There are no lavish metropolitan celebrations here – but even at midnight on New Year's Eve, the metro is open and it's easy to get a taxi. The most popular pop superstars do not give concerts on the city square – but young people in carnival costumes sing just as well in karaoke in the middle of the park.
Here people still casually visit neighbors, bringing trays of homemade salads and pastries. Dads and grandfathers willingly dress up as kind Grandfather Frost to bring gifts to children and grandchildren, and they in gratitude happily recite New Year's poems and dance in a circle. Here it's easy to forget about everyday hustle and troubles and return to the festive fairy tale of childhood.
And it all starts with a train ticket. You don't have to book a hotel – if you don't have friends to stay with, there is always a place to stay in Minsk during the holidays, whether it's one of the cozy hostels or a comfortable, clean apartment for daily rent. This is much more convenient, cheaper, and feels like home.
Minsk hosts are very hospitable, they will provide guests with clean linen, necessary dishes, and even food without any problems. Those who wish can shop on their own – Belarus is famous for its delicious sausages, rolls, and smoked meats from real meat. The cheeses are also quite good, and the prices are relatively low. It's better to buy them at the market, but you can also in stores, where an atmosphere reminiscent of the familiar Soviet one still prevails – refrigerator display cases, chatty saleswomen.
For those who don't like or don't want to prepare the New Year's table themselves, you can simply ask on the street where it's best to go to try authentic local cuisine, very hearty, somewhat reminiscent of Baltic cuisine. National meat and potato dishes are perfect for a frosty New Year's night, but if you wish, you can easily find trendy sushi bars and pizzerias too.
However, ideally, you should try to make friends with Minsk residents – which is quite easy in the festive atmosphere – so that next New Year you return here not as a guest but as a friend, and not to a hostel but to a real Belarusian home, and celebrate the holiday with a large family.
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