Dear friends, parents, students, and all members of our community!
Today, January 10, 2026, the Russian Orthodox Parish School affiliated with the Holy Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Cathedral hosted a wonderful, joyful, and warm celebration dedicated to the Nativity of Christ and the New Year. This event brought together children, parents, teachers, and parishioners to mark the great Christian feast and welcome the new year in a spirit of faith, love, and Russian tradition.
The program opened with inspiring remarks from honored guests and school leaders:
- Father Ioan, Director of the Russian School of Los Angeles and priest of the Holy Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Cathedral. He warmly greeted everyone present, reminded all of the profound meaning of Christmas—the birth of the Savior who brought light, peace, and hope into the world—and emphasized the importance of preserving the Orthodox faith, the Russian language, and cultural traditions in America.
- A priest from our cathedral addressed the gathering with a pastoral word, blessing the children and adults for the new year and calling everyone to live according to the Gospel commandments of love, mercy, and humility.
The children were especially delighted by the long-awaited arrival of Ded Moroz (Father Frost) and Snegurochka (the Snow Maiden)! Dressed in bright traditional Russian costumes, they entered the hall to cheerful songs, the ringing of bells, and excited shouts. Together with the children, they danced in a round dance, told riddles, played games, and, of course, presented every child with sweet treats and New Year souvenirs. The children’s delight, laughter, and shining eyes filled the entire space with true fairy-tale magic!
Our students also actively participated in the celebration: they recited poems about Christmas, sang carols and New Year songs, and performed short theatrical sketches. All of this vividly demonstrated how carefully we pass on the richness of Russian culture and Orthodox traditions to the younger generation.
The Russian School of Los Angeles, founded in 1951 and operating under the auspices of the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral (Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia), continues its important mission: to raise children in the spirit of Christian values—love, mercy, humility, and respect—while preserving the Russian language, literature, history, and folk customs through Saturday classes.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Father Ioan for his leadership and warm participation, to the cathedral clergy, teachers, parent volunteers, our young performers, and, of course, Ded Moroz and Snegurochka for bringing such happiness to the children!
May the Nativity of Christ and the New Year bring peace, joy, health, and abundant God’s blessings into every home. We look forward to seeing you at our next school events—stay tuned for announcements on the website!
With love and Christmas greetings, The Russian School of Los Angeles Team Russian Orthodox Parish School https://www.russianorthodoxschool.com/ Phone: (213) 878-1331 | Email: [email protected]