Happy New Year!

Wishing everyone a happy, safe, wonderful and blessed New Year and sending each and every one of you all of the best for 2010. Thank you for spending 2009 with me. What are all of your plans for New Year's Eve? In just two hours, TLS and I will be going to a restaurant here in Ankara for a lovely dinner that we have been very much looking forward to followed by champagne and a view of the fireworks from our hotel.

In Russian culture, Christmas does not really exist as a holiday. For us, New Year is the day when you put up a tree and Santa comes and leaves you presents under it. My mother still puts up a tree every year (we put it up one or two days after Christmas to distinguish that it is not, in fact, a Christmas tree) and I told TLS that next year we will be having our own tree. This is how they celebrate New Year in Turkey as well and it has brought a big smile to my face seeing all of the trees and Santa hats around everywhere. :) It is also a Russian superstition that you are supposed to be wearing one new item of clothing on New Year for good luck. I greatly enjoyed this growing up because it meant that no matter what, my mother had to take me shopping in December. This year I got a lovely navy and white wrap dress along with a pair of new Hanky Pankies. All you ladies who made impulse purchases this week with your Christmas/Hannukah money, here's a way of justifying those. :)
See you on the other side of the calendar. :)