I like New Year's Day, it is my favourite holiday. The 1st of January is a winter holiday and now it is the first day of the New Year. Peter the First changed the Russian calendar in 1699. He made the 31st of December, 1699 the last day of the year. The first of January 1700 became New Year's Day.

The 1st of January is in the middle of winter. The weather is usually fine and there is a lot of snow everywhere. As the 1st of January is a holiday I don't go to school and my parents don't go to work.

Our family prepares for this holiday beforehand. My father buys and brings home a beautiful New Year's tree at the end of December. Our family has a tradition to buy it. I like to decorate the New Year's tree with toys, little coloured lights, sweets and a beautiful star on the top. My mother and grandmother prepare our holiday supper and lay the table. I make a cake. All the members of our family clean the flat before this nice holiday and then each of us try to dress well.