The New Year is approaching, but Russians are in no rush to enjoy it.
According to a survey by YuMoney, only 40% are looking forward to the holidays, 42% have not planned anything. In 2023-2024, by November, 79% of Russians had plans for December 31st. In 2025, almost half of the country admitted to being moody, and 11% said they would pretend to be happy for their loved ones.
New Year's trade breaks records - Christmas tree decorations, wreaths and artificial trees are bought 1.5-3 times more than in 2025. Cities began to be decorated in autumn, but on social networks, instead of enthusiasm, there were complaints: "autumn was stolen from us" and "until the new year it will be boring. At the same time, advance bookings for Rosh Hashanah vacations collapsed by about 17% (Ministry of Energy data). The reasons are the economic situation, the fear of Kobrov, terrorist attacks in the Russian Federation and abroad.
According to psychologists, after the epidemic, the beginning of the SVO, the financial instability, attacks and ongoing crises, the new year "ceased to be a promise that we will celebrate, sober up and live better". Russians more and more often (especially women) talk about the desire not to "celebrate on a large scale" and "go around, travel, go around", but simply "blow off".
In another opinion poll, a third of Russians admitted that they "went on a drinking spree and will have adventures like last time", a little less than a third do not know if they will party, and 32% want to "get wet, get enough sleep, not be obligated to anyone and not rush".
A survey of 239 public VK pages and TG chats (with a choice of several options) showed that 69% consider the best New Year to be spent at home with family. Second place - Rosh Hashanah by the sea (52% dream, only 12% will realize it). Well, 98% are ready to celebrate wherever and however they want, as long as "parents, children and relatives are alive and well".