You think Christmas can’t really be stolen? Oh, you just don’t know how to do it. Today, I’ll tell you the story of how the great leader, Comrade Stalin, stole Christmas from Soviet citizens—and what happened next. A big thanks to social anthropologist Sasha Arkhipova, who uncovered this fascinating history.
Where Did Christmas Trees Come From in Russia?
Christmas celebrations, as we know them today, came to Russia at the beginning of the 18th century. Tsar Peter the Great, after traveling through Europe, fell in love with the German and Dutch traditions of decorating homes with fir branches and candles. Returning to Russia, he issued a decree mandating the same. Nobody argued with the Tsar, and everyone obediently celebrated as he wished. But after his death, the Western European custom quickly faded away.
For a while, Christmas trees were seen only among foreigners invited to the royal court. Ordinary Russians encountered trees only in taverns. Tavern owners, needing a government license to sell vodka, scrupulously followed any official decrees—even if it meant dragging a full-sized tree indoors. By the 19th century, the phrase “to visit the tree” became slang for getting drunk at the tavern.
Plundering the Christmas Tree
European-style Christmas returned to Russia in the mid-19th century, thanks to two factors: magazines detailing how to celebrate and aristocrats bringing the custom back from their European travels.
At first, the holiday was strictly a children’s affair, held only in wealthy urban homes. Villages had entirely different customs, more reminiscent of modern Halloween. In the city, servants fetched a tree from the forest, which was hidden in a separate room and decorated with sweets and fruits. Sometimes, confectioners delivered pre-decorated trees adorned with candied nuts, apples, and cookies.
On Christmas Day, the doors to the “forbidden room” were opened, and a swarm of children would plunder the tree, devouring the treats. It was a joyful riot, with kids laughing, shouting, and eating their fill—a day of chaos that every child eagerly awaited.
While some hosted trees for underprivileged kids, Orthodox priests often frowned upon the “corrupting influence of the West.” Despite this, by the late 19th century, public Christmas trees became popular, bringing joy to orphans and poor children. For many, these events became their happiest childhood memory.
After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution
Following the revolution, poverty left most people unable to celebrate Christmas. As the economy teetered on collapse, the Bolsheviks loosened their grip slightly, allowing small private enterprises. These entrepreneurs—called NEPmen—had money and celebrated Christmas extravagantly, with dancing, singing, and bourgeois indulgences.
But in 1927, the fun ended when Stalin came to power. He systematically eliminated anyone who could challenge him. NEPmen, with their independent incomes, and the Church, with its ideology, were prime targets. Naturally, Christmas was the first to suffer.
The Crackdown on Christmas
In 1927, teachers marched children through the streets carrying signs: “Parents, stop celebrating Christmas and putting up trees!” Schools and kindergartens were banned from hosting Christmas trees. Even private homes were inspected for “unacceptable” festivities.
City living made secrecy difficult, as most people shared cramped communal apartments. If you had good relations with your neighbors, you were lucky, but often these shared spaces were filled with people from wildly different backgrounds—professors, market vendors, ex-nobility, and factory workers. Privacy was a luxury.
To celebrate Christmas in the late 1920s and early 1930s, people secretly bought small trees from local farmers, wrapped them in sacks, and smuggled them home. Some assembled trees from branches. Curtains were drawn, voices hushed, and the celebration became an act of defiance against a state determined to invade every corner of private life.
The risks were enormous. Celebrating Christmas could cost you your job. Losing work in a collapsing economy was catastrophic.
The Soviet New Year
Then, in 1935, a miracle happened. An article in the state newspaper Pravda proposed organizing New Year’s trees for Soviet children. The idea, of course, came from Stalin himself. Most likely, he was inspired by a book by French sociologist Émile Durkheim, which discussed how shared rituals foster a sense of community.
The USSR, home to over 100 nationalities and languages, needed unifying traditions. Religious holidays were out of the question, so Stalin latched onto New Year—a secular event that everyone could embrace.
A State-Sponsored Celebration
The Soviet New Year was initially a state-run event. Schools and kindergartens were instructed to host celebrations featuring trees and gifts. Each gift included a note: “Thank Comrade Stalin for our happy childhood.” Children effectively received presents directly from the great leader himself.
The New Year quickly became a nationwide tradition, even extending to the children of the repressed and to labor camps. By the 1960s, the holiday gained its own traditions and moved into private homes, complete with special menus and ornaments. Some vintage Soviet ornaments are now collector’s items worth a fortune.
