New Year's Yolkas

It is the time of the year again when everybody is getting ready to celebrate New Year. The kids are finishing their second quarter at school. Because they still go to school on Christmas (their winter break starts on the 30^th of December), we do the presents on New Year just as the rest of the people in this part of the world but have a little family program on Christmas.

It is also the time when all the kids go to different Yolka (New Year performance for kids called “New Year's Tree”) that are organized for elementary age kids all over town. This year our school went to the Children's Palace just as they did last year, and our three youngest got to go. Nika is in middle school now, so they go to New Years Dance instead. They were especially excited because all of the kids get to dress in costumes. Sophie was a gypsy girl again, and Lina and Lexa were Snegurochkas (granddaughter of Grandfather Frost).

Lina, Sophie and Lexa in their costumes ready to rock!

The kids formed a circle in the middle of which the show was taking place. It usually goes along the lines when some villain trying to stop Grandfather Frost and Snegurochka from delivering presents to all of the children, and some here comes and saves the day.

The main story line of this performance was Alice in Wonderland

The Queen with her evil forces.

Sophie and Lexa with their classmates

Grandfather Frost and Snegurochka finally made it to the kids.

Pretty cool beard!

They also had some kids' dance groups do numbers and those were a lot of fun to watch. 

Little Monkeys Dance

Something must have been really funny!

I stayed with the twins' class, so I do not have too many pictures of Lina but here is one of Lina dancing.

And back to the twins.

Lots of happy kids!

They also went to see a little play in the theater. Here is Lexa waving with her ticket to me.

New Year's Tree at the Children's Palace.

At the end of all of it a lot of time kids would get presents. Parents get together and buy presents for the whole class and then deliver them to the kids during such Yolkas.

Presents that we put together for our second grade class.

Sophie and Lexa with some of their friends and teacher after the performance.

The girl's had a lot of fun and hopefully made a lot of good memories.