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Show tUo (He to Say "S Rojdestvom Xristovym." . That's what a Russian would say to you If you were in Russia on Christmas day and he wished to extend ex-tend the season's greetings. The phrase is theN Russian's way of saying: "Merry Christmas." In the past, the Russian's Christmas Christ-mas was closely associated with his church; but how the day is observed ob-served now that the religious life has been subjugated in the Soviet, one would have to be behind the "iron curtain" to know. But it was not always like that. In other days, the Russian Christmas Christ-mas was much like the Ukrainian. There was a Santa Claus known as "Dedushka Moroz" and there were traditional gifts of red boots for children and golden slippers for young girls. In certain parts of the country the "baboushka" (grandmother) was the legendary dispenser of gifts. According to one story, she repented of unkindness and ever since has tried to make amends by distributing gifts to children at Christmas. |