I made a trip to a Russian store in Salt Lake City a few weeks ago and was surprised by the number of different 'sweet' gifts for kids in colorful paper bags, tins, and boxes. Small and big, expensive and not so, simple and sophisticated, decorated with iconic holiday images, they all represented the Russian tradition of New Year gift giving.
Right there in the small Russian store, I vividly pictured New Year 'sweet' gifts from my childhood of the 60s and 70s. Those gifts were given to every child at a New Year school party or brought home by parents (paid by the trade unions). They were 'standard' cellophane-packaged treats, including few chocolate candy (the most delicious, expensive and loved by every kid!), a bit more caramel candy, a small pack of traditional square short-bread cookies, and of course, an orange, or better yet a mandarin that was a delightful treat for every one of us.
I should probably mention that In the Soviet times, oranges and mandarins were almost unaffordable and were sold only during the New Year holiday season. Hard to believe, right? For that particular reason, the citrus smell for the people of my generation has always been associated with winter and New Year holidays.
The smell of oranges is already in the air. I love it! С новым годом, друзья! Вкусных вам угощений! Happy New Year! Wish you delicious treats!
Фотографии ©Бибичков Михаил
