The roots of this holiday go deep into the 18th century when Empress Elizabeth of Russia signed the petition to establish Moscow State University (1755). Accidently this event coincided with St. Tatiana’s Day (January 25) and this became the premise for making this saint a patron of all students.
This event, originated in Moscow, is now celebrated all over the country. This day also marks the end of the first term and the exam session. So students never miss the opportunity to have fun. Parties and alcohol are the most ordinary things on this day. Sometimes students organize concerts and play innocent jokes to their professors.
One of the most popular traditions connected with this holiday is calling for luck. Students open the casement, wave with the open student’s record-book and scream “Khalyava pridi”. This expression means something like “Here is to breeze through my exam” and is like a call for passing an exam without making much effort, which can be quite useful while taking Russian language exam 🙂
