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Record Number of Russians Empty-Handed at New Year - Poll

Twenty-three percent of Russians received no gifts for New Year — the highest percentage for six years, according to a poll conducted by state-run pollster VTsIOM.

For those who did receive gifts, the most popular items were sweets, alcohol and delicacies — these items were received by 24 percent of respondents, according to the findings published Friday.

Twenty-two percent of Russians received perfumes and jewelry as New Year gifts and 20 percent received pens or notebooks.

The poll also revealed that 25 percent of Russians were unhappy about the way they spent the New Year holidays, the highest figure in a decade.

The majority of respondents — 52 percent — spent the holidays visiting their relatives and friends. Thirty-two percent spent the holidays outdoors and 20 percent were working during the holidays.

The average Russian spent 9,543 rubles ($121) on New Year celebrations, according to the poll.

The poll was conducted among 1,600 respondents on Jan. 16-17 in 46 Russian regions. The margin of error did not exceed 3.5 percent.

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