In most of the world December 25 is the big day. In Russia it is New Year’s Eve, and Christmas comes a week later, on January 7. Ukraine has moved its Christmas to December 25. If your family lives in Russia, Ukraine or a neighboring country, it helps to know which date they actually celebrate before you send flowers or a gift basket from abroad.
New Year first, Christmas on January 7
In Russia, New Year is the main family holiday of the winter. Most of what Americans and Western Europeans connect with Christmas belongs to New Year’s Eve there: the decorated fir tree (the yolka), a family dinner, presents, and Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost) with his granddaughter Snegurochka, the Snow Maiden. The table nearly always has Olivier salad, and the smell of tangerines is the smell of the holiday. Just before midnight people listen to the president’s address on TV and count down with the Kremlin chimes.
Christmas in Russia follows the Orthodox church calendar, which is based on the old Julian calendar, so it falls on January 7. By law, January 1 to 8 are days off for most people in Russia, so the first week of the year is one long holiday.
There is even a second, unofficial New Year. On the night of January 13 to 14 many families celebrate the “Old New Year,” the date New Year fell on under the Julian calendar, which runs 13 days behind ours. It is a quieter, nostalgic evening, and for anyone who missed the first one, a good excuse to send a late greeting.
Ukraine and the other countries
- Ukraine has celebrated Christmas officially on December 25 since 2023, when a new law moved the public holiday from January 7. New Year’s Eve is still a big family celebration there.
- Belarus keeps two Christmases as days off: December 25 for Catholics and January 7 for Orthodox Christians.
- Across the region, from Kazakhstan to the Baltic states, New Year’s Eve is the evening people spend with family and give presents.
So a bouquet that arrives in the last days of December works almost everywhere: for Christmas in Ukraine or the Baltics, and for New Year in Russia. For Orthodox Christmas in Russia, aim for January 7.
What to send for the holidays
- Red and white roses. Red, white and green are the colors of the season, and roses are welcome for any occasion. Red alone reads as romantic; red with white feels festive.
- A gift basket. For parents, grandparents or a whole family, a basket of chocolates and cookies, or one with chocolate, nuts and wine, is something everyone at the table can share.
- A fruit basket. With tangerines a symbol of New Year in Russia, a basket of seasonal fruit is a good choice for someone who doesn’t keep sweets in the house.
- An odd number of stems. In Russia and Ukraine, flowers for happy occasions come in odd numbers; even numbers are for funerals. Our florists live there and know this.
Flowers vary by city and season, and in the middle of winter some are harder to find. If something in the bouquet is unavailable, the florist replaces it with a flower of the same value and keeps the style and colors. Roses are never swapped for other flowers without your approval. The contents of a basket also depend on what is available locally.
How to send holiday flowers from abroad
- Open the catalog for the city the gift is going to, not yours. What is available, the price and the delivery days all depend on the destination: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus. Delivery is already included in every price.
- Choose the date. The earliest delivery is the next day, and the checkout shows the days available in that city. New Year’s Eve and Christmas are among the florists’ busiest days, so order at least three days ahead.
- Write your message. A small greeting card with your words comes free with every order.
- Add the recipient’s phone number. The florist calls to agree a convenient time. If you would rather it be a complete surprise, tick “Surprise delivery” at checkout: then nobody calls ahead, and you take responsibility if the recipient isn’t home or the address is wrong. If you only know the city, the phone number is enough; we ask the recipient for the address before the order goes to the florist.
- Pay the way that suits you. Cards, PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Zelle and more than 20 cryptocurrencies are on How to pay.
We confirm the delivery by e-mail.
A local florist, not a parcel
FlowersUSSR has delivered flowers since 2000. Every order is arranged by a florist in the recipient’s own city and delivered by hand; nothing is shipped in a box across borders. That matters in winter: the bouquet travels a few streets, not a few thousand miles in the cold.
If you want to stay anonymous, tick “Send anonymously” at checkout and we won’t give your name to the recipient or the florist. If a city you need isn’t listed, write to us: we can often find a florist in a city that has no page yet.
Whichever date your family celebrates, December 25, December 31 or January 7, flowers at the door say what a phone call can’t: you remembered, and you wish you were there.