NOTES FROM ABOVE GROUND: С днем защитника Отечества!!

Happy Defenders of the Fatherland Day, y’all! Today I experienced my first war related holiday in Russia, and let me tell you, there sure are a lot of these holidays! Russians love any excuse to skip out on work/school, drink lots of alcohol, and revel in their victories. Both nostalgia and hope for the future run strong. Officially, this is a day to celebrate all those who have served in the Russian armed forces, but lots of people now celebrate it as a day for all men (День мужчин). International Women's Day (March 8) is a very big holiday here where men give women gifts, so I guess that the guys wanted a little love too. Today women are supposed to give gifts to all the men in their lives (husbands, brothers, sons, coworkers). It's funny because there is a discrepancy among Russians about who should be celebrated (veterans only vs. all men). I decided to play it safe and celebrate all men. My friend Elena told me to make sure that I am good to the guys around me because the way that Defenders of the Fatherland Day is celebrated determines how International Women's Day will be celebrated. So hopefully I was good enough to the boys today!

I, like the rest of the city, was off from school today, and so I decided to spend the day out and about in the middle of the festivities. As I walked the streets I passed lots of families enjoying the holiday together and lots of drunk veterans out celebrating, as well as lots of people just going about their normal lives. There was definitely a lighthearted spirit among people today that broke up the usual busyness and hardness that I usually encounter. People were openly having a good time. I couldn't stop smiling when I saw a couple of girls standing outside my metro stop holding signs that read, «Free Hugs for February 23». I sat and watched as guy after guy that came out of the metro took them up on their offer. It makes me so happy when I have moments like this everyday that remind me all over again how much I love Russia.

A few friends and I heard about some war reenactments that were being held at a nearby park, so we decided that this would be the perfect way to celebrate the day. Snow fell and the temperature dropped as we trudged to the park where we were told the reenactment was being held. Once we arrived at our destination, we sadly realized from the emptiness before us that we had missed the demonstration. At first we were disappointed, but we quickly discovered that we were in for an experience that would make up for the missed demonstration. A group of reenactors were still hanging around the park drinking (of course) and cooking around a fire. When they realized that we were Americans, they became very excited and immediately invited us to join them around their fire (a typical act of Russian hospitality). They told us all about their reenacting and showed us their weapons (and even let my friend Rachel fire one of their guns). Ironically, some of these guys were reenacting the American Civil War of all things, and I found camaraderie with my fellow representatives of the South (I wished my pal Duffy could have seen that). One of the guys was eager to show off his English language skills, such as they were, and started singing along with the out of date pop music that he played on his cell phone. In respectable Russian fashion, they sent a flask of cognac around our group so that we could toast our newfound Fatherland with them (Russians never hesitate to offer a drink to a stranger, and I love them for this). We laughed as we stood around and shared in their shenanigans. It was such a surreal scene. As we left, we exchanged numbers with our new friends because they wanted to be sure that we didn't miss out on future reencatments. I walked away from our little encounter so happy, falling in love with Russia all over again. I love these random meetings with strangers where at the end of five minutes we are all best friends. Russians are fantastic, warm people. The Russian soul is deep and full of love, and I am so lucky to experience that everyday.