Customs and traditions for Maslenitsa. What kind of holiday is Maslenitsa? History, traditions, modern Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa is an ancient Slavic holiday that symbolizes farewell to winter and joyful anticipation of spring. The folk festival lasts a week and ends with Forgiveness Sunday.

Maslenitsa begins to be celebrated a week before Lent - the date of celebration is tied to Orthodox Easter and changes every year.

Carnival

According to one version, the origin of the word “Maslenitsa” is based on the Russian custom of baking pancakes. This tradition is associated with the desire of people to win over the sun, to persuade it to warm the frozen earth with the help of pancakes. It was the round pancake that was the sacrificial bread - a gift to the pagan gods.

Since ancient times, Maslenitsa week has been famous for its hearty and plentiful food. The main dish of the holiday is pancakes, which are said to be especially delicious during Maslenitsa.
On the eve of a long fast, people try to enjoy delicious and varied dishes and not deny themselves anything.

But pancakes are not the only treat for the holidays. As a rule, a rich table is set on Maslenitsa - they serve pancakes and pies with a variety of fillings (mushroom, cottage cheese, cabbage, and so on).

Maslenitsa was famous not only for its rich food - at this time there are mass slides, dancing, folk singing, and bonfires. But the main tradition is the burning of a Maslenitsa effigy at the stake. This symbolizes the departure of the boring winter. People welcome the long-awaited spring.

Before the adoption of Christianity, Maslenitsa was celebrated for 14 days, but today it lasts a week.

Pancakes

Pancakes appeared in Rus' more than a thousand years ago. During this time, the recipes for their preparation have undergone many changes. Traditionally, each housewife had her own own recipe cooking pancakes.

They were baked from different types flour with the addition of various ingredients, but have always remained a favorite treat in every home. To this day, pancakes are considered a Russian traditional dish.

We ate pancakes with butter, sour cream, honey, caviar, fish and vegetable filling. It’s hard to say which is tastier - everyone has their own opinion on this matter. Some people eat pancakes only with sour cream, others only accept sweet fillings, and still others love them with herring or red fish.

You can cook several types of fish: salted red fish, herring, hot or cold smoked mackerel, smoked cod or pink salmon - the choice is great. Various pates go well with pancakes, although according to Orthodox tradition, meat is not eaten this week. Those with a sweet tooth prefer to top their pancakes with honey, condensed milk, jam or syrup.

In Rus' there was a custom - the first pancake was always for the repose; it was, as a rule, given to a beggar to remember all the deceased, or simply placed on the window.

Traditions and customs

We prepared in advance for the celebration of Maslenitsa. People began preparations on Saturday of the previous week and celebrated “Little Maslenitsa.”

In the old days, according to tradition, young men gathered in small groups, walked around the villages and collected bast shoes, after which they greeted those returning with purchases from the market or city with the question: “Are you bringing Maslenitsa?” For the answer: “No luck,” people received decent blows with bast shoes.

Also, before Maslenitsa on Sunday, according to the tradition of those times, it was mandatory to visit relatives, neighbors and friends, and also invite them to visit.

Maslenitsa is the most cheerful folk holiday, each day of the week of which has its own name and meaning. The holiday week was divided into Narrow Maslenitsa, which included the first 3 days, and Broad, which included the remaining 4 days.

In the first half, along with festive events It was allowed to carry out housework, and in the second no one worked - everyone indulged in holiday joys in full force.

Delicious and filling pancakes were baked all week. They were eaten at home, away, at street celebrations. And now almost every family has a tradition of eating pancakes at least once a week.

Maslenitsa days

Monday - the first day of Maslenitsa is called "meeting". On this day, ice slides were set up and rolled out. In the old days they believed that the further the sled or sleigh rolled, the louder the noise and laughter over the ice slide, the better the harvest and the longer the flax would grow.

Festival "Moscow Maslenitsa"

They made a stuffed Maslenitsa from straw, dressed him in old clothes. women's clothing, they put the scarecrow on a pole and, singing songs, drove it around the village on a sleigh. Then this stuffed animal was placed on snowy mountain, where sledding began.

For this day, swings and booths were completed. They started baking pancakes. On this day, relatives visited each other to agree on how to spend the week.

Tuesday - "flirt". On this day it was customary to start fun games and treat them to pancakes for the created fun. In the morning, young people went to ride from the mountains and eat pancakes.

This day was especially exciting for unmarried girls, since bridal shows were arranged for the flirtation. All Maslenitsa rituals, in essence, boiled down to matchmaking, in order to have a wedding after Lent, on Krasnaya Gorka.

Wednesday - "gourmet". On this day, all housewives prepare various goodies in large quantities and decorate a rich table with them, but pancakes naturally come first. Also on this day, the mother-in-law showed affection for her son-in-law and invited him to a treat.
In the villages, beer was brewed by pooling (together).

Thursday - "go wild". From that day on, Maslenitsa unfolded in all its breadth - people walked from morning to evening, danced, danced in circles, sang ditties. The people indulged in all kinds of fun, icy mountains, booths, swings, fist fights, noisy parties. On this day, to help the sun drive away winter, people traditionally organize horseback riding “in the direction of the sun” - that is, clockwise around the village.

This was the most beloved and beautiful Maslenitsa ritual. Everyone who had a horse rode out, and assorted teams raced through the streets of cities and villages: the rich sported sleek trotters and painted sleighs covered with a carpet or bear skin, followed by clumsily galloping peasant horses, polished to a shine, decorated with colored ribbons and paper flowers. . Horse hooves thundered, bells and bells rang, and harmonicas sang.

On this day, a snow town with towers and gates was built on rivers, ponds and fields, then the gang was divided in half: some guarded the town, others had to take it by force.

Reproduction of Boris Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa"

Held on this day and fist fights. According to the rules, it was forbidden to hide something heavy in a mitten or hit below the belt or on the back of the head.

Friday is "mother-in-law's evening." A number of Maslenitsa customs on this day were aimed at speeding up weddings and helping young people find a suitable match. Sons-in-law invited their mothers-in-law to visit and treated them to pancakes. The son-in-law was obliged to personally invite his mother-in-law in the evening.

In some places, “mother-in-law’s pancakes” took place on a “gourmet” day, that is, on Wednesday during Maslenitsa week, but could be timed to coincide with Friday. So the sons-in-law could also be invited to their mother-in-law’s pancakes. But if on Wednesday the sons-in-law visited their mothers-in-law, then on Friday the sons-in-law organized a “mother-in-law party” and invited them to pancakes.

Saturday is “sister-in-law’s get-together.” On this day, the young daughter-in-law invited her relatives to her place. If the sisters-in-law were still girls, then the daughter-in-law called her girl friends; if the sisters-in-law were married, then she called her married friends or relatives. The daughter-in-law was obliged to present her sisters-in-law with gifts. Maslenitsa was, as it were, an excuse to get together and gossip.

On this day, all the newlyweds gathered from the surrounding villages to the village where they were celebrated. The young people standing in the crowd of spectators were called to the roller coaster. There they had to bow to the “peace” - the villagers who had gathered to watch the event, kiss and ride down the mountain on a sleigh. Under the mountain, the newlyweds had to kiss until the spectators got tired of them, shouting: “Come on, come on!”

Reproduction of Vasily Surikov's painting "The Capture of the Snowy Town"

The meaning of this ritual action- in an effort to glorify the newlyweds, as well as to express universal recognition and approval of the completed marriage.

Resurrection is “forgiveness Sunday”, as well as “farewell, kissing”. On this day, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from all loved ones who were offended for the harm caused, for some of their own misdeeds. And forgive yourself with with a pure heart them for the same actions that were caused accidentally or intentionally. This is a very bright and beautiful day before the start of Lent. In 2019 Lent starts on March 11th.

After this, you can start singing and dancing, thus seeing off the magnificent Maslenitsa. On this day, a straw effigy is burned on a huge bonfire - main character Maslenitsa holiday, symbolizing the passing winter.

The scarecrow is placed in the center of a huge fire and they say goodbye to it with jokes, songs, and dances. They scold winter for the frosts and winter hunger and thank them for the fun winter activities. After this, the effigy is set on fire amid cheers and songs. Then the youth jump over the fire and with this competition of agility the Maslenitsa holiday ends.

The material was prepared on the basis of open sources.

Maslenitsa is a holiday that came to us even before Christianity, which means it is a pagan holiday. But despite this fact? People in our country love Maslenitsa, celebrate it, and don’t want to say goodbye to this holiday. No one remembers exactly when he came to us, or rather, there is no one to ask. Well, in Rus' they have always loved and love to go for a walk, and if there is a reason, it will be the same in this case! It is noteworthy that Maslenitsa is celebrated for a week, that is, from Monday to Sunday. It always starts on Monday, there is no exception. But the climax comes on Sunday, when a straw effigy is burned.

What does Maslenitsa represent?

The question is very difficult, since there is no clear confirmation that Maslenitsa is a farewell to winter. It's all about the floating date of this holiday, when it can be celebrated both in March, that is, already in the calendar spring, and in February, still in winter. So, the February frosts may not yet subside, but the holiday is already being celebrated. Therefore, it is not necessary to talk about the unequivocal fact that Maslenitsa is a farewell to winter, although I really want to...
It is with the farewell to winter that this holiday represents the majority.

When is Maslenitsa celebrated (celebrated) in 2020, 2021...

Every year the date of Maslenitsa celebration changes. Take a look at the table, find the year and find out when it will be celebrated.

As you can see, it’s not difficult, but now you probably know when to go to the celebration! For those who want to understand where all this comes from, we will say that everything depends on the cycles of the moon. Since the holiday is tied to the date of Easter, which depends on the phases of the moon, Maslenitsa itself depends on it. Maslenitsa week begins before Great Lent, and Lent itself begins before Easter. This is how it works somehow!

How Maslenitsa is usually celebrated

This holiday has its own signs and characteristics, which, although not particularly observed, exist. That's what Maslenitsa was called Meat week when you can't eat meat. This is one of the features of the celebration. But the second name, Cheese Week, is closer to the truth. That is, for seven days you can eat cheese and dairy products, including butter, in honor of which the holiday has the most popular name among the people.
So, on Maslenitsa you need to bake pancakes, eat it yourself, go to a party for pancakes, dip them in butter and eat them. In fact, you really need to eat, because this holiday is before Lent, which means this is the last opportunity to eat. Although to say that you need to overeat on a pagan holiday in order to gloriously celebrate a Christian one is again somehow not entirely correct.

Well, if we put aside all the religious components, then modern Maslenitsa is, first of all, folk festivities and singing, which is often supported by our municipal authorities. So in many cities on Maslenitsa they organize performances where artists from folklore perform. creative activity, they organize competitions like how to climb a pole, walk along a log to a ram, and the like. Walking on this holiday is not prohibited, but on the contrary, it is encouraged. At least, this is the picture that emerges from the many years of experience in the policies of our authorities and the attitude of the people towards this holiday.
As we have already briefly mentioned, the apotheosis of the holiday falls on Sunday. Why? There are several reasons. This is the last day, which means you’ll hurt your forehead, but take a walk on the holiday. Sunday is a day off and that means you can really find time to take part in the celebration. All events organized by municipal authorities for Maslenitsa are held on Sunday. And lastly, the most important thing that everyone loves so much is burning an effigy. This image of a burning haystack is familiar to many from childhood, since the holiday was actively celebrated in the USSR, because it seems to be not Christian, which means you can spend the winter without tying this event to religion. Yes, the effigy burns nicely and beautifully, the main thing here is up to the organizers of the event. We hope they won’t waste the budget on this sacred thing, and the scarecrow in your city, town, village will burn as it should and is incendiary and attractive...

Accepted days of the week for Maslenitsa with their names and celebration traditions

Monday is called “Maslenitsa Meeting”. Already on this day they begin to bake pancakes, eat, treat and distribute. We distributed pancakes to those in need. They also made and placed an effigy that was burned on Sunday, the last day of Maslenitsa.

Tuesday was popularly called “Zigrysh”. This day was completely dedicated to the newlyweds, if there were any. On this day, folk festivities were held: sledding, carousel rides and slides.

Wednesday "Gourmand". On this day they ate and ate too much. We went to pancakes and invited. It was thanks to this day that the people appeared catchphrase“go to your mother-in-law’s for pancakes.” However, the mother-in-law was also waiting for Friday, when it was her turn to come for pancakes.

People called Thursday “Razgulyay”. Walking, skating, all kinds of entertainment events, all this is described by the word walk, and also characterizes this day during Maslenitsa week.

Friday is “Mother-in-law’s Evening”, it was on this day that it was the mother-in-law’s turn to go visit. However, polite relatives invited the mother-in-law the day before on Thursday.

Saturday is popularly called “Sister-in-Law’s Gatherings.” Young daughters-in-law invited their husband's sisters to their place, had conversations with them, treated them to various delicacies and gave gifts. If the sister-in-law had not yet gotten married, then the daughter-in-law invited her unmarried friends, and if the husband’s sister was married, then only married relatives were invited.

Sunday. Last day of celebration. But as we know, one holiday cannot do without another, because the last day of Maslenitsa is nothing more than “Forgiveness Sunday”.

Do Catholics (Catholic Church) celebrate Maslenitsa?

Like Russian Maslenitsa, such holidays exist in almost all Catholic countries. Perhaps their name and chronology are different, but the meaning is approximately the same. Like us, “Catholic Maslenitsa” is celebrated before Lent, on the eve of the so-called Ash Wednesday (Shrove Tuesday). Catholics call this holiday Carnival. By the way, if you translate the word “carnival,” it literally means “goodbye meat.” That is, the carnival is just preparation for Lent.
In countries with a predominance French this holiday is called Mardi Gras, English speaking countries- this is “Pancake Day”, in the USA - “Fat Tuesday”. Like us, during the days of Catholic Maslenitsa, all kinds of entertainment events take place, such as games and festivities. processions. The most famous Maslenitsa event in Europe is the Venice Carnival, which takes place before Lent and lasts 10 days. In London, on the last day of local Maslenitsa, pancake races take place. Many have heard about these. Anyone can take part in them. In the races you need to run the distance as quickly as possible, while tossing a pancake in a frying pan. The winner is determined from those who finally ran with their pancake, and as quickly as possible.

These days you can and should eat a lot of fatty foods, that is, fill up before Lent. Number of days of Maslenitsa Catholic carnival in different countries ah, different things: in Norway there are only 2 days, in Argentina - 2 months, including Lent, but usually about 5-7 days. The holiday is also actively celebrated in Great Britain, Canada, Ireland, Australia...
If we talk about the main dishes of the holiday, then in Greece - cheese bread, in Poland - donuts with fillings.

Summarizing when and how Maslenitsa is celebrated

Here, even without our conclusions, it is clear that the date of Maslenitsa is floating, and it depends entirely on Easter. To help you better navigate, take a look at the table with the chronology of religious holidays that are associated with Easter.

Chronology of holidays associated with Easter (Resurrection of Christ)

That is, we can say that Maslenitsa is celebrated 49 days before Easter. But the history of the holiday is very rich, absorbing Slavic mythology, and the policies of municipal authorities and a certain vision of the holiday by the average person.
To put it briefly. This is a holiday, first of all, for the people, when they are tired of winter, want some space for business and thought, a change in the weather to warm, but the authorities do not oppose this. That is why, to this day, the Maslenitsa holiday is very popular and in demand in Russia. After all, this is a great opportunity to spend a holiday outside with your family, under the growing sun, eat pancakes with sweets, burn an effigy, feel the breath of spring around and everywhere.

Maslenitsa is one of the most fun and long-awaited holidays of the year, the celebration of which lasts seven days. At this time, people have fun, go to visit, have parties 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 welcoming spring. Before entering 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:

meat-empty Maslenitsa is called because during the celebration people refrain from eating meat;
cheese - because they eat a lot of cheese this week;
Maslenitsa - because they consume large number oils

Many people anxiously await the onset of Maslenitsa, the traditions of celebrating which go back 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 entertainments that used to be held in villages were:

fist fights;
eating pancakes for a while;
sledding;
climbing a pole for a prize;
games with a bear;
burning an effigy;
swimming in ice holes.

The main treat, both before and now, are pancakes, which can have different 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 joylessly.

Maslenitsa: what can and cannot be done?

Cannot be consumed on Maslenitsa meat food. Allowed to eat fish and dairy products. Pancakes should be the main dish on the table in every home.
On Maslenitsa you need to eat 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 over time changed to fit the “format” of the Orthodox Church. IN pre-Christian Rus' The celebration was called “Farewell to Winter.”

Our ancestors revered the sun as a god. And with the onset of the first days of spring, they rejoiced that the sun was beginning to warm the earth. That’s why the tradition of baking round flatbreads, shaped like the sun, arose. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece sunlight and warmth. Over time, flatbreads were replaced by pancakes.

Maslenitsa: celebration traditions

In the first three days of the holiday, active preparations for the celebration took place:

they brought wood for the fire;
decorated the huts;
built mountains.

The main celebration took place from Thursday to Sunday. People came into the house to enjoy pancakes and drink hot tea.

In some villages, young people went from house to house with tambourines, horns, and balalaikas, singing carols. City residents took part in festive festivities:

dressed in their best clothes;
went to theatrical performances;
We visited booths to watch buffoons and have fun with the bear.

The main entertainment was children and youth sliding down 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 snowy town with gates, put guards there, and then went on the attack: they broke into the gates and climbed the walls. The besieged defended themselves as best they could: they used snowballs, brooms and whips.

On Maslenitsa, boys and young men showed their agility in fist fighting. Residents of two villages, landowners and monastery peasants, residents of a large village living at opposite ends could take part in the battles.

We seriously prepared for the battle:

steamed in the baths;
ate heartily;
turned to the sorcerers with a request to give a special spell for victory.

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

Just 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 scarecrow to be sacrificed, they made a large funny and at the same time scary doll, personifying Maslenitsa. They made a doll from rags and straw. After which she was dressed in women's clothing and left on the main street of the village for the duration of Maslenitsa week. And on Sunday they were solemnly carried outside the village. There the effigy was burned, drowned in an ice hole, or torn into pieces, and the straw that remained from it was scattered across the field.

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

Maslenitsa: the meaning of every day

The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. During Shrovetide Week, it is customary to spend each day in your own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors:

Monday called “Meeting of 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 displayed it on the main street of the village. It was on public display until Sunday.
Tuesday nicknamed "Zigrysh". It was dedicated to youth. On this day they arranged folk festivals: went on a sleigh ride, ice slides, carousels.
Wednesday- “Gourmand.” On this day, guests (friends, relatives, neighbors) were invited to the house. They were treated to pancakes, honey gingerbread and pies. Also on Wednesday, it was customary to treat your sons-in-law with pancakes, hence the expression: “ My son-in-law has come, where can I get sour cream?" Horse racing and fist fights were also held on this day.
Thursday popularly nicknamed "Razgulay". From this day begins Broad Maslenitsa, which is accompanied by snowball fights, sledding, cheerful round dances and chants.
Friday nicknamed “Mother-in-law’s Evening,” because on this day the sons-in-law invited the mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.
Saturday- “Sister-in-law’s get-togethers.” The daughters-in-law invited their husband's sisters to their house, talked with them, treated them to pancakes and gave them gifts.
Sunday- the apotheosis of Maslenitsa. This day was called " Forgiveness Sunday" On Sunday we said goodbye to winter, said goodbye to Maslenitsa and symbolically burned its effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and family for forgiveness for the grievances that have accumulated over the year.

Proverbs and sayings for Maslenitsa

Video: history and traditions of the Maslenitsa holiday

Each Slavic people has a different name

And this is true. Since the times ancient Rus' and to this day in Russia the holiday was and is called Maslenitsa. But Ukrainians warmly call it Maslanitsa. For Belarusians it’s different - it’s a masnitsa. The Poles celebrate Shrovetide. The Macedonians have a schedule that is not at all familiar to the ear - it’s been a week. But the essence of the holiday is in front of everyone different names practically the same with only minor differences. U Eastern Slavs Maslenitsa week is the border between winter and spring and, for example, in Russian Orthodox calendar it is also called cheese week or meat eater. But it is certainly accompanied by fun, jokes, jokes. To the liking of both adults and their children. Analogue of carnivals in European countries. Akin to "Fat Tuesday and Meat Empty." The date of the festival varies depending on the day of Easter. For example, in 2016, Maslenitsa was celebrated from March 7 to 13. It is noteworthy that even among the Russian Slavs the holiday has many names: Maslena, Maslenaya, Maslenaya week, World holiday, pancake maker, pancake week, overeating. At the same time, Russians indulge their appetite with pancakes and flatbreads, but Ukrainians and Belarusians indulge in dumplings and cheesecakes. At the same time, the ritual side is associated with the cult of ancestors. In pre-Christian times, all thoughts were associated with the spring equinox, the beginning of the new year. The main goal of Maslenitsa is to take care of fertility in connection with the upcoming spring field work. Actually, efforts were also intended to increase human fertility.

Everything went into making it - straw, hay, outdated things in the form of lush sundresses, padded jackets, multi-colored ribbons on fantastic headdresses. And how hard they worked on the face masks! Here you have whitewash and blush on your cheeks, and brightly drawn eyebrows and eyelashes. And the whole figure of Maslenitsa was made vigorous and magnificent. And at the end of the holiday, the effigy was burned, the ashes were scattered across the fields. To increase fertility. If the scarecrow was torn into pieces, then the straw was also used as fertilizer. It happened that the stuffed animal was mercilessly drowned in a pond, river or ice hole. His death meant the birth of the future, new strength, fertility not only of livestock, but also of people, in particular, the young and ardent. Let us add to what has been said - making and burning an effigy is not only a pagan essence. IN to a greater extent This is not the likeness of an idol, but a ritual based on folk gaming roots.

Not everyone enjoyed Maslenitsa

Patriarch Andrian (1637-1700), in particular, resolutely opposed it. His full title is His Serene Highness Cyrus Andrian, Archbishop of Moscow and All Russia and all Northern peoples patriarch. And he even intended to cancel the pagan holiday, in his opinion. But I didn’t have time. Except that he reduced the number of days in it. And he especially did not like revelry and rioting during Maslenitsa. In the Mother See, for example, the guards, instead of maintaining order, drank themselves to death. We noted the relationship between Maslenitsa and Western carnival. But it was also characterized by excessive violence, which was opposed by the foot and horse guards who patrolled the streets and squares. But to this day, Maslenitsa remains noisy, riotous, daring, and nothing can be done about it. In addition, the Slavs do not associate Maslenitsa with paganism. And among its rituals there are those that are approved by the church itself. As for excessive gluttony, people think this way - Lent is ahead, and you will have to give up a lot of food. During Maslenitsa you need to eat as much as possible. Including pancakes, which some people mistakenly perceive as a semblance of the sun. In fact, pancakes are more associated with a ritual of remembrance. Let us remember that a meal for the deceased is necessarily accompanied by the presence of pancakes on the funeral table. And on Maslenitsa, pancakes are also used to remember deceased parents and relatives, which will be discussed further.

Motley week

It is noted that in some places, including Russia, preparations have been made for Maslenitsa since the Saturday preceding the Motley Week. The owners sent children of eight to ten years old to celebrate the holiday and gave them pancakes, with which they rode on a handle or poker and shouted loudly: “Goodbye snotty winter! Come red summer! Plow, beard, and I’ll go plow!” Small Maslenitsa is celebrated on Saturday. In the old days, children ran around the village and collected worn-out bast shoes. Then they met those returning from the city with gifts and asked: “Do you believe in Maslenitsa?!” If anyone answered: “No!” - they beat him mercilessly with their collected bast shoes. In Belarus and in some regions of Russia, parents' day was celebrated on the Saturday before Maslenitsa - the first of the year. Pancakes were baked, and the first one was placed on the shrine or on the dormer window or on the roof of the house or on the graves of ancestors. Children were also treated to a meal with a request to specifically remember one of their deceased relatives or friends. In the morning for breakfast or in the evening for dinner, the dead were invited to the table. Dishes were prepared from beef, pork, and lamb. After the meal, the food was not removed and remained on the table. It was believed that under the cover of darkness, dead parents came out of the oven and ate what was left behind. After Saturday came Sunday. before Maslenitsa - Meat Sunday. It was supposed to eat meat twelve times, slurp cabbage soup twelve times. Go on a visit and invite them to your place.

Olivet Week

It came after the mentioned resurrection. And it was divided into Narrow Maslenitsa and Broad Maslenitsa. The narrow one occurred on the first three days of the week - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Wide - Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The first three days were full of work. From Thursday it stopped and Wide Maslenitsa began. Each day of Maslenitsa had its own name.

Monday

Meeting. The place for the festivities was determined. A guest list was being drawn up. We decided where to build a snow slide, a town, where to put a booth, a swing. What to make from and where to place the Maslenitsa effigy. Pancakes were baked. The first is for the poor to commemorate the dead.

Tuesday

The boys flirted with the girls. Bridal viewings were held. Matchmakers were sent to have a wedding in Krasnaya Gorka after Lent. Young people were invited to ride down the slides and eat pancakes. The barker shouted loudly: “We have snow mountains ready, pancakes are baked, please welcome!”

Wednesday

She was also called a gourmet. In the afternoon, go to your mother-in-law for pancakes. By the way, she baked them herself and treated them herself. And she was cordial, hospitable - and you couldn’t be happier. And the son-in-law forgot past grievances, forgave them. Hugs, kisses - of course!

Thursday

That's what it was called - take a walk! Or Wide Thursday. Or Maslenitsa Thursday. Or Fat Thursday. signified the beginning Wide Maslenitsa. All work stopped. Horseback riding. Fist fights. Various types of competitions. Feasts. Among the competitions, the main thing is the capture of the snow town built before Maslenitsa. Well, and of course - bonfires, jumping over their flames. And pancakes, pancakes, pancakes. Including with diverse with different fillings- meat, liver, red or black caviar (in the distant past there was enough of it and it cost a penny!), cherries, apricots and so on.

Friday

Another name is Mother-in-law's evening. Now she came to visit. With a return visit, as they say. Her son-in-law receives her. My wife bakes pancakes. The same kissing and hugging. Forgiveness of past grievances. And a rich meal. With pancakes with different fillings. Here the wife should not have lost face in the dirt. Please your mother-in-law with delicious pancakes and other holiday delicacies.

Saturday

Otherwise, it is also called Sister-in-law’s gatherings. The young daughter-in-law cordially invites her sisters-in-law and other relatives of her beloved husband. Of course, before receiving guests, she needs to prepare well, and so that the house sparkles with cleanliness. And the rich table was set, the main treat of which would be pancakes, as they say, piping hot. It didn’t hurt to take care of worthy and generous gifts. And so that when leaving the hospitable home, the sisters-in-law would then long remember the kind welcome and honor shown to them by their daughter-in-law. On Saturday, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Council of All Reverend Fathers.

Sunday

This is the culmination day of Maslenitsa week. He is also called the kisser and the forgiven resurrection. For the most part, people are not so sinless. There are quarrels and resentments between them. And something even worse. So we need to ask each other for forgiveness. In case of an unexpected or planned meeting, and in today's reality with its amazing technologies both at home and cell phones. But first there should be congratulations on the last day of Maslenitsa. Then - please forget past grievances, do not hold a “stone in your bosom” for the voluntary or involuntary troubles caused to relatives or neighbors, Forgive, and continue to live in peace, friendship and harmony! Someone answers: “I forgive!”, and others: “God will forgive!”. On the last day of Maslenitsa, that is, on Forgiveness Sunday, it is customary to go to the graves of parents, relatives, and deceased dear friends. Say goodbye to them. Place treats brought from festive table pancakes. Some good Christians are not averse to going to a hot bathhouse on this day, which is not forbidden. And after the steam room, plunge headlong into an ice hole. Just for a moment, to protect yourself from a cold.

By the way, leftover food is burned at the end of Maslenitsa and the dishes are washed thoroughly. And they burn the effigy. They collect its ashes and scatter them across the fields for a future bountiful harvest. The ceremony of forgiveness takes place in churches, evening service. And at the same time it also sounds: “God will forgive!” Lenten services begin. Carnival celebrations go by. After burning the effigy, others threw traditional funeral food into the fire - pancakes, eggs, flat cakes. Thus, saying goodbye to the departed and to Maslenitsa, which will return to those celebrating it again in a year. And it was also called Maslenitsa because on all its days they ate a lot of oil. Once again it would be appropriate to say - pancake week is a festive celebration of welcoming spring. Before entering Lent, the Orthodox people say goodbye to winter. enjoys the warmth, bakes pancakes.

Among Orthodox people and especially young people there are many of them. Fist fights were and still are popular. Sometimes it's street to street. But without causing serious wounds, of course. Although many guys and husbands mature age they went into, as they say, a frenzy. As a result, after Maslenitsa we walked around with bruises and bruises. But all this is for the good. Without evil. They competed in eating pancakes to see who could handle them the most. In the dexterity of climbing sanded pillars for gifts at the very top. There were games with bears, swimming in ice holes - all in order to show strength, dexterity, toughness and thereby please Maslenitsa, themselves, family and friends. Proverbs and sayings remind us of Maslenitsa of distant years. One of the well-known ones to this day: “It’s not always Maslenitsa for the cat!” or “Maslenitsa is a waste of money, a waste of money!” There are others - “Without pancakes there is no Maslenitsa!”, “Without pancakes there is no Maslenitsa!”, “Pancake is not a wedge: it won’t split your belly!”, “Pancake is a relative of the sun”, “Like pancakes flew to the ceiling during Maslenitsa week” Farewell to Maslenitsa ended with everyone kissing. And how they rode down the hills - some on fast sleds, on skates, some on wooden troughs, depending on whether you were poor or rich. But everything was exciting, with enthusiasm, pleasure and joy. we remembered Maslenitsa - a truly national holiday of the Slavs and not only Russians!

Not pagan, but ecclesiastical

People's Maslenitsa begins a day earlier than Church Maslenitsa. The secular celebration was established by the Decrees of Peter the Great in the image and likeness of the European carnival. And the sovereign defined it as “all-jokey, all-intoxicating, like the most extravagant cathedral.” Held during the days of the church Cheese Week with an eight-day revelry, drinking and gluttony - a Russian secular holiday from the Sunday of the "meat curse" to Forgiveness Sunday. Let us emphasize once again that Maslenitsa is not a pagan holiday and does not have pagan roots. Maslenitsa is celebrated Orthodox Church back in the sixteenth century, to oust from the consciousness of sincere believers the pagan solar holiday of welcoming spring - Komoeditsa, which celebrated the vernal equinox, in other words, the beginning of astronomical spring. Maslenitsa precedes Lent. Let us note that the dates of Maslenitsa are moving and are connected with lunar calendar and hence with the moving dates of Easter, which is preceded by the seven-week Great Lent. This is the last week before Lent. For Catholics, Maslenitsa is called carnival. Pagan holiday spring equinox Muslims call it nuvruz, among the Kazakhs, in particular, nauryz. As for Komoeditsa, it is one of the ancient great pagan Slavic holidays. And the day of his meeting never changes. It falls on the date of the vernal equinox - March 20, although due to the presence of time zones, the date may increase by a day. That's why they call it the 21st spring month. What is the day of the vernal equinox? This is an astronomical phenomenon when the sun, in its apparent movement, crosses the celestial equator. In other words, the luminary passes from northern hemisphere to the south. The dresser also has a stuffed animal as its main attribute. But not Maslenitsa, but Madder (winter), and it is also ancient rite is burned. Admirers of the holiday worshiped the bear, which on the day of the spring equinox woke up and came out of its den. Bear according to Old Slavonic COM. Hence the comedian. They baked pancakes and laid them out on tree stumps for the bears. So that they can feast on them. Due to this circumstance, the following was born: “The first pancake is lumpy.” True, now with a different subtext - the first pancake does not always turn out like all the usual ones, but comes out of the frying pan in a lump. Saying goodbye to winter on the last day, the komoeditsa and an effigy of madder are burned. Where is the pagan holiday celebrated? Of course, in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. But it is also celebrated in other countries and even at the state level with a day off. The holiday of the comedian, in other words, the awakening of the bear, personifies the god of livestock and the god of wealth. Already from March 23, the days become longer than the nights. The sun (Yaril among the ancient Slavs) melts the snow. The pagan holiday in Russia is celebrated especially with pleasure and joy by communities of different faiths.

by Notes of the Wild Mistress

Happy holiday with mass celebrations, games and fun. A day of gluttony and wine drinking, after which everyone asks each other for forgiveness. Church holiday, preparation for Lent. Pagan holiday, worship of the Sun God - Yaril. Farewell to winter (in mid-February?), burning straw Maslyona on a fire... I received such diverse answers while trying to figure out what it means for modern people Carnival. There was only one thing in common: everyone baked pancakes!

So what is this mysterious holiday that we have known since childhood, but is interpreted so differently by others? To find the roots and traditions of celebrating Maslenitsa, let us turn to the history of its origin.

Where did Maslenitsa come from?

So, Maslenitsa is one of the ancient Slavic national holidays. It was also called Komoeditsa. “Comas” are breads made from oat, pea and barley flour, to which dried berries and nuts were added. They were eaten on the last day of Maslenitsa. It lasted two weeks - a week before the spring equinox (March 22) and a week after. All this time they were baking pancakes - symbols of the sun. They were served hot and generously flavored with butter, which melted on the pancakes like snow melts in the sun.

Bears, which have long been a symbol of Rus', were also called “comas.” The first pancake - a symbol of spring - was carried to the Bear so that he would awaken from hibernation, and spring came faster. There is even a proverb:

The first pancake is for comas, the second pancake is for acquaintances, the third pancake is for relatives, and the fourth pancake is for me.

So, the first pancake is comAm, and not lumpy, as we used to say. Lumpy - this is for those who don’t know how to bake!

With the adoption of Christianity in Rus', Maslenitsa was timed to coincide with the last week before Lent, so the date of celebration began to change every year depending on Easter.

The church name for Maslenitsa is Cheese (or meat-free) week. During this period, you are allowed to consume dairy products, eggs and fish, but you should abstain from meat. That is, this is a kind of preparation for fasting. The meaning of the holiday is good communication with loved ones - friends, relatives. Maslenitsa ends with Forgiveness Resurrection.

Under Peter I, Maslenitsa began to be celebrated in a European way - with clownish antics, processions of mummers similar to Italian carnivals, with drinking and partying. The celebration was called “The most humorous, the most drunken and the most extravagant cathedral.” This “demonic” celebration of Maslenitsa lasted for almost thirty years...

These are the roots on which ours grew modern holiday- Maslenitsa. Accordingly, having absorbed a little of everything.

Rituals and traditions of Maslenitsa

Having found out the origins of the holiday, let us now consider the rituals and traditions of the holiday.

1. Baking pancakes, symbolizing the Sun. They put their soul into their preparation. The dough was kneaded in good mood, with good thoughts, to convey warm feelings to everyone who eats pancakes.

2. Taking the Snow Fortress. It was a struggle between the New (the forces of heat) and the foundations of Balance (the forces of cold). Women, personifying balance, were at the top of the fortress and guarded the goddess Madder (Maru), made of branches and straw, symbolizing Winter. The men who personified the forces of the new had to take the fortress and carry Madder out of her palace. But not the first time, but only the third time. This symbolized the trinity. The first two times the men wisely retreated, trying to grab some things from the girls. And finally, for the third time, the forces of the New won and carried the straw effigy of Madder-Winter to the fire.

3. Ritual of the Bear's Awakening. On the way, they walked past the “den of the Bear”, who was woken up and treated to the first pancake. The awakening of the bear, the “coma,” symbolized the awakening of all nature, the onset of spring.

4. Burning a straw man meant seeing Winter off to her icy halls. At home, small dolls similar to the big one were also made in advance, and various other figures - horses, birds, flowers, stars from all kinds of ropes, handkerchiefs, paper, tow, wood and straw. Everything bad was put into them that they wanted to get rid of. When on the last day of Maslenitsa they burned Winter, they threw homemade figurines into the fire, throwing away all troubles and illnesses with them.

Yes, one more thing. Due to the advent of Christianity, the date sometimes shifted to the beginning of February, for example, this year Maslenitsa falls on February 16th. It was somehow inappropriate to burn Winter when there were two months left before the snow melted. The Russian people, with their ingenuity, corrected this discrepancy by calling the effigy Maslenaya, and timing its burning to coincide with the end of the holiday itself - Maslenitsa, the transition to Lent.

5. Round dance and buffoons. When they lit a fire around the scarecrow, so that the fire would spread stronger, they began to dance around it and sing songs: “Burn, burn clearly, so that it does not go out.” And the buffoons showed performances and sang ditties. “Like during Shrovetide, pancakes were flying out of the chimney!..”

6. Then everyone was invited to common table, rich in treats: pancakes with butter and honey, oatmeal jelly, cookies, coma bread, herbal teas and many other dishes.

These are the traditions of Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa today

IN lately these traditions are being revived. IN Russian cities and all villages Maslenitsa week bake pancakes and visit each other. And on the last day of Maslenitsa there are mass celebrations with horse riding, fun competitions, sports competitions, active winter games.

Are opening fairs, where they sell all kinds of goodies and folk crafts and souvenirs. Craftsmen exhibit their works. There are wicker baskets, pottery, Russian folk scarves, and a lot of beautiful, soulful, native, truly Russian things. Everyone can buy a gift for themselves and their loved ones.

Small souvenirs - symbols of Maslenitsa, you can buy them here if you haven’t had time to make them at home. Mentally putting your troubles and sorrows into them, throw them into the fire with the burning effigy of Maslyona - thus getting rid of misfortunes this year.

The required part is tea party at the samovar with painted gingerbread cookies and bagels. Well, and, of course, treating yourself to pancakes and pancakes with various fillings. “Hot, hot”, with butter, red caviar, honey - this is just a small part of this huge holiday - Maslenitsa!

And although this holiday exists in many countries, it is not celebrated anywhere on such a scale as in Russia! Therefore, many tourists from different countries try to get to the celebration of Russian Maslenitsa.

Polina Vertinskaya