Themainhospitalities，sofarastheEmperorandEmpresswereconcerned，werethegreatfestivitiesattheWinterPalace，beginningontheRussianNewYear’sday，whichwastwelvedayslaterthanours。Thescenewasmostbrilliant。Thevasthallswerefilledwithcivilandmilitaryofficialsfromallpartsoftheempire，inthemostgorgeouscostumes，anespeciallystrikingeffectbeingproducedbythecaftans，orlongcoats，ofthevariousCossackregiments，thearmorandhelmetsoftheImperialGuards，andtheoldRussiancostumesoftheladies。Allofthelatter，onthisoccasion，fromtheEmpressdown，worethesecostumes:therewasgreatvarietyinthese;buttheirmainfeatureswerethekakoshniks，orornamentalcrowns，andthetunicsinbrightcolors。
ThenextofthesegreatceremoniesattheWinterPalacewastheblessingofthewatersuponthe8thofJanuary。ThediplomaticcorpsandotherguestswereallowedtotaketheirplacesatthepalacewindowslookingoutovertheNeva，andthencecouldseetheentireprocession，which，havinggonedowntheambassadors’
staircase，appearedatatemplewhichhadbeenerectedoveranopeningintheiceoftheriver。TheEmperor，thegranddukes，andtheArchbishopofSt。Petersburg，withhissuffraganbishops，alltookpartinthisceremonial;andthemusic，whichwasselectedfromtheanthemsofBortniansky，wasverysolemnandimpressive。
Duringthewintercamecourtballs，and，aboveall，the\"palmballs。\"Thelatterwere，inpointofbrilliancy，probablybeyondanythinginanycourtofmoderntimes。Afterareception，duringwhichtheEmperorandEmpresspassedalongthediplomaticcircle，speakingtothevariousmembers，dancingbegan，andwascontinueduntilaboutmidnight;thenthedoorswereflungopenintoothervasthalls，whichhadbeenchangedintopalm—groves。Thepalmsforthispurposeareverylargeandbeautiful，fourseriesofthembeingkeptintheconservatoriesforthisspecialpurpose，eachseriesbeingusedonewinterandthenallowedtorestforthreewintersbeforeitisbroughtoutagain。Underthesepalmsthesupper—tablesareplaced，andfromfifteenhundredtotwothousandpeoplesitattheseastheguestsoftheCzarandCzarina。Theseentertainmentsseemcarriedtotheextremeofluxury，theironlydefectbeingtheirsplendidmonotony:onlycivil，military，anddiplomaticofficialsarepresent，andanew—comerfindsmuchdifficultyinrememberingtheirnames。TherearesaidtobefourhundredPrincesGalitzinintheempire，andI
personallyknewthreeCountsTolstoiwhodidnotknoweachother;