As a little girl and a new immigrant from Russia, my goal in Israel was to prove that I was a true Israeli.
That goal, however, was realized in December each year when my parents put up a spruce tree decorated with bright light in our living room in celebration of Noviy God – a Russian phrase for “New Year” also celebrates Russian New Year’s Eve and Celebrates New Year’s Day.
Israelis celebrate Noviy God
(Photo: Courtesy)
To this day there is some confusion among the people of Israel regarding the tradition of erecting the ornamental spruce trees, their importance and the holidays they represent.
The culprits for this controversy are two famous Soviet Russians: Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin.
Why? With the outbreak of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, religious observances of any kind were banned in the Russian Empire and the later Soviet Union.
Ioseph stalin
(Photo: Getty Images)
And while religion was not outlawed, the government tried to create an “enlightened” society far removed from the Church.
Civil holidays were the only ones that survived the uprising, which celebrated the glory of the state, God Noviy among them.
After a few years, the communist government agreed that Noviy God would be celebrated in a more festive way compared to other civil holidays, with the regime even naming New Year’s Day as an official state holiday. allowing a day off from work.
Little Ksenia Bulavia, author of the comment piece
(Photo: Courtesy)
The Soviet public – mostly Christians – chose to celebrate the holidays in the best way they knew how, by planting decorative spruce trees in their homes and in public places .
And although the practice came from Christmas, its meaning was completely different and this separation is very important.
Even the good old Santa Claus in the Soviet variant found himself replacing his usual red with a blue rope and changing his identity to “Ded Moroz,” translated as Father Frost.
Ded Moroz and the Snow Maiden
Thus, Noviy God became the most popular holiday among the people of the USSR. A warm day surrounded by lovers, where one can forget life under an oppressive communist regime, with drinks and festive customs.
The holiday was taken by the Soviet masses, regardless of religion, even the Russian people, who brought with them the customs of celebrating God Noviy with them, when they came to Israel.
About a year ago, a petition was lodged calling for a special center in the country to remove their “Christian” Christian God decorations, as “it breaks the feelings of Jewish consumers to claim to those who came from the Soviet Union. “”
This is irrelevant. While the difference between the two holidays can be overlooked, the intolerance is not. The truth is, Noviy God was always met with a level of hostility and disrespect in Israel, as if we had created a holiday just to put everyone else off.
Noviy God decoration at Tel Aviv Central Bus Station
The rampant disdain for our holidays comes in all forms: from children being carried by their classmates to celebrating Noviy God at home, to teachers who scheduled important tests on Jan. 1, to employers who scourge employees who want a day off in honor of the holidays.
Noviy God is important to a large part of Israeli society and as it marks the beginning of a new civil year, it is a holiday for all Israelis, regardless of history.
So, every December a decorated spruce tree pops up in our living room, we gather to drink champagne, eat and watch Russian television. This is how we mark the beginning of the new year. New civil year.
Ksenia Bulavia is the editor in the social section of Ynet’s sister publication, Yedioth Ahronoth