Christmas in Russia is called the “Mother of all Holidays”! 

Orthodox believers observe a 40-day fast prior to Christmas. By tradition, the Christmas holiday lasts for 12 days.

In most Protestant circles, Christmas  is celebrated on the evening of December 24 (Sochelnik).  The tradition of having a decorated fir tree in the house came to Russia from Germany through a ruling by Peter the Great, the evergreen tree serving as a symbol of the eternal life that Christ brought to people. Churches and temples are also decorated with fir branches. Parents tell children stories of how the wise men came to worship the newborn baby Jesus, bringing precious gifts. Worship services are normally conducted until midnight. During Christmas various appetizers, pickles, meat and fish dishes, aspic and goose baked with apples are served. Pies with various stuffing and honey cakes are baked as treats for those who have come to glorify the Lord.

On Christmas Eve devout Orthodox eat nothing until sighting the evening star, which marks the start of evening services. The family then gathers around the table for Christmas Eve dinner, which is meatless, but festive. A white table-cloth is used, symbolic of Christ's swaddling clothes. Hay and a cradle are displayed as reminders of the poverty of the stable where Jesus was born. A tall white candle is placed in the center of the table, symbolizing "the Light of the world." A large round loaf of advent bread (pagach), symbolic of “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: "Christ is Born," with the response, "Glorify Him!" The mother annoints each person’s forehead with honey in the form of a cross, 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 a bowl of honey and then in chopped garlic, symbolizing the sweetness and bitterness of life.  The main dish of the meal 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. The kutya is eaten from a common dish to symbolize unity. Some families used to throw a spoonful of kutya up to the ceiling; if it stuck, there would be a plentiful harvest. Traditionally, the "Holy Supper" consists of 12 different foods, symbolic of the 12 Apostles.

In evangelical churches, on the first day of Christmas (December 25^th), worship services are held in both the morning and evening. Celebrations for children and also for orphans and people in need are held in the afternoon. People give gifts both at Christmas and for New Year.

On Christmas morning, people praise Christ: they go from house to house with a star, singing hymns and national carols (koliadki) about the nativity of baby Jesus and the events surrounding it.

Most countries adopted the Gregorian calendar under Pope Gregory VIII in 1582 or later, but Orthodox churches and a few Protestant denominations continue to observe Christmas on January 7, according to the old Julian calendar.