New Year / Christmas / St. Nicholas Day

In both Ukraine and Russia, New Year’s Eve is among the most popular holidays of the year, replete with the New Year’s tree, addresses from heads of state, gift-giving, and the Santa Clause-like figure of Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). Christmas and St. Nicholas Day (In Ukraine) often play the same role. Memes about the New Year / Christmas / St. Nicholas Day often play on the motifs associated with the tradition in service of expressing wishes or predictions for the forthcoming year. For example, many memes will invoke speculative images of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s annual speech on New Year’s Eve in the future, and these memes will present Putin in military equipment in Red Square, in Moscow, implying that Russia will be on the defense in its own territory by the end of the year. Many memes will also display the figure of Ded Moroz in relation to wishing for the gift of a Russian defeat in its war against Ukraine. The New Year / Christmas / St. Nicholas Day memes also play on various elements of the holiday traditions (such as saving the best food items for the New Year’s feast, celebrating a Chinese Zodiac animal, etc.).