Maslyanitsa in Russia

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Maslyanitsa
in Russia
February

by Olga

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Maslyanitsa (which means "butter" in Russian) is a special carnival which people celebrate just before Lent.

WHAT IS MASLYANITSA?

Maslyanitsa (which means "butter" in Russian) is a Russian traditional carnival. It is celebrated in the Spring just before Lent. During this week people cook pancakes served with honey, caviar, fresh cream and butter. It means that many different foods, including butter, will be eaten before the time when Lent comes. Some people in Russia celebrate it and some don't, but I do. Pancake week is divided into three parts, i.e. meeting of Maslyanitsa on Monday, the high point of the celebration, on Thursday, and the last day, the good-bye day, which comes on Sunday morning.

During this week people cook pancakes served
with honey, caviar, fresh cream and butter.

CELEBRATIONS IN ST. PETERSBURG

In St. Petersburg the feast's centre is in Issaceevscoy. All the rich people used to drive there on horses and in carriages. For that carnival Anna Eoanovna made an ice castle for fun. Everything in it was made out of ice, even the building itself. Tsars and Grand Princes used to enjoy themselves in feast fighting.

HOW DO WE CELEBRATE IT TODAY?

People wear funny masks and costumes.and there is a festival with good food. People used to burn a big man of straw as a way of saying goodbye to the winter. When my family celebrates it we make a doll and we dance around it, and then we give each other presents like books and toys or souvenirs.

When my family celebrates it we make a
doll & we dance around it.

When we dance we wear costumes - they are folk costumes and can be of a dog or a cow or a cat. Some people don't have any costumes so they wear any clothes usually traditional Russian clothes. In schools we celebrate in the same way, but sometimes we have a disco after it.

Other Internet Resources:

Additional information on Maslyanitsa (or "Maslennitsa"): Recently we heard from a friend in Moscow who sent us some additional background information on this traditional festival. (Thanks Elena !)

" As far as "Maslennitsa" (first syllable stressed) is concerned, it's an ancient Russian (Pagan) festival, held to say "Good-bye" to a long and severe winter. It usually takes place in the end of February. People used to make a dummy , as if of the passed winter. They sang songs and danced around the dummy, and in the end of the festival they used to burn it. The larger and hotter the bon-fire appeared, the longer and warmer the coming summer was supposed to be. The traditional dish for "Maslennitsa" are big round hot pan-cakes, with butter ( Butter = Maslo in Russian, that's where the name of the feast comes from.) Pancakes symbolize the sun. The more butter (or honey, cavier, other delicious things) which was put on the pancake, the hotter the sun was expected to be in the coming summer. Nowadays it is celebrated in the end of February as a merry festival with dances, songs, national costumes, attractions for children, hot tea and pancakes served outdoors."