Soviet Santa • Hacker News Board

Re: Soviet Santa

#21

Post by m0zg » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:33 PM UTC

twooclock wrote: post #19

Correct artice and being from ex communist country even after more than 25 years I certainly have issues celebrating christmas. "They were able to celebrate Christmas, but they had never done it before." most resonates with me. Makes me realize the importance of traditions and how fragile they are.

You do? We (Russian Americans in the US) celebrate two Christmases and two New Years, both by the "new" calendar (Dec 25/Jan 1) and by the old (Jan 7 Christmas, Jan 13 "Old" New Year). Because, as they say in Russia, "there's no reason not to drink".

Re: Soviet Santa

#22

Post by cperciva » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:39 PM UTC

andreyk wrote: post #2

As a Russian, can confirm this article is quite accurate - my family only ever celebrates New Years, it's the same as Christmas is usually in the West, and Ded Moroz is totally a thing.

But do you celebrate New New Year's or Old New Year's?

Re: Soviet Santa

#23

Post by tomaszs » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:50 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #15

tomaszs wrote: post #4

I live in Poland. Before 89 when my country was occupied by Russia, "Soviet Santa" was forced here to replace Santa Clous. It was one of many things that was made to erase Christianity and replace it with atheism and communism. Fake Christmas, fake Santa, zero beliefs. I was young back than but i felt its shallow and dark. So for me Soviet Santa is a symbol of the occupation and Russian tyrrany Poland was under until…

All: come on you guys. Let's not have nationalistic flamewar for Christmas please. Nor any other day on HN.

You dont have any right for tone policing. And i find your comment extremely offensive.

Re: Soviet Santa

#24

Post by twooclock » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:51 PM UTC

m0zg wrote: post #21

twooclock wrote: post #19

Correct artice and being from ex communist country even after more than 25 years I certainly have issues celebrating christmas. "They were able to celebrate Christmas, but they had never done it before." most resonates with me. Makes me realize the importance of traditions and how fragile they are.

You do? We (Russian Americans in the US) celebrate two Christmases and two New Years, both by the "new" calendar (Dec 25/Jan 1) and by the old (Jan 7 Christmas, Jan 13 "Old" New Year). Because, as they say in Russia, "there's no reason not to drink".

Sure we have this drinking excuse as well! (Mind that even our anthem is basicly a toast) But Christmas went more into comsumerism with crowded shopping malls, excessive buying etc. We stil have some people celebrating santa and others dedek mraz.

Re: Soviet Santa

#25

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:54 PM UTC

dang wrote: post #14

cat199 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Please don't go on about downvoting–it's tedious and breaks the site guidelines: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html . Also, please don't take HN threads into religious or ideological flamewar. Your comment doesn't exactly go there but it's a step in that direction, and we're trying to avoid that on this site.

[deleted]

Re: Soviet Santa

#26

Post by tomaszs » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:57 PM UTC

[flagged]

Re: Soviet Santa

#27

Post by nradov » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 8:57 PM UTC

m0zg wrote: post #21

twooclock wrote: post #19

Correct artice and being from ex communist country even after more than 25 years I certainly have issues celebrating christmas. "They were able to celebrate Christmas, but they had never done it before." most resonates with me. Makes me realize the importance of traditions and how fragile they are.

You do? We (Russian Americans in the US) celebrate two Christmases and two New Years, both by the "new" calendar (Dec 25/Jan 1) and by the old (Jan 7 Christmas, Jan 13 "Old" New Year). Because, as they say in Russia, "there's no reason not to drink".

Serbians also still celebrate Christmas and New Years according to the old Julian calendar. In a few thousand years they really will have Christmas in July.

Re: Soviet Santa

#28

Post by izacus » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 9:20 PM UTC

firstbabylonian wrote: post #18

dmix wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you pronounce Ded Moroz in an anglophone way? I noticed you used “Dez” instead of Ded.

That’s a typo. The pronunciation is close to “dee-yet mah-ross”

Yep, we called him "Dedek Mraz" in the balkans which also literaly translates into Grandfather Frost.

(Although we did celebrate christmas since the anti-religion clampdown wasn't that aggressive in Yugoslavia.)

Re: Soviet Santa

#29

Post by throwlaplace » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 9:26 PM UTC

dmix wrote: post #17

andreyk wrote: post #2

As a Russian, can confirm this article is quite accurate - my family only ever celebrates New Years, it's the same as Christmas is usually in the West, and Ded Moroz is totally a thing.

How do you pronounce Ded Moroz in an anglophone way? I noticed you used “Dez” instead of Ded.

https://translate.google.com/#view=home&op=translate&sl=ru&t...

click the speaker

Re: Soviet Santa

#30

Post by bad_user » Wed, Dec 25, 2019, 9:28 PM UTC

We also had "Ded Moroz" in communist Romania, translated to "Moș Gerilă".

It was imported due to the soviet occupation after WWII and the subsequent adoption of communism. The word Christmas was censored in 1948. In the 80s our beloved supreme leader wanted to associate those presents with the state instead of Moș Gerilă, so things got a little weird with the state propaganda.

After the revolution in 1989 we changed the holiday to the Christmas in the Gregorian calendar and Santa Claus, translated as "Moș Crăciun" (Father Christmas).