So. I don’t remember any weird New Years right now
Why New Years and not Christmases
Also the gifts are given out for the New Year, usually not long before it’s 00:00 of January 1st, or exactly after midnight and the President’s speech, whom everybody belittles while he talks, even the old folks hate his guts by now, but everybody still watches it because tradition. My first New Year without Putin happened a few years after I moved away from parents, and it was only because the people with whom I spent that New Year happened to be too drunk to set the TV properly. And I was happy not to help, because it’s not a tradition I enjoy 
I don’t want to see this guy’s face at the start of each year, but ooh is it difficult to avoid.
Complimentary gifts can be given out for Christmas, but it’s also not mandatory, and rarely happens: it’s more of an excuse to give more gifts to people you love and care for, and make holidays longer for them this way. Parents often do this for kids, but aside from this, it rarely happens - even the hardcore Christians stick with the New Year presents. That’s because Christmas is January 7 in Russia, so it actually comes a week after New Year festivities.
but I remember a weird present my friend gave to me.
She was notoriously famous for regifting stuff while demanding high-quality, high-cost personal gifts, so that was not a complete surprise, but still hilarious. That New Year, she gave me a small plastic decorative ball for the Christmas tree (New Year fir tree, who cares, it sounds weird in English). It was clear from the way it looked it was a regifted complimentary gift, separated from some person’s main gift and rejected to be given to me, but I still asked her what it was.
She cheerfully said that was the special holiday tea that she got especially for me, since she knew I loved tea. And yes, as a matter of fact, I do enjoy a cup of tea, thank you very much.
But from the weight of the ball, I knew it was no tea, so to avoid awkwardness, I thanked her full-heartedly and told her I’d better open it at home, because I didn’t want to cause mess. Ok. So after I finally got home, I completely forgot about it for a few days, and then remembered, and opened it. Inside there was nothing but a well-folded sheet of paper that looked like a secret note. No tea, obviously, but very exciting. Intrigued, I unfolded the note… to find a love letter. That love letter was not for me though 
it was for the girl who gifted me this ball. Unfortunately, it never reached her, because she never bothered to reach the ball.
I immediately called her, and the conversation went smth like this:
Me: “Thanks for the present! I finally got to try the tea, it’s amazing!”
Her: “Well, but of course it is! I’ve spent quite some time choosing it for you!”
Me: “Yeah, that’s a perfect gift for holidays, this tea really sets up the mood. How did you know my tastes so well?”
Her: “Haha, well, I know a things or two about you. You are my dearest friend, so I really wanted to make this gift special”
Me: “It was pretty special. Could you tell me where you got that ball, since it doesn’t have much tea in it, and I want to get more when I run out?”
Her: “Sorry, I don’t remember, I’ve attended so many shops while getting presents for everyone this year”
Me: “Well, okay. What if I tell you there was no tea”
Her: “No tea?”
Me: “No tea. But something better instead. There was a secret love letter”
Her: “What?! A love letter? What did it say?!”
As she didn’t ask about the author of the letter, it was clear she knew immediately who the author was. So while I didn’t get the tea, I still got some fun out of my gift teasing her about the whole thing for quite a while sorry not sorry.
I enter for:
- Atonement: Scourge of Time
- City of Chains
Thank you very much.
And I apologize if I already told that story somewhere on Chrono before, it was weird enough to make a huge impression on me.
haven’t even decorated this year other than some xmas cards
I’ll get it eventually. Seems like it’s being included in quite a few bundles so at some point I’m sure I’ll get a bundle with it included lol.
No I’m just kidding, that was a good one!
just because here you need to eat meat-free dishes according to orthodox christianity.