Articles containing suggestions to send flowers to Russia, Ukraine and CIS for various occasions. Also contains useful information about Russian cultural differences in choosing flowers or gifts for loved one sore relative in Russia.
You Are Loved!
RussianFlora.com is wishing you lots of love this Valentine’s Day and many more to come!
To make this day even more special for you and your loved ones get a special 10% discount off your order placed on our website by February, 15 using a coupon code WSR30.
Looking for an unique way to spend this Valentine’s Day? Check out our top 5 Valentine’s Day apps choices for couples that will help you make this holiday truly special for you and your loved one.
1. COUPLE – Relationship App
Couple is a social networking app for two that allows you a more intimate way to share your life and the best way to stay in touch with your significant other who is far away. Couple keeps all your special moments saved privately in one place and connects you to only the most important person in your life for the most private messaging experience. Express yourself by creating romantic videos, audio, photos and do everything from one app: share to-do lists, set reminders, make phone calls, send messages, share your location, suggest places to go out to on dates, and more. When you want to be close to your loved one touch the same spot on your phones and both phones will vibrate simultaneously.
Couple is the perfect app for those in long distance relationships or in the same city. It’s free, fun, completely private, has an Apple Editors Choice award, great customer reviews and over 2 million downloads. So, why not giving it a try?
2. AVOCADO – Chat for Couples
Avocado is a fun way to stay connected with your loved one on Valentine’s Day. Send romantic message, sexy photos, hugs and kisses to your special someone who is far away to make them feel special and loved. If you are dating, married, crazy in love or just have a friend you want to communicate with, Avocado keeps your favorite person as close as your phone. Whether you’re in the same apartment or miles away, this app helps you stay connected anytime, anywhere. And just like home, it’s a completely private and secure space for the two of you to share a life. Highly rated by couples all over the world, Avocado is definitely one of the best apps for couples out there.
3. RED STAMP – Romantic Cards
Red Stamp is a great app not only if you want to a send personalized Valentine’s Day card but also suitable for many other occasions. With Red Stamp, you can send stylish customized cards, announcements, and invitations within minutes. You can add photos from your phone and edit sentiments to send to your Valentine by text, email, Facebook, Instagram, and even by regular paper mail. Red Stamp is packed with hundreds of modern creative designs to set your romantic card above the rest and many customers can swear by it.
4. LIVINGSOCIAL – For Finding Things to Do
If the standard romantic dinner and flowers on Valentine’s Day isn’t really your thing, LivingSocial is a perfect way to explore and get great deals on attractions near and far. From skydiving to a relaxing day at the spa, there are lots of ways you and your Valentine can spend the day anything but traditional.
Choose your location and save up to 80% by discovering tasting menus at local restaurants, spa massages, concerts, travel packages and hotel deals; fashion, jewelry, makeup, and other unique products for pampering your Valentine. Download the app for free and let the romantic hunt begin!
5. AIRBNB – For Unique Getaway
Looking for a perfect Valentine’s getaway with your special someone but hate the idea of an old boring hotel room? Check out a free Airbnb app and browse thousands of unique properties of all kinds anywhere in the world. You can rent out a romantic home with balcony in the heart of Paris, cosy room near Times Square in New York; sleep in a huge castle, 200-Year-Old church, tree house under the stars, or even rent your own personal island somewhere in the Caribbean… there are tons of possibilities depending on your budget and where you want to spend this Valentine’s Day.
For more Valentine’s Day Gifts ideas please visit www.RussianFlora.com
Even though in many parts of the world Christmas is observed on December, 25 Orthodox Christians still celebrate it on January, 7 according to the Gregorian calendar. In many central and eastern European countries including Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Serbia, Montenegro, Egypt, Ethiopia it’s a big public holiday with its own customs and traditions.
For many Russians, Christmas Day is in the first place a big family holiday, time to visit friends and relatives, show them love and care, as well as exchange gifts. There is a 40-day Lent preceding the holiday when people fast and don’t eat any meat. The Lent period ends with the first star in the sky on 
January 6 – a symbol of Jesus Christ’s birth. Many Orthodox Christians attend a Christmas liturgy in the church that evening.
Make sure you wish your relatives, friends, and business associates who observe Orthodox Christmas a wonderful holiday by sending beautiful gifts for any taste. They are going to enjoy stylish flower arrangements, delicious edible gift baskets with chocolate, sweets, fruit, or gourmet treats, good wine or champagne, and many other gift ideas for any budget from our seasonal catalog at www.RussianFlora.com.
Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given–when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes.
New Year’s is the biggest celebration of the year sacred to every Russian. No other holiday in the calendar is celebrated with such enthusiasm and there’s number of traditions and rituals associated with it.
Those who like to postpone everything until the last moment have their last chance now to finish decorating Christmas tree. Since New Year’s in Russia occurs earlier than Christmas (which is celebrated on January 7), people exchange gifts on December, 31. Unlike many western countries where gifts are put in stockings that hang from the fireplace gifts in Russia are usually placed under the Christmas tree. That’s why the next important step is to hide beautifully decorated New Year’s gifts meant for friends and family members under the tree and start the countdown to midnight.
1 p.m. – COOKING MARATHON BEGINS
Russian New Year’s just isn’t New Year’s without the salads. We’re not taking about light green salads either, but mayonnaise-infused and protein-thick works of art created by each hostess with their own touch. There are plenty of salads that can be found on the holiday table but only few are served in each family without exceptions. One of the most popular is Olivier salad made with potatoes, carrots, pickles, green peas, eggs, chicken or bologna all bound in mayonnaise. New Year’s literally doesn’t exist if this salad is not on the table. Selyodka pod Shuboi, or “Herring under a Fur Coat” is another not so simple must have. This layered carnival filled with herring, potatoes, carrots, beets, onions and mayonnaise has a festive purplish color which usually makes it a centerpiece on the holiday table. Caviar, mandarin oranges and champagne are also a necessity on New Year’s Eve. Russians even give them as gifts to the hosts and present to co-workers and friends.
7 p.m. – GREET YOUR GUESTS
New Year’s is without a doubt the most family-oriented holiday in Russia. Everyone gathers around the festive table, and many people make special trips from other regions in order to celebrate with their families. Close friends and even neighbors are also welcome but usually after midnight.
8 p.m. – TIME TO DRESS UP
Russians have their own Santa Claus called Grandfather Frost. He comes to children on New Year’s Even with his young granddaughter Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden). In exchange for gifts and sweets, children have to stand on a chair and recite a short poem. Usually parents dress up themselves, ask friends or neighbors or even hire professional actors who visit their kids to perform some amusing scenes and give gifts for New Year’s to Russia.
9 p.m. – TURN ON YOUR TV
New Year’s celebration can’t be considered complete without special holiday TV programs and movies. All channels start featuring entertaining shows early on December, 31 and finish only several days after. One of the most iconic Russian movies always shown on New Year’s Eve is “The Irony of Fate,” the story of an ordinary Soviet guy, who after a drinking binge at the sauna with friends, accidentally flies from Moscow to St. Petersburg, mistakenly breaks into a home that has the same address as his Moscow one, and finds the love of his life.
11:50 p.m. – MIDNIGHT DATE WITH MR. PRESIDENT
Regardless of their political affiliations, right before midnight Russians around the world tune in to hear the Russian president wishing everyone happy New Year. Once he finishes, the clock tower on Red Square chimes, fireworks burst into the air and the New Year officially begins. While the bells are ringing for one minute, you need to crack open a champagne bottle, make a wish and clink glasses with your loved ones precisely when the clock strikes 12 if you want your wish come true.
1 a.m. – TIME TO GO OUT
Since New Year’s is a family holiday, Russians stay celebrating with their dear ones till around 1 a.m. and only after they go out to visit friends, set off fireworks and attend parties.
2 p.m., January 1 – WAKE UP AND CONTINUE THE FEAST
New Year’s Eve is just the beginning of the long winter holidays in Russia. On January, 1 nobody wakes up until at least 2 p.m. Plenty of leftovers from the night before will help you survive without cooking for another week or so. And the best part is of course to know that you don’t have to be back at work till January, 10 which makes it over a week to shake off the hangovers.
1st of September also known as the Day of Knowledge is a big holiday in Russia and CIS countries celebrating the beginning of a new school year and the first day of autumn. On this day millions of pupils and students of all ages are going back to their desks after three months of summer vacations. Dressed up kids and their parents can be seen everywhere carrying beautiful bouquets. Traditionally, flowers are given to teachers, students, and parents on 1, September and are considered a symbol of the holiday.
Say congratulations to dear family members and friends and wish them a successful new school year with a wonderful back to school gift!
Summer holidays are almost over and a new school season comes knocking at our door. Even though in different countries kids go back to school not at the same time, in Russia and CIS everyone goes back to studies on September, 1. Known as the Day of Knowledge, the 1st of September is an important holiday celebrated in schools and colleges all over Russia. The day is special for everyone: school newcomers and college students, parents and teachers.
Traditionally, September, 1 in Russia is celebrated with flowers, chocolate and small gifts. We’d like to share some gift ideas for those who want to congratulate their dear ones, relatives or friends in Russia and CIS and celebrate the beginning of a new school year with taste.
Gifts for Students
It’s always exciting to start a new year at school or college. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones and learning new things are ahead of every student at the beginning of each year. The 1st of September is the red day in the Russian calendar and it’s traditionally celebrated with flowers, lots of flowers. Bright and cheerful bouquets with Gerberas, Sunflowers, Chrysanthemums and other seasonal flowers are quite popular with students of all ages. A perfect addition to a bouquet (especially for younger recipients) is a bunch of colorful balloons. They are great at making the day even more exciting. Another important back to school gift for students is a festive cake. Choose a chocolate, cream, jelly, fruit, or any other cake from the catalog – they are all delicious and perfect for the celebration.
Gifts for Parents
The 1st of September is both exciting and stressful time for all parents in Russia. It signifies the end of relaxing summer holidays and the beginning of one more year of hard work. Make the back to school less stressful and more fun for all those parents who have already started preparing their kids for school. There’s nothing to help unwind and forget about the hustle and bustle than a bottle of champagne or wine. A selection of fruit or gourmet treats is a perfect addition to a glass of sparkling wine. Beautiful summer flowers are another great option especially for women in the family. Make sure to include a little something for everyone on your list so that all recipients can enjoy the special occasion.
Gifts for Teachers
Back to school is special not only for students but also for their teachers. Traditionally, on the 1st of September Russian students of all ages give their teachers festive bouquets. Roses, Lilies, or Chrysanthemums are usually given to female and Gladiolus or Carnations to male teachers. Flowers are often given paired with a box of chocolate. If your special someone or friend is a teacher and celebrating The Day of Knowledge in Russia it’s also recommended to give them a festive gift basket. A keepsake hamper filled with gourmet treats, healthy fruit and fresh flowers is a great choice for all teachers.
Help your Russian friends or relatives celebrate the beginning of a new school year! Send them a back to school gift they will love!
If you happen to be in Russia during the first week of May you may be a bit confused as to what’s going on. The first week to ten days of May the whole country goes on spring break to celebrate a series of public holidays. Most banks, public buildings and educational institutions are closed, and everyone has time off to take a vacation or pour into the streets to celebrate the coming of spring.
Because many national holidays in Russia fall at the beginning of May, the government traditionally compile them into one long break known as “May holidays”. It always starts on the 1st of May and lasts for 9 or 10 days. This period is one of the most important and festive public holiday events in Russia. A lot of people gather in the streets to celebrate spring, take part in peaceful demonstrations, parades and other numerous outdoor activities.
1st May
The Russian May holidays start with Spring and Labor Day observed on May 1st. Previously known as the Day of the International Solidarity of Workers the holiday lost its political meaning in Russia after 1991. Some political parties and labor unions still organize May 1st demonstrations, but most Russians use this public holiday to relax with family and friends. People prefer to spend time outdoors, have picnics or barbecues. Men may give spring flowers to women, and parents may buy balloons and sweet gifts to their children to celebrate the end of the long winter season in Russia.
9th May
The series of May holidays in Russia end with the second most popular public holiday after New Year’s – Victory Day. The celebration commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and honors the bravery of millions of Russian people whose heroism saved the country from Nazi invaders.
Victory Day is a sacred holiday for Russians who often say that there is not a single family in the country who did not lose someone in that war. On this day festive events are held all across Russia, with military parades taking place in all major cities, the most spectacular one in Moscow’s Red Square culminating in grandiose firework display.
At home, families gather around a festive table to honor surviving witnesses of World War II and remember those who passed away. There’s a tradition to give Victory Day flowers, usually red carnations, to all veterans and to lay wreaths at the war memorial sites.
May Holidays Symbols:
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Easter is one of the most important religious observances of the year in the Orthodox calendar. This holiday is not just a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it brings people peace, joy, and hope. Both children and adults are looking forward to a big family feast held on Easter Sunday that falls this year on April 12, 2015, featuring numerous Easter treats including Easter bread Kulich, Paskha, and of course Easter eggs.
Easter egg decorating is a tradition shared by many cultures throughout the world, from children using stickers and vegetable dye, to professional artists creating sophisticated and elaborate designs. Though now, egg decorating is associated with the Christian Easter, the roots of the tradition go back to over 60,000 years ago in Africa and about 5,000 years ago in Egypt. The pagan ritual of welcoming spring, with the egg being a symbol of fertility and revival, was later adopted by Christians.
The tradition of dyeing Easter eggs started in the beginning of the 17th century. Traditionally Orthodox Easter eggs are dyed in red, the color that is symbolic of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Red signifies his blood, the shell represents the tomb, and the cracking of eggs is the release and the resurrection.
Later the tradition of coloring eggs for Easter has evolved, using more complex designs and techniques, and especially spread throughout the Slavic communities, including Russia, Ukraine and other Eastern European countries.
Krashenki are Easter eggs painted in one color. Initially, Orthodox Easter eggs were red, orange, or brown, and only later such colors as yellow, green, blue were used in decoration patterns. Orthodox Russians and Ukrainians used edible herbs, as well as local or exotic plants to prepare dyes for Easter eggs decoration. The first natural dye (widely used to this day) was made by boiling onion peel in water. Green dyes were prepared from clover leaves, parsley and rosemary. Yellow dyes from saffron, cumin, weak broth of onion peel and lime tea steep.
Depending on the method of Easter eggs decoration in Orthodox tradition, different techniques were called Krashenki and Pysanki. Later, the Russians and Ukrainians started to make Easter eggs either very simple or sophisticated and exclusive made of precious metals and stones.
Traditional Ukranian Easter eggs, pysanka, are ornately decorated eggs that use the wax-relief method. These eggs are embellished with traditional Ukrainian motifs, including the Orthodox cross, plants, birds, and other objects of nature. This ornaments have originated during pagan times as a ritual, celebrating the god of sun and rebirth. Later when Christianity came to Ukraine, egg decorating was adapted as an Easter tradition.
The Pysanka Easter eggs are surrounded by legends and superstitions, especially as a way to scare away evil spirits. Each design and color has their own meaning. Each family would usually have at least 50 eggs on Easter Sunday to give away as gifts to relatives and friends.
The best known decorative Easter eggs were made in Russia by well-known jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé. Fabergé was first commissioned in 1885 by Russian Tsar Alexander III who wanted to give his wife, Maria Fedorovna a special Easter gift.
The first commissioned Imperial Fabergé egg was simple at first glance: a realistic looking egg made of gold coated in white enamel. Inside the egg there was a gold yolk, that also opened and contained a minute golden hen with ruby eyes. The hen also opened to reveal a tiny egg shaped ruby pendant.
The tsarina loved the gift so much that her husband made it an annual Easter ritual to present her a new Fabergé egg. Their son continued the tradition, commissioning two new eggs each year for both his mother and wife. About 50 unique Easter eggs (known as the Imperial Eggs) were created by Fabergé for the royal family between 1885 and 1917. All Fabergé eggs were created from gold or other precious metals, decorated with gemstones, and covered in a thin layer of translucent enamel. Each with its own unique intricate design, the tiny eggs opened, hiding a surprise inside.
For more Easter gift ideas please visit www.RussianFlora.com
