All set for an out-of-this-world New Year party

With just days until the New Year, the festive spirit is all around the world ... and beyond. The Russian ISS crew is planning a real New Year party with a fir tree and presents.

Those at the International Space Station will greet the New Year several times and could spend a total of 24 hours just celebrating it, said Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Kalery. He said it would take no less than 24 hours to give their best wishes to all Flight Control Centers.The ISS team said that they will have a real festive dinner with tangerines, which many Russians love having for New Year, but will have to do without the Russian traditional salad for the celebration, “Olivier”.“Most importantly, we will have a good time,” Kalery said. The cosmonauts will even have an artificial fir tree with decorations, brought on board last year, and also presents to open. ”We have brought New Year presents and we are not opening them yet,” said cosmonaut Dmitry Kondratyev, who recently arrived at the station. “We will open them on New Year night and we will see what is there.”