By J. S. Orlova
MOSCOW / PROVENCE — In the dusky light of a winter solstice, a group of revelers in the Russian countryside smears honey on their shoulders before plunging into an ice hole. Three thousand miles away, in a heated loft in Provence, a French family removes their silk robes to feast on oysters and bûche de Noël in the nude.
Welcome to the strangest, most intimate holiday trend of the year: “Enature Russian Bare French Christmas.”
It is not a typo. It is a philosophy. And it is redefining what it means to celebrate the birth of light in the darkest month. enature russian bare french christmas celebration new
The term Enature (inspired by the classic nature education brand) refers to celebrating holidays with environmental consciousness. A "bare" celebration means removing unnecessary waste: no single-use plastics, no mass-produced decorations, and no food waste.
In both Russia and France, ancient pagan traditions predate Christianity. These traditions honored the winter solstice—the longest night—as a time to gather natural elements: pine boughs, birch bark, mistletoe, and holly.
Key Enature principles for Christmas:
Held at a remote naturist retreat, the event encouraged clothing-optional participation — practical only because the lodge had heated indoor areas, a sauna, and a hot spring-fed pool. Outside, snow-covered fir trees reminded everyone of the “new” winter landscape, while inside, body paint replaced traditional costumes.
Not everyone is charmed. The Russian Orthodox Church has called the trend “demonic exhibitionism disguised as mysticism.” French conservative politicians have grumbled about “the erosion of family Christmas values.”
But practitioners shrug. “They said the same about topless sunbathing in the 1960s,” says Beaumont. “This is not about sex. It’s about vulnerability. In Russian culture, vulnerability is strength. In French culture, vulnerability is honnêteté — honesty. Together, they make a new kind of holy night.” The Naked Truth: A New Christmas Where Russian
By: The Slow Living Editor
Forget the plastic tinsel. Forget the over-the-top color clashes. This year, Christmas is going au naturel—with a dash of Slavic soul and Parisian chic.
Welcome to the “Enature Russian Bare French Christmas.” It sounds like a paradox, but trust me: blending the raw, wintry traditions of Russia with the understated elegance of a French Nöel, all stripped back to nature’s bare essentials, creates the most breathtaking holiday aesthetic you’ve never tried. Decorations made from dried oranges, pine cones, and wood
Here is how to celebrate the “new” old-fashioned way.
Traditional Russian "bare" decor avoids imported glitter. Instead: