Let There be Everything!: A New Year's Wish From Belarus

The first time I saw MARYNA RAKHLEI (picture above) from Belarus during the first day of the Visitors Program in Washington DC (September 14, 2005), I knew she could be a very interesting person. And she was. With her, never would there be a dull moment. Ask here about anything and she would always have strong, sharp opinions. Last week, I asked here how she would spend the holidays and she responded in her usual frank, witty self.

We celebrate Christmas based on the old calendar, two weeks later, on January 6. But you probably do it as well. The all-night-service at the church is very special. But after 70 years of communism, it's not that common. Like me, I'm not going to celebrate.

New Year is a family holiday that Soviets substituted Christmas with. We come together and eat and drink and watch TV. Usually people stay home - with friends or family members and have parties.

I have no more wishes. My colleagues are crazy enough to wish each other warm prison cells and good lawyers. But it's all not that funny. I wish everyone a lot of energy and creativity and never to be bored. LET THERE BE EVERYTHING!

Snow, snow is fantastic. Though it's snow, though it's white, it's absolutely warm. Snow whitewashes the differences, the faults and drawbacks. It counterbalances and soothes. It has no sound and makes sound disappear. When it snows the world is all-white - the sky, the trees, the ground, yourself - everything. I probably told you I think it's fairytale-like when you see nothing but the white world that you never saw before – new clean, fantasy-like, sparkling, different. You can never be bored with it.