It’s 11 AM in the coldest village on Earth, in Yakutia
Today is a special day for Stanislav and his son Djulus.
It’s time to get their Christmas tree
Every year, they venture deep into the forest in search of their perfect Christmas tree
to bring back home.
Despite the icy cold er, they set off on their search with excitement and energy of the season
Christmas and New Year are celebrated differently in Yakutia
For the Yakut people, there are two new years to celebrate.
The first is the Yakutian new year, which falls on the summer solstice, on June 21st.
The Yakut people also celebrate the western new year, which takes place on January 1st
This holiday is similar to Christmas, with celebrations, gift-giving, and special traditions.
After searching for some time, Stanislav and Djulus have found their perfect tree
And they’ve got it just in time, 13-year-old Djulus, is starting to feel the cold
There is a legend that December is the coldest month because of the breath of the giant frost bull
Its breath is colder than the polar ice caps, and its horns are sharp enough to cut through any ice
According to legend, there is a Yakutian hero that fights with the bull all year
In the winter the bull is winning the fight and it becomes stronger, which is why it gets colder in winter
Stanislav and Djulus, bring the tree back and present it to the family, and now they
have the real feeling of Christmas and New Year in their home
They are a big family with 4 kids
The oldest is studying in a university far away from the village and is planning to come
back for the holidays,
As the evening comes, they gather around the tree, ready to bring it to life
Stanislav, the man of the house, begins by placing the star on top of the tree.
Even though Christmas is not a traditional holiday celebrated by our ancestors, we have
embraced this western celebration with open hearts
There is something truly magical, special, and universal about this time of year
and we take great joy in bringing our families together to celebrate
In Yakutia, children believe in Father Frost,
according to legend, Father Frost travels throughtout Yakutia, during the holiday season,
spreading cheer and good will wherever he goes.
Now the time comes for the food,
Zeinida has made a special Olivier New Year salad.
In Yakutia, without this salad there is no new year
It is made with a mixture of diced boiled potatoes, pickles, peas, cooked beef, and
chopped boiled eggs with mayonnaise and it’s served chilled
They also have Christmas cake, and Yakutian handpies filled with meat and rice
When the clock strikes 12, the most important tradition is to make a wish!
They write their new year wishes on paper, light it on fire and then put the ashes in
their drink and down it. This must be done as fast as possible at midnight,
before one minute past.
I am pleased to share how we celebrate Christmas and New Year in Yakutia,
As we say in Yakutia:
Wishing you all a happy Christmas and new year, to you and your loved ones
from the coldest place on earth, Yakutia