intriguing and exotic mood, St. Petersburg celebrates with an international music festival. The program includes performances by the famous Kirov Ballet and Opera Company and concerts at the Philharmonia.

Autumn

Golden Autumn as the Russians call it, heralds days of crisp bronze sunlight and the first chill promise of winter. The leaves turn to burnished gold on the trees throughout the City's parks as St. Petersburg's residents enjoy the last days of sunshine. This is a quieter, more relaxed time to visit St. Petersburg and its many fabulous sights and exceptional museums.

Just behind the statue of St. Petersburg's favorite poet Pushkin, and a stone's throw from Nevsky Prospect, lies the Russian Museum. The Museum's treasure trove of art tells the enigmatic story of Russian history as seen through the eyes of Russia's most prominent artists.

Out in the countryside, Catherine's Palace in Pushkin embraces the autumn light with its golden spires and luxurious interiors. Perhaps the grandest of St. Petersburg's many palaces its eighteenth century baroque style reflects the glamour and glitz of those heady imperial days.

Discover Yelagin Palace, on the outskirts of the City, set on its own wooded island, poised above the river, it is a favorite autumn haunt for private parties, receptions, treasure hunts and barbecues.

Still Waiting

It has been a while, so I thought I would give you an update. We are still waiting to hear from our facilitator in Russia for our travel dates. She is in the Leningrad Region and apparently this is a slow moving region. We were told that travel to this region usually happens in 3 to 8 weeks from the day we accepted our referral which was January 2ND. But, because Russia celebrates it's Christmas two weeks after us, our travel dates would probably be pushed back a little. I can deal with waiting now, but I pray that after I meet her I will be able to return to bring her home really quickly! I don't know how well I will be able to accept the thought of someone else taking care of my child a half of a world away.

I can't post real specific information about our child here but I can tell you a few things. Her middle name is going to be Hope and I am pretty sure her first name is going to be Elizabeth. Elizabeth Hope. Andy really likes this name, so I think this is it. (I named both of the boys, so I guess I can let Andy name one of our children.) I am really excited! I have already bought her two outfits. I have also bought everything we need to travel in Russia...a converter, a money belt (for Andy...I'm not wearing that much cash!), toys to leave with Hope (We will call her Elizabeth once the adoption is final.), a baby photo album with pictures of us and our home to leave with her, a VERY heavy coat and boots (Thanks for the help, Aunt Audra!), and much more! International travel is really expensive! The good news is that the Dollar/Ruble exchange rate is the best it has been in a VERY LONG time. It is the best I have ever personally seen it. So, this will literally save us thousands of dollars! I guess waiting has paid off in some ways. Anyway, please continue to pray for our journey as it is FAR from over. Although I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, we have really just arrived at the hard part. It will all be worth it in the end...I can't wait have my little one home!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Russian Christmas

Thirteen days after Western Christmas, on January 7Th, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates its Christmas, in accordance with the old Julian calendar. It's a day of both solemn ritual and joyous celebration.

After the 1917 Revolution, Christmas was banned throughout Russia, along with other religious celebrations. It wasn't until 75 years later, in 1992, that the holiday was openly observed. Today, it's once again celebrated in grand fashion, with the faithful participating in an all-night Mass in incense-filled Cathedrals amidst the company of the painted icons of Saints.

Christmas is one of the most joyous traditions for the celebration of Christmas Eve comes from the Russian tradition. On the Eve of Christmas, it is traditional for all family members to gather to share a special meal. The various foods and customs surrounding this meal differed in Holy Russia from village to village and from family to family, but certain aspects remained the same.

An old Russian tradition, whose roots are in the Orthodox faith, is the Christmas Eve fast and meal. The fast, typically, lasts until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears. The dinner that follows is very much a celebration, although, meat is not permitted. Kutya (kutia), a type of porridge, is the primary dish. It is very symbolic with its ingredients being various grains for hope and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.

Once the first star has appeared in the sky, the festivities begin. Although all of the food served is strictly Lenten, it is served in an unusually festive and anticipatory manner and style. The Russians call this meal: "The Holy Supper." The family gathers around the table to honor the coming Christ Child. A white table-cloth, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes, covers the Table. Hay is brought forth as a reminder of the poverty of the Cave where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is place in the center of the Table, symbolic of Christ "the Light of the World." A large round loaf of Lenten bread, "pagach," symbolic of Christ the Bread of Life, is placed next to the Candle.

The meal begins with the Lord's Prayer, led by the father of the family. A prayer of thanksgiving for all the blessings of the past year is said and then prayers for the good things in the coming year are offered. The head of the family greets those present with the traditional Christmas greeting: "Christ is born!" The family members respond: "Glorify Him!" The Mother of the family blesses each person present with honey in the form of a cross on each forehead, saying: "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, may you have sweetness and many good things in life and in the new year." Following this, everyone partakes of the bread, dipping it first in honey and then in chopped garlic. Honey is symbolic of the sweetness of life, and garlic of the bitterness. The "Holy Supper" is then eaten (see below for details). After dinner, no dishes are washed and the Christmas presents are opened. Then the family goes to Church, coming home between 2 and 3 am. On the Feast of the Nativity, neighbors and family members visit each other, going from house to house, eating, drinking and singing Christmas Carols all the day long.

The "Holy Supper"

Christmas Eve dinner is meatless but festive. The most important ingredient is a special porridge called kutya. It is made of wheat berries or other grains which symbolize hope and immortality, and honey and poppy seeds which ensure happiness, success, and untroubled rest. A ceremony involving the blessing of the home is frequently observed. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling. According to tradition, if the kutya stuck, there would be a plentiful honey harvest.
Traditionally, the "Holy Supper" consists of 12 different foods, symbolic of the 12 Apostles. Although there was also some variation in the foods from place to place and village to village, the following is a good summary of what was typically served:

1) Mushroom soup with zaprashka; this is often replaced with Sauerkraut soup
2) Lenten bread ("pagach")
3) Grated garlic
4) Bowl of honey
5) Baked cod
6) Fresh Apricots, Oranges, Figs and Dates
7) Nuts
8) Kidney beans (slow cooked all day) seasoned with shredded potatoes, lots of garlic, salt and pepper to taste
9) Peas
10) Parsley Potatoes (boiled new potatoes with chopped parsley and margarine)
11) Bobal'ki (small biscuits combined with sauerkraut or poppy seed with honey)
12) Red Wine

It was once common practice, on Christmas Eve, for groups of people masquerading as manger animals to travel from house to house, having themselves a rousing good time, and singing songs known as kolyadki. Some kolyadki were pastoral carols to the baby Jesus, while others were homage to the ancient solar goddess Kolyada, who brings the lengthening days of sunlight through the winter. In return for their songs, the singers were offered food and coins, which they gladly accepted, moving on to the next home.

Ded Moroz and Yolka

The origin of Santa Claus is in St. Nicholas. He was born in Asia Minor at the Greco-Roman city of Myra in the province of Lycia, at a time when the region was entirely Greek in origin. Due to the suppression of religion during the Soviet regime, St. Nicholas was replaced by Ded Moroz or Grandfather Frost, the Russian Spirit of Winter who brought gifts on New Year's. He is accompanied by Snyegurochka, the Snow maiden, who helps distribute the gifts.

The Christmas tree (Yolka) is yet another tradition banned during the Soviet era. To keep the custom alive, people decorated New Year's trees, instead. Since ornaments were either very costly or unavailable, family trees were trimmed with homemade decorations and fruit. Yolka comes from the word which refers to a fir tree. The custom of decorating Christmas trees was introduced to Russia by Peter the Great, after he visited Europe during the 1700's.

Why January 7?

In ancient times, many, mostly unreliable methods had been used to calculate the dates according to either the lunar or solar cycles. By Roman times, the calendar had become three months out with the seasons, so in 46 BC, Julius Caesar commissioned the astronomer, Sosigenes to devise a more reliable method. This, we know as the Julian calendar and was used widely for 1500 years. The month of his birth, Caesar had named Quintilis, but the Roman Senate later re-named it Julius (July) in his honor. In those days, February had 30 days every 4 years.

However, this calendar was still 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than the solar year, so that by the year 1580, the calendar had accumulated 10 days off again. In 1582, therefore, Pope Gregory XIII corrected the difference between the sun and calendar by ordering 10 days dropped from October, the month with the least Roman Catholic Feast days. His calendar, we know as the Gregorian calendar, which is used in most of the world today. Pope Gregory made further changes to keep the calendar in line, which on average is only 26.3 seconds longer than the solar year. The Gregorian calendar is so accurate that it will take until the year 4316 to gain a whole day on the sun.

That year, 1582, October 5Th became October 15Th and was immediately adopted in most Roman Catholic nations of Europe. Various German states kept the Julian calendar until 1700. Britain and the American Colonies didn't change until 1752, but Russia and Turkey did not adopt the Gregorian calendar until the early 1900's.

So, January 7Th by the Georgian Calendar would have been December 25Th by the old Julian calendar and is therefore why it is still Christmas Day for the Russian Orthodox Church. Many Russians will have celebrated along with the rest of us and will then celebrate again on the Orthodox date.

New Year Eve instead of Christmas

Few people in Russia remember, but when the communists took power in 1917 they banned the open expression of religion. While it was easy to pray at home, the Russian people were concerned about giving up their traditional Christmas celebration.
But where there is a will, there is a way!

They re-invented the New Year's holiday tradition to include a decorated tree, and introduced a character called "Grandfather Frost." Known as "Ded Moroz," Grandfather Frost looked very much like the western "Santa Claus" or "Pere Noel" - except he wore a blue suit.
Actually, Ded Moroz was a character that existed in the pagan culture, centuries earlier. For a time, Christmas was all but forgotten. In fact, it was generally celebrated only in small villages, where the citizenry was far from the prying eyes of the Party.

Today, Christmas is celebrated again, on January 7Th. But, to date, New Year's remains the bigger event.