Friday, May 10, 2013

Fireworks for Victory Day

We experienced some culture tonight and I decided to write it down. One reason being that I want to remember it, and the other being that you might find it interesting. :)

 May 9 is Victory Day for Russia. We walked with a couple families from our church to the town square to watch a fireworks display. When I say town square, I mean our town of Domodedovo, not Moscow.

It was a perfect night. The temperatures were warm and we just needed a light jacket. For me the jacket was more for the mosquitoes, but I was glad I brought it for the walk home. It's about a 30 minute walk from where we live. As we walked, it felt like the whole town was walking with us. They closed off the main streets by the square because of all of the people. As we got close, I could hear the live Russian patriotic music playing. There were thousands of people roaming around. Many of them waving their Russian flags, some dancing to the music, but most of them were just talking and enjoying the beautiful evening and the excitement of the the holiday. In the center of the square is a statue of Lenin. There were many Russian flags around the square waving in the calm, cool breeze. Flower beds grace the square with tulips that are just beginning to bloom.

The live music that was playing stopped, and they began to talk about lives lost and their strong country still honoring those so many years later. As soon as he finished his patriotic speech, the firework show began. It was so interesting to experience something so patriotic in a country outside of my own. I thought I would feel intimidated, but instead I felt happy almost like I should offer congratulations to those around me. If you have never experienced national pride outside of your own country, I think it's something you should do sometime. It will broaden your worldview! 

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