New Year Tree​—Kastom Bilong Russia? Kastom Bilong Christian?

“LONG start bilong olketa year bilong 1830, olketa sei wei for putim tree insaed long haos hem ‘gudfala idea bilong Germany.’ Bifor 1840, olketa pipol wea rich and garem paoa long St. Petersburg mekem disfala idea ‘kamap wanfala kastom’ long haos bilong olketa. . . . Insaed datfala century, olketa bigman bilong religion and olketa poor pipol nomoa no acceptim disfala kastom for putim tree long haos. . . .

“Bifor olketa year bilong 1800, no evriwan acceptim . . . datfala tree. Kastom bilong Russia for joinim diswan witim saen bilong man dae, ‘olketa demon,’ and idea for putim datfala tree long ruf bilong olketa pablik bar, hem difren from wei wea tingting bilong pipol hem change midolwan long olketa year bilong 1800. . . . Hem klia tumas hao wei for isisi acceptim disfala kastom for putim niu year tree insaed long haos, hem garem sem mining bilong datfala tree wea pipol long olketa kantri bilong West savve putim long haos long taem bilong Christmas. . . .

“Wei wea olketa isisi mekem disfala tree for kamap wanfala Christian samting hem no isi for pipol bilong Russia for acceptim. Orthodox Church hem againstim datwan. Olketa bigman bilong Church lukim ‘hao disfala niu celebration join witim olketa demon samting’ and heathen kastom, no taem wea Jesus hem born, and tu, olketa sei hem kastom bilong olketa kantri long West.” —Yelena V. Dushechkina, professor long St. Petersburg State University.

[Piksa Credit Line long page 32]

Photograph: Nikolai Rakhmanov