Turkmenistan the Golden Age
By the time Ded Moroz (the Russian Father Frost) and Snegurochka (Snow Flake, from a Russian fairy tale) -- the stock characters of the secularized Soviet-made New Year holiday based on Russian culture -- find their way to Ashgabat, well, they've changed.
Ded Moroz dons a big bushy traditional sheepskin telpek hat turned snow-white.
And Snegurochka looks like she has is adorned in one of those Berdymukhamedov-approved Turkmen traditional-style women's costumes with hair ornaments based on the ancient Turkmen designs.
No matter, as long as the kids get some presents out of this.
