Feature: A Russian New Year in love and hope

MOSCOW, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- It was the last day of 2009 in the snow-covered city of Moscow, where the joyous mood for the New Year holiday pervaded.

A family dinner cerebrating New Year's Eve with guests from China was about to serve at the home of an ordinary Moscow family of three.

Sasha, man of the house, in his opening toast, heartily thanked his wife Ania for her industrious work over the passing year.

The outgoing 2009 has been a year of happiness, he said. No matter what difficulties they have encountered, he was happy as long as the three of them are together, he said.

The 27-year-old Ania's New Year wishes were be a year of hard work in exchange for a bigger house and two more kids.

Sasha works as a translator at a Chinese-funded company. He and Ania bought their current apartment two years ago. They are parents of a lovely boy named Vanya.

On the table, apart from traditional Russian cuisine such as pickled cucumber, smoked salmon, caviar and salads, specially homemade roast duck and hand pilaf were also prepared.

Ania, chef of the dinner, told Xinhua this was the first time for her family to spend New Year's Eve at their own home. In order to present a perfect feast for her husband and her son, she had been pondering on the dinner menu and picking up dinner materials for quite a long time.

The roast duck, for instance, was stuffed with apples and avocados, dipped in orange juice before it was put into the oven for two hours, she said. The hand pilaf, cooked with dried apricots and raisins, tastes similar to Chinese rice pudding.

In the living room, the two-year-old Vanya was happily playing with a plush Tiger toy under a New Year fir-tree, on which hung birds and butterflies made by Ania. Sasha watched with pride.

Many Russians know about the Twelve Animals in the traditional Chinese culture, he said. Since 2010 is the year of the Tiger, he has bought the toy tiger for his boy, he said.

According to a latest poll, the majority of Russians regarded the New Year holiday as their most important holiday, as 73 percent of people would choose to spend the vacation at home.

Speaking of the coming year, the couple showed rare optimism, despite the lingering after effect of the economic crisis. Life will be full of hope if love abounds, they insisted.