Snovym Godim: A Russian New Year Greeting and Flower Guide
"Snovym godim" is a misspelled English-letter version of "S Novym Godom", the Russian greeting meaning "Happy New Year". Write it as three words, "S Novym Godom!", in a message or on a flower card. It works for relatives, friends and colleagues, with the rest of your message setting the level of warmth or formality.
For someone sending flowers to Russia from abroad, the greeting is only the first decision: the card, bouquet and delivery timing should also suit the recipient. At Pyat Tsvetov (5 Flowers), we have worked with flowers since 2011 and have three shops of our own in Saint Petersburg. A useful starting point is to decide whether your gift should feel intimate, festive or professionally considerate. That choice makes both the wording and the flowers easier to select.
How to spell and say S Novym Godom
The usual transliteration is "S Novym Godom", although spellings vary when Russian sounds are written with English letters. The initial "S" is a separate word, so keeping the spaces makes the greeting easier to recognise. A rough pronunciation is "s NOH-vim GOH-duhm", with the stress on the first syllable of each longer word. English spelling cannot reproduce every Russian sound, but this is a practical guide for a short spoken greeting.
The phrase literally follows a Russian construction closer to "with the New Year", while its natural English equivalent is simply "Happy New Year". Use that natural translation if you are writing the rest of the card in English; a literal translation would sound awkward. For a fuller explanation of the wording, see our guide to the meaning of S Novym Godom. A correctly spaced greeting and a personal sentence are enough for a thoughtful card.
Write a card that sounds like you
For family, connect the greeting to your relationship: "S Novym Godom, Mum! Sending you love and wishing we could celebrate together." For a friend, try: "Happy New Year, Anna! I hope the year ahead brings you time for the things you love." These messages work because they name the person and express a clear feeling. Choose a language the recipient reads comfortably, rather than using a long transliterated message that may be difficult to follow.
For a colleague or business contact, keep the message warm and restrained: "Happy New Year, Elena. Thank you for your support this year, and best wishes for the year ahead." Avoid intimate wording unless it reflects your actual relationship. Our card with your text is free, so check names, spelling and the signature before submitting the order. Delivery is anonymous by default and the courier does not name the sender, making a signature especially useful when you want the recipient to know who sent the flowers.
Bouquets we can deliver
Choose flowers for the person and the room
Start with the recipient's preferences rather than a rigid dictionary of flower meanings. Red roses often suggest romance, so they may send a stronger message than intended to a colleague or distant relative. A mixed bouquet can feel more broadly celebratory, while a favourite flower makes the gift personal without relying on symbolism. If you know that the recipient dislikes strong scents, let that guide your selection before you concentrate on colour.
Think about where the flowers will stand during the celebrations. A compact bouquet is easier to place on a crowded dining table, while taller stems need a suitable vase and more clear space. In Russian gift etiquette, an odd number is customary when giving a small, countable bunch of flowers; even counts are associated with mourning. Browse the bouquets catalogue with the recipient's taste and available space in mind, and assess the whole arrangement rather than colour alone.
Plan the greeting around the recipient's day
For a New Year gift, the most useful delivery time is when the recipient can accept the flowers and put them in water. Ask discreetly about travel or family plans if you are unsure whether they will be home. When ordering from abroad, check the calendar date and time in the destination city, since Russia spans several time zones. A delivery intended for the afternoon can otherwise be entered against the sender's own time and arrive at an inconvenient point in the celebrations.
We deliver flowers across Russia, with express delivery in large cities taking 1–2 hours after the order is confirmed. Other timing options are delivery at an exact time with a tolerance of plus or minus 30 minutes, windows of 09–12, 12–15, 15–18 or 18–21, and pre-orders 1–30 days ahead. In Saint Petersburg, delivery operates around the clock. For a holiday order, use the confirmed arrangements to plan your greeting and avoid treating a preferred time entered in an order as a confirmed delivery.
Order flowers to Russia from abroad
Choose the bouquet, then carefully check the destination city, street, building and flat or office details. Include a reachable recipient telephone number and review the card text alongside the delivery date. City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs, the operator confirms the delivery price when confirming the order. Our delivery and payment information is a useful reference while you prepare the details, especially if you are ordering to an address you have not visited.
Online checkout uses CloudPayments; check the payment options displayed there before proceeding, as acceptance of every foreign card cannot be guaranteed. For questions, call 8 (812) 507-67-05. The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so a surprise still involves a practical delivery call. If the recipient is absent, we agree a second delivery the same day or, with the sender's consent, handing the flowers to a neighbour or concierge.
Help the flowers last beyond the celebration
Prepare a clean vase before unwrapping the bouquet, then remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline. Recut the stem ends with a clean, sharp tool and place the flowers in fresh water promptly. If flower food is supplied, follow the instructions on its packet rather than guessing the amount. Check that any wrapping left in place does not prevent the stems from reaching the water, and loosen it if it makes arranging the bouquet difficult.
Keep the vase away from radiators, direct heat and ripening fruit, and check the water daily. Top it up as needed, replace it when it becomes cloudy and remove fading stems or fallen leaves before they spoil the water. Different flowers age at different rates, so judge the bouquet stem by stem rather than discarding everything when one bloom fades. For a recipient busy hosting guests, a brief reminder to find a vase and add water is more useful than a long list of care rules.
Frequently asked questions
What does snovym godim mean?
It is a misspelled transliteration of "S Novym Godom", meaning "Happy New Year" in Russian. For a card or message, use the three-word form "S Novym Godom!".
Can I write the New Year card in English?
Yes, if the recipient reads English comfortably. "Happy New Year" followed by a personal wish and your name makes a clear, thoughtful message.
Will the recipient know who sent the flowers?
Delivery is anonymous by default, and the courier does not name the sender. Add your name to the free card if you want the recipient to recognise your gift.
Can I pay for flowers with a foreign card?
Online checkout uses CloudPayments, and acceptance of every foreign card is not guaranteed. Check the options displayed at checkout before proceeding.
Is flower delivery available around the clock across Russia?
Around-the-clock delivery is available in Saint Petersburg. For other destinations, plan around the delivery arrangements confirmed for your order.
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