Why re-write holidays calendar?
by Gleb Cherkasov, Gazeta.Ru via MOSNEWS, Russia MOSCOW, Russia – Holidays are more than just happy days off work. Holidays reflect national ideology, the public manifestation of a country’s fundamental values. A multitude of holidays marked in Russia today, including the Soviet-era red-letter days, imperial Russia holidays as well as post-Communist dates, reflect the ideological chaos reigning in the country over the past 15 years. Ordinary Russians, however, fully recognize only two holidays – the New Year and the May 9 Victory Day. All other dates colored red in our calendar are never celebrated by a majority of the Russian population. They either believe those ‘holidays’ to be somewhat controversial or simply see no sense in their having been introduced in the first place. Take for instance, the Independence Day, marked on June 12. Sooner or later the government will have to bring order to the national holidays calendar, adjusting it to its own views on what kind of national ideolo
