Let’s talk about customs and traditions of Belarus. What can you tell me about your favourite holiday in Belarus?

We have a lot of very interesting customs and traditions in Belarus. But my favourite is the tradition of celebrating the New Year. I suppose it is the favourite holiday of most Belarusians. This holiday is so colourful and beautiful that everybody looks forward to it months beforehand. First of all, we decorate a real fir tree. Father is responsible for bringing home a nice New Year tree and I’m in charge of decorating it. We go on long shopping rounds trying to buy beautiful toys. Mother is busy with cooking tasty things for the New Year festivities. She is especially good at cakes. Traditionally, her special dish is cake “Napoleon”. It is very delicious.

I always look forward to this holiday because everybody is in a good mood, we do everything together. There is a lot of music, tasty food and very good company.

Are you proud of our national holidays and traditions?

There are a number of national holidays and traditions that I’m proud of. For example, Kupalle is a very spectacular holiday. Probably, the favourite Belarusian holiday is Christmas carols or ‘Kalyady’. Songs, fortune-telling and many other exciting events take place on this holiday. ‘Dozhinky’ is a harvest festival which takes place every year in a different place. There are many more interesting traditions and holidays in our republic that we all can be proud of.

What questions about our traditions do you expect to hear from a British teenager?

Which holiday celebration in Belarus will you recommend your British friend to see?

I would recommend my British friend to take part in celebrating ‘Kupalle’. I’m sure it will be exciting for him to jump over a fire, to watch girls throw wreaths into the river and do a lot of other interesting things.