In depth · Christmas & New Year
Christmas and New Year in Moscow: the lights, the rinks and the festive table
In Moscow the great winter celebration is New Year: the streets are lit, the parks flood their rinks, and families gather round the table at midnight. Orthodox Christmas follows on 7 January. The 2026/27 programme is not yet published, so we give no dates beyond the fixed holidays.
Updated October 2026
The lights
From December the centre of Moscow is lit for the season: walk from Red Square past GUM, along Nikolskaya Street and up to Theatre Square and the Bolshoi, where the season’s Nutcracker is a fixture.
Skating in the parks
In winter Gorky Park and VDNKh flood their paths and squares for some of the largest rinks in the city; check the parks’ own sites for opening dates and hours.
New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve is Moscow’s great family night: a table laid for midnight, presents from Ded Moroz, Grandfather Frost, under the tree, and, for many families, Eldar Ryazanov’s The Irony of Fate on television.
Orthodox Christmas
The Russian Orthodox Church keeps Christmas on 7 January. Visitors are welcome at services in the city’s churches: dress modestly, and women usually cover their heads.
The festive table
The New Year table is generous: olivier salad, herring under a fur coat, blini with caviar, and medovik, the layered honey cake. See our Russian Cuisine article for where to taste them.
Questions and answers
When is Christmas in Moscow?
Orthodox Christmas is on 7 January; New Year’s Eve, 31 December, is the bigger celebration.
Where can I skate in Moscow?
Gorky Park and VDNKh open large rinks in winter; check their own sites for dates.
The 2026/27 winter programme is not yet published: check the parks’ and venues’ own sites before you travel. We will add dates when they are announced.