Every country has its own customs, traditions and holidays and Russia is no exception. It is almost impossible to list all the holidays of the country but I’d like to tell you about the most important and traditional ones. At the beginning of each year Russian people celebrate New Year and Christmas. Both children and adults love these public holidays. People don’t work or study for several days. They relax at home, visit relatives and exchange presents. New Year starts at midnight on the 31st of December and Russian Christmas is on the 7th of January. It is a religious holiday and many people go to church services on that day. Next holidays are “Men’s Day” on the 23rd of February and “Women’s Day” on the 8th of March. These holidays are rather important. On “Men’s Day” women prepare small gifts for their loved men. On “Women’s Day” men do everything around the house and cook all the meals. In such way all women of the country can take a rest from household duties. They also get some presents on this day. Easter is one of the widely celebrated holidays in Russia. Its date changes from year to year but usually falls on April. Children exchange coloured eggs and women bake traditional cakes called “paska”. The 1st of May is the Day of Labour in Russia. It is an official public holiday when people don’t work but go on demonstration instead. One of the greatest national holidays is Victory Day on May the 9th, which commemorates the victory of Russia at the Second World War. On this day the veterans take part in military parades. One of the newest holidays in Russia is the Independence Day, which is celebrated on the 12th of June. It was the day when the first Russian President was elected in 1992. All pupils and students of the country start their school-year on the 1st of September. This holiday is considered to be the Day of Knowledge. Students usually present their teachers with flowers. Next national holiday is celebrated on the 12th of December. It’s the Constitution Day. Today, Russians also celebrate many foreign holidays, such as St. Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, Chinese New Year and so on.