Maslenitsa

1.

Maslenitsa

2.

Spring welcome
The tradition of Maslenitsa dates back to pagan times, when Russian
folk would bid farewell to winter and welcome spring. As with many
ancient holidays, Maslenitsa (the stress being on the first syllable) has a
dual ancestry: pagan and Christian.
On the pagan side, Maslenitsa was celebrated on the vernal equinox
day. It marked the welcoming of spring, and was all about the enlivening
of nature and bounty of sunny warmth.
On the Christian side, Maslenitsa was the last week before the onset of Lent (fasting which precedes
Easter), giving the last chance to bask in worldly delights.

3.

Traditional Maslenitsa Schedule
On Monday, Maslenitsa is greeted, then people have fun all week,
they woo, eat pancakes with stuffing and treat guests, and on Sunday
they already see off Maslenitsa, put up with loved ones and burn an
effigy.

4.

Pancakes
The name of the holiday, Maslenitsa (derived from maslo, which means butter or oil in Russian) owes its
existence to the tradition of baking pancakes (or blini , in Russian). They are essential to the celebration
of Maslenitsa.
On the one hand, hot, round, and golden, pancakes, as people believed, embody a little of the sun’s
grace and might, helping to warm up the frozen earth. In old days pancakes were cooked from buckwheat
flour, lending them a red color, making the significance even more evident.
On the other hand, the circle has been considered a sacred figure in Russia, protecting people from
evil. Hence is the habit of going on horseback around the settlement several times, decorating a cart
wheel and carrying it on a pole along the streets, and dancing the (k)horovod (round dance). Such
ceremonies were believed to butter (to cajole) the Sun and make it kinder.
Pancakes also symbolize birth and death; in old Russia a pancake was
given to a woman in labor, and is a ritual funeral repast in many homes.
At Maslenitsa pancakes are cooked in very large quantities to be used in
almost every ritual, they are given to friends and family all through the
week. Pancakes are served with caviar , mushrooms, jam, sour cream,
and of course, lots of butter.

5.

The burning of Lady Maslenitsa
Lady Maslenitsa, made out of straw and clad in brightly-colored garments, is
the center of the celebration. It is carried around on a pole or driven in sledges
throughout the entire holiday week. People sing songs about Maslenitsa,
where it is referred to as a real person, that accuse it of its rampant nature on
the one hand and responsible for the winter cold and the upcoming severe
Lent to come on the other.
The culmination of the holiday week is burning the effigy, which takes place on
Sunday, the Forgiveness Day. Unlike the usual bonfires of brushwood and
logs, this ceremonial fire was “powered” by hay and old rags.
Once Lady Maslenitsa was reduced to ashes, they were either buried in the snow or scattered across the
fields to fertilize the future crops.
In the pre-Christian era instead of the effigy the real person was burnt, and torn into parts and scattered
in the fields to assure rich crops, but starting from the 17th century, this tradition was banned.

6.

Nowadays
Every year Maslenitsa is celebrated by a large number of people from
different countries. Not only Christians, but also modern Slavic pagans.
You can easily find a festival of Maslenitsa in almost any part of
Russia.
For example, Moscow celebrates it on a grand scale. Folk festivals,
theatrical performances, fun contests with all kinds of prizes are
waiting for the guests of the holiday in parks and squares, literary
lectures and master classes are held in museums.

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The end