The origins of the carnival. History of Shrovetide

The history of Maslenitsa is rooted deep in antiquity. Shrovetide is an ancient Slavic holiday that we inherited from pagan culture, which has survived even after the adoption of Christianity. It is believed that initially it was associated with the day of the spring solstice, but with the adoption of Christianity, it began to precede Great Lent and depend on its timing.

According to its custom, the church “appointed” its own place of the pagan holiday, specifically shifting the boundaries of Lent for this. After that, Maslenitsa was perceived by the Christian church as a de facto religious holiday and was called Cheese Week, or Cheese Week, but this did not change its inner essence. The 19th-century ethnographer I. M. Snegirev believed that Maslenitsa in pagan times accompanied celebrations in honor of the pagan god Veles, the patron saint of cattle breeding and agriculture, which fell on February 24 according to the new style.

For the Slavs, this holiday has long been a meeting of the new year! Indeed, until the XIV century, the year in Rus' began in March. And according to old beliefs, it was believed: as a person meets the year, so he will be. That is why the Russians did not skimp on this holiday for a generous feast and unbridled fun. And the people called Maslenitsa “honest”, “wide”, “gluttonous”, and even “the ruiner”. And the very name “Maslenitsa” arose only in the 16th century. It arose because this week, according to Orthodox custom, meat is already excluded from food, and dairy products can still be consumed - that's why butter pancakes are baked.

Shrovetide is a holiday not only for the Slavs, but for almost all of Europe. The tradition of celebrating the arrival of spring has been preserved in different cities and countries, from Siberia to Spain. In the countries of Western Europe, Maslenitsa smoothly turns into a nationwide carnival, where quarrels and disputes fall silent during the celebration, unbridled fun, laughter and humor reign everywhere.

In Scotland, it was customary to bake "lean cakes" on Shrovetide. A handful of oatmeal was poured into palms folded together, then the flour was tightly squeezed in the palms and immersed in cold water, and the resulting ball was baked in the hearth directly in hot ash. The Scots consider baking pancakes an important act in which all members of the family try to take part: one greases the pan with oil, another pours dough on it, the third turns the pancake over ...

In one of the cities of England, competitions in the running of women with pancakes have been held for many years. At 11:45 a.m. the “pancake bell” rings. Every woman runs with a hot frying pan and a pancake. Competition rules dictate that competitors must be at least 18 years of age; on each it is obligatory - an apron and a scarf; while running, you need to throw a pancake in the pan at least three times and catch it. The first woman to pass a pancake to the bell ringer becomes the pancake race champion for a year and is rewarded with... a bell ringer's kiss.

Theatrical performances and concerts are held in Danish schools these days. Schoolchildren exchange signs of friendship, send humorous letters to their friends through acquaintances without indicating a return address. If a boy receives such a letter from a girl and guesses her name, then on Easter she will give him chocolate.

If the main characters of the Russian Maslenitsa were newlyweds, then in Eastern Europe they were bachelors. Beware, bachelors, Maslenitsa. Especially if you accidentally find yourself in Poland at this time. Proud Poles, having lulled your vigilance with pancakes, donuts, brushwood and vodka, will certainly pull you by the hair for dessert. On the last day of Maslenitsa, you can go to a tavern where a violinist will “sell” unmarried girls.

And in the Czech Republic, on these cheerful days, young guys with soot-smeared faces go around the whole village to the music, carrying behind them a decorated wooden block - “klatik”. It is hung around the neck of every girl or tied to an arm or leg. If you want to pay off - pay.

In Yugoslavia, you will certainly be put in a pig trough and dragged through the village. And on the roof of your own house, you can find the figure of a straw grandfather.

And in the old days we had our own customs of meeting and seeing off this holiday. In 1722, on the occasion of the conclusion of the Treaty of Nystadt after almost twenty years of war with Sweden, Peter I invited foreign ambassadors to celebrate Maslenitsa. The emperor opened horseback riding with an unprecedented spectacle. Peter rode through the snowdrifts on a ship to which sixteen horses were harnessed. Behind him moved the gondola, in which sat Empress Catherine, dressed as a simple peasant woman. Then other ships and sleighs pulled by different animals moved.

Catherine II was very fond of skiing from the mountain, carousels, swings, they were arranged in Moscow at the Pokrovsky Palace, where the Empress liked to go to Maslenitsa with the whole court. And on the occasion of her coronation, imitating Peter I, she staged a grandiose masquerade procession called “Triumphant Minerva” in Moscow during Shrovetide Week. For three days, a masquerade procession traveled around the city, which, according to the empress's plan, was supposed to represent various social vices - bribery, embezzlement, bureaucratic red tape and others, destroyed by the beneficial rule of the wise Catherine. The procession consisted of four thousand actors and two hundred chariots.

And when Catherine II waited for the birth of her grandson Alexander, to whom she secretly intended to transfer the throne, bypassing her unloved son Paul, the empress, in joy, arranged a truly “diamond” carnival for her close ones. For those who turned out to win in the games started after dinner, the empress presented a diamond. During the evening, she gave away about 150 diamonds to her close associates, striking in their price and rare beauty.

Maslenitsa falls on the week preceding Lent. Therefore, at this time, a person withdraws his soul on the eve of a difficult and long Great Lent. Maslenitsa is, first of all, plentiful and satisfying food. Therefore, there is nothing shameful in eating at this time, tasting a wide variety of dishes and not denying yourself anything. In traditional life, it has always been believed that a person who has had a bad and boring Shrovetide week will be unlucky throughout the year. Unrestrained pancake gluttony and fun are considered as a magical harbinger of future well-being, prosperity and success in all business, household and economic endeavors. The start of Maslenitsa ranges from February 3 (i.e. January 21, old style) to March 14 (March 1, old style).

Maslenitsa is a cheerful farewell to winter, illuminated by the joyful expectation of close warmth, spring renewal of nature. Even pancakes, an indispensable attribute of Shrovetide, had a ritual meaning: round, ruddy, hot, they were a symbol of the sun, which flared up brighter, lengthening the days. Centuries passed, life changed, with the adoption of Christianity in Rus', new church holidays appeared, but the wide Maslenitsa continued to live. She was greeted and escorted with the same irrepressible prowess as in pagan times. Shrovetide has always been loved by the people and affectionately called “kasatochka”, “sugar lips”, “kisser”, “honest Shrovetide”, “merry”, “quail”, “perebuha”, “byedukha”, “yasochka”.

Maslenitsa is a week-long holiday, a ritual holiday with round dances, songs, dances, games, and most importantly, with a rite of praise, feeding and burning a home-made effigy of Winter. Children are told about the ritual meaning of Shrovetide calls and games, they explain why it is necessary to burn Maslenitsa, lure the Sun with pancakes, glorify Spring, and ask for a good harvest.

Shrovetide week was literally overflowing with festive affairs; ritual and non-ritual actions, traditional games and undertakings, duties and deeds filled all days to capacity. There was enough strength, energy, enthusiasm for everything, since the atmosphere of ultimate emancipation, general joy and fun reigned. Each day of Shrove Tuesday had its own name, each day was assigned certain actions, rules of conduct, etc.:

Monday - "meeting"
tuesday - "play"
Wednesday - "gourmet", "revelry", "fracture",
Thursday - "walk around-four", "wide",
Friday - “Teschinas of the evening”, “Teschins of the evening”,
Saturday - "sister-in-law gatherings", "seeing off",
Sunday - "forgiveness day."

The whole week was called "honest, wide, cheerful, noblewoman-carnival, madam carnival."

Monday - meeting
On this day, an effigy of Maslenitsa was made from straw, they put on old women's clothes on it, put this effigy on a pole and, singing, drove it on a sleigh through the village. Then Maslenitsa was set on a snowy mountain, where sleigh rides began. The songs that are sung on the day of the "meeting" are very cheerful.

Tuesday - play
From that day on, various kinds of entertainment began: sleigh rides, folk festivals, performances. In large wooden booths (rooms for folk theatrical performances with clowning and comic scenes), performances were given led by Petrushka and Shrovetide grandfather. On the streets there were large groups of mummers, in masks, driving around familiar houses, where merry home concerts were impromptu. Large companies rode around the city, on troikas and on simple sledges. Another simple entertainment was held in high esteem - skiing from icy mountains.

Wednesday - gourmet
She opened treats in all houses with pancakes and other dishes. In each family, tables were set with delicious food, pancakes were baked, in the villages they brewed beer together. Theaters and stalls appeared everywhere. They sold hot sbitni (drinks made from water, honey and spices), roasted nuts, and honey gingerbread. Here, right under the open sky, one could drink tea from a boiling samovar.

Thursday - revelry (fracture, wide Thursday)
This day was the middle of games and fun. Perhaps, it was then that the hot Shrovetide fistfights took place, the fists, leading their origin from Ancient Rus'. They also had their own strict rules. It was impossible, for example, to beat a lying person (“they don’t beat a lying person”), to attack one person together (two fight - don’t get the third one), to beat below the belt or to beat on the back of the head. There were penalties for violating these rules. It was possible to fight "wall to wall" or "one on one". There were also "hunting" fights for connoisseurs, lovers of such fights. Ivan the Terrible himself watched such battles with pleasure. For such an occasion, this entertainment was prepared especially magnificently and solemnly. And yet it was a game, a holiday, which, of course, corresponded to clothing. If you also want to follow the ancient Russian rituals and customs, if your hands itch a lot, you can have a little fun, probably with a fight - all negative negative emotions will be removed at the same time, a detente will come (maybe this was some kind of secret meaning of fisticuffs fights), and at the same time it is a duel of the strongest. Just do not forget about all the restrictions and, most importantly, that this is still a festive game duel.

Friday - mother-in-law evenings
A number of Maslenitsa customs were aimed at speeding up weddings and helping young people find a mate. And how much attention and honors were given to the newlyweds at Shrovetide! Tradition requires that they go out dressed “to people” in painted sleighs, pay visits to everyone who walked at their wedding, so that they solemnly roll down the ice mountain to the songs. However, the most important event associated with the newlyweds was the visit of the mother-in-law by the sons-in-law, for whom she baked pancakes and arranged a real feast (unless, of course, the son-in-law was to her liking). In some places, “Teschin pancakes” took place on gourmets, that is, on Wednesday during Shrovetide week, but could be timed to coincide with Friday. If on Wednesday the sons-in-law visited their mother-in-laws, then on Friday the sons-in-law arranged “mother-in-law evenings” and invited them to pancakes. The former boyfriend usually appeared, who played the same role as at the wedding, and received a gift for his efforts. The called mother-in-law (there was also such a custom) was obliged to send in the evening everything necessary for baking pancakes: a frying pan, a ladle, etc., and the father-in-law sent a bag of buckwheat and cow's butter. The disrespect of the son-in-law for this event was considered a dishonor and insult, and was the reason for the eternal enmity between him and the mother-in-law.

Saturday - sister-in-law gatherings
The sister-in-law is the sister of the husband. So, on this Sabbath day, young daughters-in-law hosted relatives. As you can see, at this “fat Shrovetide” every day of this generous week was accompanied by a special feast.

Sunday - seeing off, a kisser, a forgiveness day.
The last day of the Maslenitsa week was called “forgiveness Sunday”: relatives and friends did not go to each other to celebrate, but with “obedience”, asked for forgiveness for intentional and accidental insults and grief caused in the current year. When meeting (sometimes even with a stranger), it was supposed to stop and with triple bows and “tearful words” ask for mutual forgiveness: “Forgive me, what I am guilty of or have sinned against you.” “May God forgive you, and I forgive you,” the interlocutor answered, after which, as a sign of reconciliation, it was necessary to kiss.

Farewell to Maslenitsa ended on the first day of Great Lent - Clean Monday, which was considered the day of cleansing from sin and fast food. Men usually "rinsed their teeth", i.e. they drank vodka in abundance, ostensibly in order to rinse out the remnants of fast food from their mouths; in some places fistfights, etc., were arranged to “shake out pancakes”. On Clean Monday, they always washed in a bathhouse, and women washed dishes and “steamed” milk utensils, cleaning it from fat and the remnants of squash.

Our ancestors conducted their chronology, consistent with the ancient solar calendar. The movement of the Earth relative to the Sun and the natural solar cycle were reflected in the annually recurring four astronomically important days, which were figuratively represented in the form of four incarnations of the solar body. Thus, 21 March - on the vernal equinox- when the sun moved from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern and there was a complete awakening of nature, renewal, our ancestors celebrated the onset of a new summer or a new calendar year.

The peoples who lived in full harmony with the surrounding world, nature, natural phenomena, very organically felt the natural life cycles, completely consistent with them. It was natural and perceived as a necessity. That is why the Maslenitsa holiday is, in fact, the holiday of the New Year. It was celebrated very cheerfully, brightly, with wonderful treats, folk festivals and round dances. But Shrovetide pancakes were not just one of the festive treats, but also a symbol reflecting sacred knowledge about the laws of the universe and the spiritual nature of man.

Round, ruddy, hot, they symbolized the ever-increasing spring sun. The sun was a symbol of God - warming, nourishing, giving life-giving fire. And the circle was one of the most ancient symbols and pointed to the Spiritual world.

The very name of the holiday, Shrovetide, comes from the word oil - an ancient Slavic word "smeared" . At this time, cows were calving in the villages, there was already plenty of milk and butter. That is why after a harsh winter (when food had to be spent sparingly and carefully), the time came for a more plentiful and varied diet, thanks to the first greens and dairy products. This is reflected in the modern version of the second name of Maslenitsa week, it is called "cheese or cheese week" .

Also known as Shrovetide komoeditsa. This name came to us from the northern peoples, who believed that the spirits of their ancestors live in dense impenetrable forests.

The image of spirits was considered bears, which were revered and called Komami. By the way, this is where the saying comes from: "The first pancake - ComAm ..." , - which meant an offering, a gift, a treat to the very first pancake of their ancestors. But it’s not at all what the modern version means - “failure, failure, the beginning of the case“ comO, comcom.

Only in the 17th century, by decree of Peter the Great, they began to celebrate Maslenitsa, changing its date and tying it to Christian holidays. After all, it was impossible to completely destroy the deep meaning of this day in the memory of the people. Thus, not only the date was changed, but also the sacred meaning of the holiday itself. And now we celebrate the beginning of the New Year on December 31, in the midst of a harsh winter and in the darkest time of the year, when the goddess of Sleep and Death, Morena, takes over. By the way, it was her effigy that was burned at the Shrovetide fire, thus symbolizing purification and liberation for a new life cycle. Scarecrow Morena made from rags and old straw and symbolically escorted through the rite of liberation by fire. And the fire in this case was also a symbol - the prototypes of the earthly, material fire was heavenly fire, solar. It is interesting that in some countries, for example in Spain, they still consider the date of the arrival of winter on December 21, and the onset of spring on March 21.

The most important and unchanging meaning of Maslenitsa still cannot be erased from the minds of inquisitive and perspicacious people. After all, in fact, this holiday was a symbol of the most important victory of every person - the victory of the FORCES OF LIGHT over the forces of darkness. It was a day when everyone celebrated the most important thing - their Spiritual rebirth and liberation. When everyone knew - GOOD ALWAYS WINS!

And even if today the day of a wonderful holiday has been changed and tied by date to a completely different meaning, this cannot prevent us from remembering that everything material is transitory, perishable and illusory, and Spiritual and Soul forces are given to us for transformation and rebirth. So - with Maslenitsa you!

Svetlana Samarets,
member of the ALLATRA International Public Movement

Shrovetide is one of the most fun and long-awaited holidays of the year, the celebration of which lasts for seven days. At this time, people have fun, go to visit, arrange festivities and eat pancakes. Maslenitsa in 2018 will begin on February 12, and its end date will be February 18.

Pancake week is a national celebration dedicated to the meeting of spring. Before entering Great Lent, people say goodbye to winter, enjoy the warm spring days, and, of course, bake delicious pancakes.

Maslenitsa: traditions and customs

There are several names for this holiday:

• the meat-empty Maslenitsa is called due to the fact that during the celebration they refrain from eating meat;
• cheese - because this week they eat a lot of cheese;
• Shrovetide - because they use a large amount of oil.

Many people are anxiously awaiting the onset of Maslenitsa, the traditions of celebrating which are rooted deep into our history. Today, as in the old days, this holiday is celebrated on a grand scale, with chants, dances and competitions.

The most popular amusements that used to be arranged in the villages were:

• fist fights;
• eating pancakes for a while;
• sledding;
• climbing a pole for a prize;
• bear games;
• effigy burning;
• bathing in holes.

The main treat both before and now are pancakes, which can have various fillings. They are baked every day in large quantities.

Our ancestors believed that those who do not have fun on Maslenitsa will live the coming year poorly and bleakly.

Maslenitsa: what can and cannot be done?

1. On Maslenitsa you can not eat meat food. It is allowed to eat fish and dairy products. As a main dish, pancakes should be on the table in every house.
2. You need to eat on Maslenitsa often and a lot. Therefore, it is customary to invite guests and not skimp on treats, as well as to visit yourself.

Maslenitsa: the history of the holiday

In fact, Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday, which was eventually changed to the "format" of the Orthodox Church. In pre-Christian Rus', the celebration was called "Seeing off the winter."

Our ancestors revered the sun as a god. And with the onset of the first spring days, they were glad that the sun was starting to warm the earth. Therefore, a tradition appeared to bake round cakes resembling the sun in shape. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece of sunlight and heat. Over time, flat cakes were replaced with pancakes.

Maslenitsa: traditions of celebration

In the first three days of the holiday, there was an active preparation for the celebration:

• brought firewood for the fire;
• decorated the huts;
• built mountains.

The main celebration took place from Thursday to Sunday. They came into the house in order to treat themselves to pancakes and drink hot tea.

In some villages, young people went from house to house with tambourines, horns, balalaikas, singing carols. City residents participated in the festivities:

• dressed in the best clothes;
• went to theatrical performances;
• visited booths to look at buffoons and have fun with a bear.

The main entertainment was the ride of children and youth from the ice slides, which they tried to decorate with lanterns and flags. Used for riding:

• matting;
• sled;
• skates;
• skins;
• ice cubes;
• wooden troughs.

Another fun event was the capture of the ice fortress. The guys built a snow town with gates, they planted guards there, and then went on the attack: they broke into the gates and climbed onto the walls. The besieged defended themselves as best they could: snowballs, brooms and whips were used.

On Maslenitsa, guys and young men showed their agility in fisticuffs. The inhabitants of two villages, landlord and monastic peasants, residents of a large village living in opposite ends could participate in the battles.

Seriously prepared for the battle:

• soared in the baths;
• ate well;
• turned to the sorcerers with a request to give a special conspiracy to win.

Features of the rite of burning an effigy of winter on Maslenitsa

As many years ago, today the culmination of Maslenitsa is considered to be the burning of an effigy. This action symbolizes the onset of spring and the end of winter. The burning is preceded by games, round dances, songs and dances, accompanied by refreshments.

As a stuffed animal, which is sacrificed, they made a large funny and at the same time scary doll, personifying Shrovetide. They made a doll out of rags and straw. After that, she was dressed up in women's clothes and left on the main street of the village during the Maslenitsa week. And on Sunday they were solemnly carried outside the village. There, the scarecrow was burned, drowned in the hole, or torn to pieces, and the straw left from it was scattered across the field.

The ritual burning of the doll had a deep meaning: it is necessary to destroy the symbol of winter in order to resurrect its power in the spring.

Maslenitsa: the meaning of every day

The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. On Shrove Week, it is customary to spend every day in its own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors:

1. Monday called "Meeting Maslenitsa". On this day they start baking pancakes. It is customary to give the first pancake to the poor and needy people. On Monday, our ancestors prepared a scarecrow, dressed it in rags and put it on the main street of the village. It was on public display until Sunday.
2. Tuesday nicknamed "The Gamble". It was dedicated to the youth. On this day, folk festivals were organized: they rode sledges, ice slides, carousels.
3. Wednesday- "Gourmet". On this day, guests (friends, relatives, neighbors) were invited to the house. They were treated to pancakes, honey cakes and pies. Also on Wednesday it was customary to treat your sons-in-law with pancakes, hence the expression: “ My son-in-law came, where can I get sour cream?". Horse racing and fist fights were also held on this day.
4. Thursday people called it "Razgulyay". From this day begins the Wide Shrovetide, which is accompanied by snowball fights, sledding, cheerful round dances and chants.
5. Friday They were nicknamed "Teschin's Evenings", because on this day the sons-in-law invited the mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.
6. Saturday- "Zolovkin gatherings." The daughter-in-law invited her husband's sisters to their house, talked with them, treated them to pancakes and gave gifts.
7. Sunday- the apotheosis of Maslenitsa. This day was called "Forgiveness Sunday". On Sunday they said goodbye to winter, saw off Maslenitsa and symbolically burned its effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and relatives for forgiveness for the grievances that have accumulated over the year.

Since ancient times, winter has been a real test for a person: it gets dark early, it's cold, and sometimes hungry.

Therefore, among the ancient Slavs, the arrival of spring is a very joyful event, which should certainly be celebrated noisily in order to quickly overcome the insidious Winter.

For this, fun mass festivities were organized.

There are several versions of the origin of this name of the holiday. The following is considered the most popular: during the week of festivities, people tried to appease, that is, appease spring. Hence the name - "Maslenitsa".

According to another version, the Maslenitsa holiday got its name after the arrival of Christianity. 8 weeks before Easter, it is forbidden to eat meat, but it is allowed to eat dairy products. Therefore, the Slavs baked pancakes, pouring them with plenty of oil.

They did not dare to cancel the pagan holiday, it was of great importance for ordinary residents. Christian leaders decided to "attach" it to Easter. In the Christian interpretation, the Maslenitsa week is a week of reconciliation, forgiveness and preparation for Great Lent.

Shrovetide traditions

At first, ordinary round cakes were baked from wheat flour and water, and only in the 19th century they were replaced with lacy pancakes. Round yellow pancakes represent the sun. Therefore, to eat a pancake means to swallow a piece of the sun, its tenderness, generosity and warmth.

Baking such "suns" was also considered a kind of ritual to attract the sun. It is believed that the more pancakes you cook and eat, the sooner spring will come.

In addition to making pancakes, there are other rituals of sun worship. For example, the inhabitants performed a variety of ritual actions that are based on the magic of the circle. Young people on horse-drawn sleighs circled the village several times, driving away evil spirits.

Another indispensable attribute of the Maslenitsa holiday was the bear. What is the connection between them? It turns out that the bear is a symbol of spring. Therefore, one man was dressed up in a bearskin and during the mass festivities he danced along with his fellow villagers.

Each day of celebration had its own rituals:

Monday- meeting. They began to make a stuffed Maslenitsa, dressed him in women's clothes and drove him around the village on a sleigh. Then the scarecrow was placed on a snowy hill, where sledding began.

Tuesday- win. Various entertainments began: folk festivals, sleigh rides and performances. On the streets you can meet large groups of mummers, who, in cheerful masks, traveled from house to house and arranged impromptu concerts.

Wednesday- gourmet. In each house, tables were laid with delicious dishes, pancakes were baked and beer was brewed. Theaters appeared in the village and trade tents were set up where they sold roasted nuts, sbitni and gingerbread.

Thursday- revelry. This is the middle of games and fun. It is believed that Maslenitsa fistfights could be arranged on this day.

Friday- mother-in-law evening. The mother-in-law baked her signature pancakes and arranged a real feast for her beloved son-in-law. Sometimes "mother-in-law pancakes" were held on Wednesday. Then on Friday it was the son-in-law's turn to invite his mother-in-law to pancakes.

Saturday- sister-in-law gatherings: daughters-in-law hosted relatives and treated everyone to delicious pancakes.

Sunday- kisser, forgiveness day, seeing off. On the last day of the week, friends and relatives asked for forgiveness for accidental and intentional upsets and insults.

Maslenitsa- a pagan holiday, the traditions of which are observed today. After all, the arrival of spring marks the birth of a new life, new hopes and dreams, which is very important for absolutely everyone.

Maslenitsa is not only a fun and tasty week-long celebration, it is a real tradition, rooted in the distant past, marking the approach of the long-awaited spring. It is customary to celebrate this holiday with songs, dances, games and sweeping festivities. On Maslenitsa week they bake and treat themselves to pancakes, visit friends and relatives, arrange competitions and guess. Pancakes symbolize the sun, and folk festivals convey the joy of meeting him.

When is Maslenitsa celebrated

Maslenitsa is a family holiday, remember at least Mother-in-law evenings or Zolovka gatherings

Maslenitsa has long been associated with the meeting of spring and seeing off winter. People were very tired from the long winter days: cold, darkness, hunger exhausted the peasants. And Maslenitsa festivities preceded the onset of warmth and a better life.

Maslenitsa traditionally comes before Lent. In 2019, the holiday ritual begins on March 4, February and ends on March 10.

The history of the holiday in Rus'

Maslenitsa has always been celebrated on a large scale, because winter with its cold weather bothered all peasants without exception!

Initially, Maslenitsa is an ancient pagan event, closely associated with the change of seasons, with the celebration of the solstice and the onset of spring. People believed in Yarilo - a pagan deity who was responsible for the harvest, the fertility of the land and symbolizing the sun. The holiday was celebrated seven days before the spring solstice.

However, in connection with the adoption of Christianity in Rus', it was adapted to the Orthodox calendar, and the date of Maslenitsa began to depend directly on the timing of entry into Great Lent. Despite the fact that pagan beliefs were suppressed and gradually eradicated by the church, Shrovetide rites, signs and rituals live in the public consciousness to this day.

The main traditions of Maslenitsa

• Pancakes.

According to tradition, Christians no longer eat pancakes with meat on Shrovetide, but other fillings are allowed: sour cream, jam, cottage cheese and other delicacies.

Pancakes are, of course, the main treat of the festive week. It is customary to bake thin round pancakes and serve them with a variety of fillings. There should be a lot of this delicacy, and they need to be baked every day.

• Games.

Sleigh rides are a favorite pastime for kids of all ages.

Fun and entertainment are an integral part of the festival. In Rus', fist fights were organized, pancakes were eaten at speed, they climbed a high pole for an award, rode a sleigh, had fun with a bear - another symbol of the onset of spring, dived into an ice hole, pulled a rope. Be sure to sing songs and dance, dress up and play jokes.

• Scarecrow burning.

The fire that drives away the winter and calls for the imminent spring must be bright!

For the holiday, a special doll was made, which stood in the very center of the festivities for a week. She symbolized the Maslenitsa. They made it from rags and straw, and then dressed it up in a colorful women's attire. The Maslenitsa scarecrow looked both funny and intimidating.

On Sunday, the culminating day of the celebration, the effigy was taken out into the fields to be burned. This was done solemnly and with full awareness of the significance of the ritual. By burning Maslenitsa, the people destroyed the forces of winter and "gave new life" to the spring.

People still honor ancient traditions, so the holiday is celebrated noisily, loudly, with a pancake feast, games and competitions, as was customary in the old days.

Folk calendar for 7 days of the holiday

"Every day is not Sunday? Well, at least I’ll feast for a week!”

The festival is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. All days of Maslenitsa have special names.

• Monday - Meeting.
• Tuesday - "Game".
• Wednesday - "Gourmet".
• Thursday - "Razgulyay", "Broad Thursday".
• Friday - Mother-in-law evening.
• Saturday - "Zolovkin gatherings."
• Sunday - Forgiveness Day.

Monday

Baking pancakes started on Monday

"Meeting" called the beginning of the holiday. It is easy to explain the reason for such a name - people welcomed Shrovetide, rejoiced at the long-awaited meeting with her. By this day, the preparations for the holiday were being completed, the remaining issues regarding the organization of the upcoming celebration and feast were being resolved.

It was today that they started baking pancakes and round cakes. There was a tradition - the first pancake was shared with the poor and the needy, so that they read prayers for the souls of deceased relatives. It was possible to do otherwise - to leave it on the threshold of the house as a sign of memory and respect for the ancestors.

It was started as follows: from the very morning, the mother-in-law and the father-in-law sent the daughter-in-law for one day to her family. And in the evening, they themselves visited the father and mother of the daughter-in-law to feast on pancakes and celebrate the beginning of the Maslenitsa festivities.

It was for the Meeting that a scarecrow was made - a symbol of Maslenitsa. Then they put him on a pointed stick, put him in a sleigh and rolled him around the whole village. And only after that, according to the script, the doll was installed in the center of folk festivals, so that everyone could see it during the festive week.

Tuesday

Maslenitsa without buffoons-jesters would not be so bright and provocative

It is not for nothing that the festive Tuesday is called Sparkle. Today, from the very early morning, people had fun, reveled, participated in games and competitions. And disguised buffoons amused passers-by on the streets. It was customary for women hostesses to treat such mercenaries.

Traditionally, on Tuesday, relatives, friends, and neighbors were invited to taste pancakes.

It was customary to marry to Zaigrysh. The young men looked out for potential brides, and the girls watched the guys and guessed at the imminent matchmaking and wedding. And, of course, the older generation studied possible relatives, sometimes, as if in jest, the families began to discuss and agree on the future union of the young.

Wednesday

Mother-in-law on this day treated her son-in-law with the most delicious pancakes and delicacies

And on this day, the son-in-law enjoyed mother-in-law pancakes, which is why they call the Wednesday Gourmand. Today, the mother-in-law heartily treated her daughter's husband and expressed her disposition and respect to him as much as possible. The son-in-law, in turn, praised the mother-in-law and cooked dishes, sang songs in her honor and played small comic performances.

Not only sons-in-law were invited to the rich table, but also all relatives, friends, neighbors, good acquaintances.

Young girls, as well as women, rode around their village and other villages on a sleigh. The fun was accompanied by the performance of ditties and fervent songs.

Thursday

On Broad Thursday, everyone walked, from young to old, it was no longer possible to work!

This day was popularly referred to as Razgulyay Thursday or Broad Thursday. It was from Thursday that the second half of the week-long celebration began - Shrovetide Wide. Now women were forbidden to do any household chores, it was time for real rest and carefree fun. The tables were bursting with all sorts of dishes and the traditional Shrovetide dish - pancakes. And the inhabitants of the settlements played snowballs, rode down the hills and on the carousels, sang and danced round dances, in a word - they amused themselves from the bottom of their hearts.

Unmarried young men showed themselves from the best side in front of future brides, boasted of strength and daring. For this purpose, various games and competitions were organized: fisticuffs, the wall-to-wall game, the storming of cities from snow, and tug of war were especially popular.

On Razgulay, children and the younger generation used to carol: they went from house to house with various musical instruments and sang special carols. Such entertainment was encouraged by adults, so young carolers were treated to goodies, and also asked to convey greetings and congratulations to their families.

Razgulyai was also celebrated in the cities. The townspeople took out their best wardrobes, attended street festivities in honor of Maslenitsa, went to watch theatrical performances, and also visited booths, where they amused themselves with performances with the participation of jesters and a bear.

Friday

On Friday, the son-in-law pleased his mother-in-law and loved ones with various dishes and, of course, pancakes

Mother-in-law's evenings are called Friday on Maslenitsa week. Now the son-in-law treated the mother-in-law with pancakes. Moreover, she came to visit not alone, but with her girlfriends and close relatives. True, the son-in-law's wife baked pancakes. And the son-in-law himself had to be shown how sincerely and strongly he respects and loves his mother-in-law and all her entourage. According to tradition, in the morning the mother-in-law handed over to the son-in-law's house a crepe pan and a tub for the dough. And the father-in-law always passed butter and flour.

Saturday

Not a single girlfriend and relative was left without a delicious pancake

The following was instituted: the daughter-in-law solemnly invited her sisters-in-law, that is, her husband's sisters, to her house, and presented each with a gift. The sister-in-law gatherings were accompanied by delicious food, pancakes and sincere conversations.

The daughter-in-law also invited her unmarried friends to visit if the sister-in-law had not yet married. And if the sisters of the husband were already married, then the married relatives of the daughter-in-law were invited.

Sunday

Sunday is the last day when it was allowed to eat pancakes and other quick food before fasting.

The culminating day of the seven-day festivities, called Forgiveness Day or Forgiveness Sunday. Today, all relatives and relatives apologize to each other, ask to forgive them for all conflicts and quarrels.

Another tradition appeared after the adoption of the Christian religion - to attend church today, and to answer apologetic words with the phrase "God will forgive and I forgive."

Today an effigy of Maslenitsa was burned, and this meant that the spring time was very close. The festivities on Sunday continued, but more restrained and not so noisy.

What to tell children about the traditions of the holiday

Children love noisy festivities and bright colors of Maslenitsa

The history of Maslenitsa and the traditions of this holiday are often of interest to children; in kindergarten and school, kids often receive assignments on this topic. Maslenitsa is a truly life-affirming, positive holiday, which is also interesting for modern people. Children of different ages are happy to take part in Maslenitsa games and fun. However, the current generation of children knows practically nothing about what a holiday is. And only adults are able to convey important and necessary information to children, which will help preserve the memory of ancient traditions and folk experience, and will also help expand the horizons of children. So what needs to be said?

1. History of the origin of the holiday. It is important to note that the celebration of Maslenitsa is an ancient custom that has survived to this day. Explain that they began to celebrate it even in the period of polytheism - this holiday is so old. Tell us how the Orthodox Church influenced him.
2. In honor of which Maslenitsa is celebrated. Why this holiday was so much loved, waited for and celebrated on a grand scale. It must be explained that this event heralds the arrival of spring and the awakening of nature. Thus, people said goodbye to winter and called for the early onset of warm, sunny days.
3. Why is pancakes the main delicacy for Maslenitsa? The shape of the pancake resembles the sun. And the sun is good weather and a guarantee of suitable conditions for agricultural work.
4. Entertainment and traditions. What did adults and children do during Shrove Tuesday? Perhaps the child himself was a spectator or participant in one or another festive fun. A colorful and vivid story will help him learn the information better and faster.
5. What days of Maslenitsa exist, what are they called. Briefly and to the point write down the days so that the child does not have time to get bored. For a more interesting story, you can use various sayings, proverbs and sayings.
6. Why is it customary to burn an effigy of Maslenitsa. Tell us what and for what purpose the festive doll was made, what it symbolized, when and why it was burned at the stake.

Making pancakes together brings the whole family together. Let the children participate in this process. They will definitely like it, and your family will have a new tradition for Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa traditions in the corners of Russia

The games of the Cossacks on Maslenitsa are truly fascinating and dangerous

• Celebration traditions of the Don Cossacks

Preparations began a whole month before the celebration. Maslenitsa was widely and loudly celebrated on the Don. The tables were full of dishes, round cakes in the form of the sun, sonorous heroic songs were sung in the houses and psalms were sung. Both young and old, men and women, in a word, all the people walked, had fun and actively participated in the meeting of spring and winter farewells. The most important difference of the local festival was horse racing (they were organized on all streets) and shooting from weapons, in which even children took part.

• Shrovetide traditions of the Siberian Cossacks

And in Siberia, Pancake week was celebrated on a grand scale. Pancakes were the main dish of the Cossacks. The dish was served with cottage cheese, sour cream and butter. Moreover, they were baked primarily to commemorate the souls of deceased relatives. Pancakes were kneaded from different dough: unleavened or yeast; based on oat or rye, barley, wheat or buckwheat flour. There was a special recipe for baking based on sour dough - these are Siberian shanezhki. There were no games to play. The most popular entertainment among the local Cossacks was the storming of the snow settlement.

• Maslenitsa at the Kuban Cossacks

The Cossacks in the Kuban are famous for their passion for horseback riding, closely intertwined with the tricks of horse riding. That is why the Maslenitsa festivities among the Kuban Cossacks could not do without the most popular entertainment - frisky riding in a sleigh that was pulled by horses. Traditionally, girls and boys skated separately from each other. During the festivities, Cossack horse riding and horse races were necessarily organized, where the male sex showed its most valuable, valiant qualities. At the end of the festivities, it was customary to cut the Shrovetide effigies.

Celebration in other countries: interesting facts

Did you know that analogues of Maslenitsa exist almost all over Europe?

As noted in Belarus

Maslenitsa in Belarus

According to tradition, on the eve of Maslenitsa, the dead were commemorated, celebrating Parents' Day. Even before Monday Maslenitsa, pancakes were baked, they were taken to the graves of relatives and close people. The rest of the pancakes were distributed to beggars, monks and children. In the evening of the same day, the souls of deceased relatives were traditionally “invited to the table”. The food was not removed from the table until early morning. Attention to the Belarusian Maslenitsa was paid to ceremonies and rituals promising fertility and a good harvest.

in the Czech Republic

Unlike Russia, it is allowed to eat meat and sausages on the Czech Masopust

The Czech Maslenitsa is called Masopust. The history of the holiday goes back to the 13th century, and the traditions of the celebration came here from Germany. In general, the festival is celebrated here as richly and magnificently as in Russia.

Czech Maslenitsa was mostly celebrated in rural settlements, but now the traditions of the celebration have begun to be adopted by urban residents. On Masopust, it is customary to eat a lot of high-calorie and fatty foods to maintain strength for the whole year. They cook kalachi and donuts, bake ducks and suckling pigs, cook traditional pork sausages yitrnice and pork with blood - elito. And the symbol of Maslenitsa in the Czech Republic is a donut.

In France

Bright colors attract the arrival of spring

An analogue of the Russian Maslenitsa week in the French lands is a carnival dedicated to the arrival of springtime. It falls on the first Tuesday in March. And this is very symbolic - the first day of the first spring month. French traditions are in many ways similar to ours: having fun, overeating, baking pancakes.

In Germany

One of the days of the German celebration is called Tulpensonntag - Tulip Sunday.

In Germany, as well as in France, there are large-scale and colorful carnivals. Traditional holiday foods - pancakes, pancakes, homemade sausages. The time of the holiday falls on the dates before Great Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday - 46 days before Easter.

A curious tradition is the existence of "Indian Thursday". On this day, almost everything is allowed for German women. A cute prank to cut off a stranger's tie is a small fraction of what a wild lady can afford. It is worth noting that a kiss was supposed to be offended, but the Germans are practical people, so they prefer not to wear this accessory to the office on this day.

In Great Britain

Even serious Brits love the pancake holiday!

Pancake day, literally - pancake day - this is the name of Maslenitsa in this state. Just like the Slavic people, the British are very fond of pancakes. Therefore, it is this dish that they associate with the sun and spring, and they prepare it for the holiday. There is a tradition in the old British city of England, Olney: waiting for the first strike of the bell from the main town hall, which notifies all residents that it is time to bake their perfect pancake. The so-called "pancake race" begins with the second blow in the town.

Italian Carnival

February is carnival month in Italy

Italians hold noisy and colorful carnivals with dressing up and dancing. This is the Italian analogue of our Maslenitsa. The most popular and beautiful Italian carnival is the Venetian one. It passes within 10 days. Sweet confetti is considered to be a favorite pastime of the carnival - procession participants are sprinkled with small sweets, nuts, dried fruits. The apotheosis of the festival in Italy is fireworks of incredible beauty.

And yet, Maslenitsa is a primordially Russian celebration, the mental and spiritual experience of our ancestors. With the help of games and amusements, a Russian person did not just relax; he splashed out negative emotions, released bad energy, freed himself from unresolved conflicts in order to enter spring clean and renewed. It is not for nothing that Maslenitsa is considered to be the Slavic New Year.