Maslenitsa is the most well awaited festival after Christmas in Russia. It marks the beginning of spring and is the preparatory period for Lent- forty days of fasting and abstinence before Easter. This week long festival is celebrated with great joy all over Russia and in various parts of Europe.
Maslenitsa has its origins in the pre-Christian times when the Slavs were still pagans, this festival celebrated the end of winter and welcomed the warmth of the sun with the onset of Spring.
With Christianity coming into Russia a lot of pagan traditions were either removed or modified. Maslenitsa continued to be celebrated but as a preparatory week for Lent. Thus the festival combines pagan as well as Christian rituals. Blini, or pancake defines the whole festival. Blini is hot, round and golden and it is associated with the warmth of the sun. It is believed that it embodies a part of the Sun’s grace and might, helping to warm up the frozen earth. They are vegetarian and are made of milk and eggs and eaten with sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon and mushroom (I know! Sounds amazing right). These pancakes are made in large quantities and are
given to friends and family throughout the week.
The festival begins on Monday, children make a huge Maslenitsa doll out of straw and dress it up with an old woman’s clothes. After it is made the doll is carried to the top of a hill and slid from there. Tuesday is called ‘zaigyrish’or the playing day. As the name suggests the rituals on this day are centred on having playing around and having fun. Sleigh rididng, folk festivals and puppet shows. Groups of artists go to house to house giving impromptu performances. Guests are welcomed with pancakes. It is also said that on this day single guys go looking for young girls on their sledges. A lot of matchmaking happens during this festival and couples usually end up getting married on krasnaya Gorka , which is any Sunday that comes after Easter as it is the wedding season. Wednesday is known as the Sweet tooth day. On this day a series of sweet dishes alongwith blini and beer are served in houses. Husbands visit their mother-in-law’s house to go and relish the delicacies made. Blini is the centre of attraction of the meal and guests are encouraged to have as many servings as possible. They basically stuff themselves up with all lots of food on that day. Thursday is a day of revelry. Fist fights take place to felicitate the Russian army history when soldiers fought without using weapons. These fights have certain set of rules in order to protect opponents from killing each other while fighting. Friday was a day devoted to son-in-laws treating their mother-in-laws to blini after they had their share on Wednesday.The
Son-in-law is supposed to host a dinner party for his mother-law and do his best to make her feel special on that day. It is said that if the son-in-law fails to meet the expectations of the mother-in-law it is considered to be an insult. Also newlywed couples are well dressed and ride their sledges to show off their happiness and prosperity. Saturday is supposed to be the sister-in-law’s gathering day. On this day wives call their sister-in-laws home and treat them to good food. If they are single then single men from the familyare also invited. Apparently, this tradition originated in order to ensure everything is good between the wife and her sister-in-law. It’s a general phenomenon that sisters don’t accept their brothers’ wives initially. This tradition tries
to ensure a good relationship between the two. (Russian word for sister-in-law is Zolovka which originates from the word zlo which means evil). Sunday the last day of Maslenitsa is considered to be ‘Forgiveness day’. People ask each other for forgiveness for all their mistakes and troubles caused. In the evening they visit the graves of their loved ones and bid them farewell (just
like all souls day). The festival ends with people burning the huge Maslenitsa lady they prepare on the first day. Burning of Maslenitsa doll/lady symbolizes renewal through death. It is done to welcome the spring season when new fruits grow. The lady is chosen as she is supposed to be the source of life. People throw all their household waste in the bonfire as a sign of preparation for Lent which begins from the next day.
Maslenitsa has its origins in the pre-Christian times when the Slavs were still pagans, this festival celebrated the end of winter and welcomed the warmth of the sun with the onset of Spring.
With Christianity coming into Russia a lot of pagan traditions were either removed or modified. Maslenitsa continued to be celebrated but as a preparatory week for Lent. Thus the festival combines pagan as well as Christian rituals. Blini, or pancake defines the whole festival. Blini is hot, round and golden and it is associated with the warmth of the sun. It is believed that it embodies a part of the Sun’s grace and might, helping to warm up the frozen earth. They are vegetarian and are made of milk and eggs and eaten with sour cream, caviar, smoked salmon and mushroom (I know! Sounds amazing right). These pancakes are made in large quantities and are
given to friends and family throughout the week.
The festival begins on Monday, children make a huge Maslenitsa doll out of straw and dress it up with an old woman’s clothes. After it is made the doll is carried to the top of a hill and slid from there. Tuesday is called ‘zaigyrish’or the playing day. As the name suggests the rituals on this day are centred on having playing around and having fun. Sleigh rididng, folk festivals and puppet shows. Groups of artists go to house to house giving impromptu performances. Guests are welcomed with pancakes. It is also said that on this day single guys go looking for young girls on their sledges. A lot of matchmaking happens during this festival and couples usually end up getting married on krasnaya Gorka , which is any Sunday that comes after Easter as it is the wedding season. Wednesday is known as the Sweet tooth day. On this day a series of sweet dishes alongwith blini and beer are served in houses. Husbands visit their mother-in-law’s house to go and relish the delicacies made. Blini is the centre of attraction of the meal and guests are encouraged to have as many servings as possible. They basically stuff themselves up with all lots of food on that day. Thursday is a day of revelry. Fist fights take place to felicitate the Russian army history when soldiers fought without using weapons. These fights have certain set of rules in order to protect opponents from killing each other while fighting. Friday was a day devoted to son-in-laws treating their mother-in-laws to blini after they had their share on Wednesday.The
Son-in-law is supposed to host a dinner party for his mother-law and do his best to make her feel special on that day. It is said that if the son-in-law fails to meet the expectations of the mother-in-law it is considered to be an insult. Also newlywed couples are well dressed and ride their sledges to show off their happiness and prosperity. Saturday is supposed to be the sister-in-law’s gathering day. On this day wives call their sister-in-laws home and treat them to good food. If they are single then single men from the familyare also invited. Apparently, this tradition originated in order to ensure everything is good between the wife and her sister-in-law. It’s a general phenomenon that sisters don’t accept their brothers’ wives initially. This tradition tries
to ensure a good relationship between the two. (Russian word for sister-in-law is Zolovka which originates from the word zlo which means evil). Sunday the last day of Maslenitsa is considered to be ‘Forgiveness day’. People ask each other for forgiveness for all their mistakes and troubles caused. In the evening they visit the graves of their loved ones and bid them farewell (just
like all souls day). The festival ends with people burning the huge Maslenitsa lady they prepare on the first day. Burning of Maslenitsa doll/lady symbolizes renewal through death. It is done to welcome the spring season when new fruits grow. The lady is chosen as she is supposed to be the source of life. People throw all their household waste in the bonfire as a sign of preparation for Lent which begins from the next day.
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