What date is Maslenitsa celebrated in the year? And then - a couple of delicious recipes

Maslenitsa is one of the most favorite holidays of the year, almost like New Year. And why? Yes, because the holiday lasts a whole week, and every week you can eat pancakes! You can prepare them according to different recipes; today you can find a lot of them, so every day you can cook pancakes according to a new recipe. And also - you need to have fun! And see off the winter, welcoming the long-awaited spring. Indeed, a wonderful holiday, with fairs, booths, general games, and festivities!

When does Maslenitsa (also called Fed Week and Cheese Week) start in 2016? The beginning of Maslenitsa is March 7, 2016; the end of Maslenitsa (Forgiveness Sunday) - a week from the beginning, March 13, 2016

Maslenitsa 2016: March 7-13.

Maslenitsa 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, dates:

• In 2017, Maslenitsa is celebrated from February 20 to 26.
• In 2018, Maslenitsa will be celebrated from February 12 to 18.
• In 2019, Maslenitsa falls on the dates from March 4 to March 10.
• In 2020, Maslenitsa is celebrated from February 24 to March 1.

How to determine the date of Maslenitsa?

Cast iron pan for pancakes- classic!

You can determine the start date of Maslenitsa yourself: you need to count 56 days ago from the date of Easter, and you will get the start date of Maslenitsa. Almost every year, the start date of the holiday falls either at the end of February or at the beginning of March.

How to prepare for Maslenitsa? You need to check your pancake pans, prepare a lot of flour, eggs, milk (cream, kefir), yeast (you can also cook pancakes with yeast), as well as fillings and additions to pancakes: sour cream, caviar, red fish, butter, honey, jam , jam. All this can be simply taken out of the refrigerator all week. What could be tastier than Russian pancakes! Lacy, rich, with spice, with apple, with cabbage, with trout - pancakes can be very different!

It's best to pick up recipes in advance so you don't have to look for them at the last minute.

You can make yourself a list of recipes from the Internet, or you can buy a book about pancakes in advance- it’s more convenient to use a book, it’s always at hand, and you don’t have to print out recipes. With or without filling, sweet or salty, with honey, cream, berries, chocolate or with cheese, bacon and salmon - pancakes can be both a delicious dessert and a great snack! And preparing them is not difficult. And not only during Maslenitsa!

In the old days, for Maslenitsa, they re-whitewashed the stoves, took out festive dishes, and swept courtyards and huts. And today, for this holiday, it is advisable to tidy up the house so that it is clean and beautiful. After all, guests may come to you this week.

Real Russian pancakes were usually baked from buckwheat flour. Today there are hundreds of pancake recipes and the same number of options for baking, all kinds of sauces and fillings for pancakes. Crepes with apples in Calvados will delight those with a sweet tooth, and exotic sesame pancakes with Thai vegetables will delight vegetable lovers. Pear and bacon galettes will undoubtedly have a chance to become a favorite dish for real gourmets. Pancakes with apples and wild berries, with herbs and champignons, with sorrel and rice, with sea fish...

And what a variety of fillings you can come up with for pancakes! This is a win-win option for any feast, because at the request of the hostess, pancakes become a truly royal treat.

Hearty pancakes can also be different - sweet and savory: with meat, mushrooms, vegetables.

Everyone loves donuts and pancakes - young and old, they are especially good with milk and cocoa.

Days of Maslenitsa week

During the period of Cheese Week, not only the soul, but also the body is cleansed. We are preparing to observe the longest fast of the year. During Maslenitsa week it is customary to eat dairy products, butter, fish, A meat must be eliminated completely.

Each day of Maslenitsa week has its own special menu, special meaning, and has its own name.

Meeting- the first day of Maslenitsa. First day of Cheese Week. Empty pancakes are baked to commemorate the dead and given to the poor (in some regions this tradition has been moved to Forgiveness Sunday). The Maslenitsa effigy is decorated with ribbons and put on display. In 2016 it is March 7th.

Wide-haired Maslenitsa,
We boast about you
We ride in the mountains
We'll overeat on pancakes!

Flirting- second day of Maslenitsa. Day of matchmaking and flirting. Hot pancakes are being baked, the newlyweds must slide down the icy mountain together, and young girls and boys are eyeing each other for future matchmaking. In 2016 it is March 8th.

Gourmand- third day of Maslenitsa. Hospitality Day. They prepare pancakes with fillings: sweet cheese pancakes, salty ones with fish filling, pancakes with buckwheat porridge and mushrooms. We need to visit each other, sing songs, play and have fun. In 2016 it is March 9th.

Take a walk- fourth day of Maslenitsa. A day of demonstrating male strength and agility. Fist fights, snow battles - this is exactly how this day should go. Letting go of winter negativity. In 2016 it is March 10th.

Mother-in-law's evenings- fifth day of Maslenitsa. A mother-in-law and father-in-law come to visit a young family. The son-in-law should invite the mother-in-law the day before, thereby showing his disposition and sympathy. In 2016 it is March 11th.

Sister-in-law's get-togethers- sixth day of Maslenitsa. Unmarried girls bake sweet pancakes and invite their girlfriends, who are already happily married, to visit. In 2016 it is March 12th.

Forgiveness Sunday- the seventh day of Maslenitsa. We forget old grievances, burn the Maslenitsa effigy, eat pancakes for the last time before Lent, and say goodbye to Maslenitsa. In 2016 it is March 13th.

Pancakes in the old days: how they were prepared

There is hardly a person who will refuse to taste a fluffy, spongy pancake soaked in butter. This ancient Russian dish dates back to pagan times. A round and hot pancake is a symbol of the spring sun.

In Rus', the dough for pancakes began to be prepared 5–6 hours before baking. At first, only part of the flour was mixed with yeast, and then, when the dough was ready, the rest of the flour, salt, sugar, and butter were added.

For custard pancakes, the dough was also boiled with milk.

Then whipped egg whites and cream were added. The dough was risen again, and only after that the pancakes were baked.

Previously, pancakes were cooked in the oven, so they still say “bake” about pancakes, although nowadays they are fried.

In villages, the dough was wrapped in a towel and placed in the warmest place in the house - near the stove. The dough took a long time to rise. Pancakes were baked in small cast iron frying pans. Such pans could not be washed. They poured a little vegetable oil into them, sprinkled coarse salt, heated them well, allowed them to cool slightly and wiped them thoroughly with a dry cloth. If the frying pan is poorly cleaned, then the first pancake will not work, hence the saying “the first pancake is lumpy.”

The finished pancakes were placed in a deep bowl wrapped in a towel.

The pancakes were served with butter, sour cream, salted fish (it was wrapped in a pancake), and caviar.

What are pancakes with baked goods?

Pancakes with seasoning were popular in Old Russian cuisine. The filling was finely chopped and placed immediately on a frying pan greased with vegetable oil, after which it was filled with dough.

Yeast-free pancakes

In addition to traditional pancakes, Russian cuisine is also famous for its thin yeast-free pancakes. By the way, such pancakes can be found in the national cuisine of almost any country. In France they are called crepes, in America - pancakes, baked with water, milk, or beer. Each national cuisine has a specific pancake size and serving method.

Subtleties of making pancakes

Pressed yeast is quite capricious, with a very short shelf life. For any yeast, the main thing is that the temperature of the water or milk for the dough should not be higher than 50 °C.

Baking soda and baking powder are interchangeable in recipes. You need to take twice as much baking powder as baking soda. However, for pancakes whose ingredients contain honey, chocolate or products that can cause an acidic reaction (sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt, whey, fruit and berry juices and purees, vinegar, citric acid and others), it is better to use soda.

Opara is well suited indoors with high humidity, so the best place for it in an apartment is the bathroom.

The container with the dough can be placed in water whose temperature is not higher than 50 °C.

There are special rules for successfully preparing pancakes:

1. The flour must be sifted immediately before preparing pancakes; this is the only way to make a soft and fluffy dough.

2. Egg yolks are added to the dough separately from egg whites. First, the yolks mashed with sugar are added, the dough is mixed, beaten a little, and only then the whipped whites are added.

3. Yeast pancakes should be baked when the dough has just risen.

4. The frying pan can be metal with a thin bottom or cast iron with a thick bottom, but necessarily with non-stick coating.

5. It is necessary to pour the dough into the frying pan in small portions so that the pancakes do not turn out too thick and clumsy and can be baked in a short time. When pouring dough into a frying pan, it is better to hold the ladle in one hand and the frying pan in the other, tilting it in different directions so that the dough is evenly distributed over the surface.

6. Each pancake can be greased with butter. The baked pancakes should be placed on a plate, covered with a clean towel so that they can breathe, but not cool down or dry out.

7. Ready-made pancakes can be shaped into triangles, wrapped in tubes, made into bags, stuffed with different fillings: mushrooms with onions, minced meat, chopped herbs and eggs, sweet cottage cheese with raisins. Or simply serve with jam, marmalade, honey, condensed milk, chocolate butter, sour cream.

And the most important secret of delicious pancakes is they should be eaten immediately after cooking, as they say, in the heat of the moment.

And then - a couple of delicious recipes.

Buckwheat custard pancakes

Fluffy, aromatic buckwheat pancakes with sour cream are a classic of Russian cuisine. Buckwheat pancakes have many advantages over wheat pancakes. They go well with sour cream, machanka, fish, and caviar.

Ingredients:

• 600 g buckwheat flour
• 1.5 l milk
• 25 g fresh yeast (dry - three times less)
• 2 eggs
• 25 g butter
• 1 tsp. Sahara
• a pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for frying

Heat 660 ml of milk to 50 °C, add to the yeast, stir. Add melted butter, stir. Separate the yolks from the whites, add sugar and yolks to the milk, mix. Add sifted flour, beat, cover with a towel and place in a warm place for 2 hours.

Beat the whites with salt. Heat the remaining milk to 50 °C, add to the dough, mix. Add the whipped whites to the dough, mix gently, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.

Bake pancakes in hot vegetable oil.

Blueberry pancakes

Heat the milk to 38-40 °C, pour the yeast into it, stir. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Break eggs (at room temperature) into milk and add salt. Add flour, stirring constantly. We get a dough with the consistency of liquid sour cream. Place the dough in a warm place and wait until it doubles in volume.

Add blueberries to the dough and mix.

If you are using frozen blueberries, then they must be placed in the dough without defrosting.

Heat the pan for pancakes and pour in vegetable oil. Using a large tablespoon, pour the dough into the frying pan, fry until golden brown and turn over. Fry until done. Transfer to a plate, brushing with butter.

What date is Maslenitsa in 2017?

Maslenitsa is one of the most beloved holidays of the entire Russian people. Previously, this holiday was highly respected and carefully prepared for its occurrence.

Today Maslenitsa is known only for the tradition of baking pancakes with butter, although the essence of the celebration is completely different. In addition, the day of this holiday changes every year, so many are wondering when Maslenitsa will occur in 2017.

history of the holiday

Initially, the holiday was called Maslyanitsa. Only after the introduction of modern spelling rules began to be called the more euphonious word Maslenitsa. Contrary to erroneous and widespread belief, this holiday was celebrated long before the adoption of Christianity in Rus'. The Slavs tried in every possible way to drive away winter as quickly as possible and attract the warmth of spring. This holiday was founded to lure or “cajole” spring, which is slowly coming into its own. It was believed that just as butter melts on warm pancakes, so the snowdrifts will melt with the arrival of a warm and long-awaited spring.

At the time of the founding of the holiday, the arrival of spring began to be celebrated 7 days before the spring equinox. The holidays ended only on the 7th day after this important spring day. When Rus' adopted the Christian faith, the celebration of Maslenitsa was reduced to a week.

What date will Maslenitsa be celebrated in 2017?

As they said, the day of Maslenitsa celebration is not tied to any date. It is calculated depending on the day of the beginning of Lent, which lasts for 7 weeks. The end of Great Lent is the holy holiday of Easter. Anyone asking the question: “What date does Maslenitsa start in 2017?” may be surprised, since festive pancakes will need to be prepared on the eve of World Women’s Day on March 8th. Since the holiday is celebrated for 7 days, Maslenitsa week will last from February 20 to February 26 inclusive. It is also noteworthy that each day of Maslenitsa week has its own original name.

Days of Maslenitsa week

The first day that opens Maslenitsa week (Monday) was called “Meeting” by the Slavs. By this day, all festive preparations were supposed to be completed: the construction of ice slides and snow towns. During the holidays, they not only played snowballs and went sleigh rides, but also hosted entire games that made the holiday truly special. The preparation of horses for riding was also completed. The housewives also completed their culinary masterpieces. On Monday it was necessary to put aside all worries and chores around the house and start baking pancakes. The first pancake was necessarily given to the poor, to remember all the deceased loved ones and relatives.

The second day was called “Flirting”. On Tuesday, young people gathered in groups and began fun sledding from the previously provided ice slides. The rides were accompanied by laughter and cheerful shouts from those walking. Also on Tuesday, everyone started treating each other to pancakes.

The third day was affectionately called “Gourmets”, because mothers-in-law invited their sons-in-law to delicious pancakes. Even today the saying remains: “we’re going to our mother-in-law for pancakes,” which was very relevant on Wednesday of Maslenitsa week.

Thursday was also no different from previous holidays and had the funny name “Wide Revelry”. All the adults and children had fun and had fun in every possible way. Swings and sleds were popular, as were honorary rides on the famous “troika with bells.” There were also very fun snowball and fist fights. People spent the whole day in crowds going from house to house in the village, where they were warmly and joyfully treated to pancakes with a wide variety of fillings. Particularly popular were pancakes with cottage cheese, caviar, mushrooms, meat, fish, berries and other fillings available on the farm. The drinks used were mead, uzvars, teas, wines and other drinks for every taste. The revelry was simply incredible and people sincerely rejoiced at the end of winter.

On Friday we celebrated the so-called mother-in-law evenings. The sons-in-law, fed with mother-in-law pancakes the day before, invited the respected mothers of their wives for a return visit. It is noteworthy that on Thursday evening, mothers-in-law sent all the necessary ingredients for making pancakes to their sons-in-law’s house, so that they could have time to bake the required number of delicacies before the guests arrived. Mothers-in-law gave instructions to the young on raising children, managing the household, and even relationships. If the mother-in-law did not receive an invitation from her son-in-law, she could be seriously offended for many years.

On Maslenitsa Friday all shops and schools were closed. Children and adults went on a well-deserved rest to celebrate the great holiday of Maslenitsa. Interestingly, Friday was not officially considered a day off.

Saturday was called "sister-in-law's get-togethers." So the husbands’ sisters came to their families to make up for lost time and have plenty of time to communicate with their new relatives. Therefore, when you find out what date Maslenitsa will be in 2017, you should think about inviting all your relatives in order to respect old traditions and improve family relationships. All relatives and distant relatives will be glad to have such an invitation and will willingly agree to celebrate Maslenitsa together.

Saturday was considered the most important day of Maslenitsa week, so it was on Saturday that the most fun festivities were held and various entertainment events were attended. Crowds of people gathered in taverns and taverns, drinking copious amounts of vodka and pancakes. It was believed that the brighter a person celebrates Maslenitsa Saturday, the richer and more fun he will live in the coming year.

The resurrection was called the “forgiven resurrection.” All the people, tired of noisy holidays and festivities, burning effigy of Winter and riding on various attractions, gradually calmed down and gathered in churches. On this day, it was customary to ask for forgiveness from all loved ones and relatives; the answer to such a request for forgiveness was “God will forgive!” People also went to the graves of their deceased relatives to receive their forgiveness.

Traditions of Maslenitsa

As already mentioned, the main tradition of Maslenitsa was a noisy and cheerful celebration, in which almost all the people took part. It was customary to bake an incredible amount of pancakes. It was believed that a good housewife should bake as many pancakes as she wanted for her family to enjoy in the coming year. Since making pancakes often took a lot of food, Maslenitsa week was often called wasteful.

On Maslenitsa one should have fun noisily and uncontrollably. If a person refused to celebrate this event noisily and cheerfully, he was promised poverty, as well as bitter tears. Therefore, superstitious people rode horses and slides all week, playfully fought in fist fights, played snowballs, held competitions to eat pancakes against the clock, swam in ice holes and much more.

Burnt or ruptured pancakes were a very bad sign for the housewife. It was believed that this was a sure sign of future failures and misfortunes. Taking this into account, each housewife carefully selected the pancake recipe in order to exclude as much as possible the possibility of marriage.

Attention was also paid to the weather during Maslenitsa week. If it was cold, it was believed that the harvest would be good, which means that all families would have prosperity and wealth. If it quickly warmed up on Maslenitsa, there was a great threat to early seedlings, which could die due to frost.

The Maslenitsa holidays also included solemn maiden fortune-telling. All unmarried girls on Maslenitsa went out into the streets and gave water to all the men they met. This promised them a speedy and very successful marriage. If a drunk man met along the way, the girl could be incredibly happy - this was a sure sign of an early and successful marriage.

How to celebrate Maslenitsa?

Since the answer to the question “What date is Maslenitsa in 2017?” found, you can start planning this holiday in advance. There's plenty of fun to be had, but traditional pancake baking shouldn't be forgotten either. Ancestors believed that a pancake, so similar in shape and color to the warm sun, could quickly attract warmth and wealth into the house. That is why you can respect Maslenitsa and please your household with different delicious pancakes with different fillings. Children are especially happy about this holiday, they love to have fun and eat various sweet pancakes.

Similar materials

The Maslenitsa holiday came to us from ancient pagan times. There are several names for the celebration, for example, Cheese Week or Cheese Week, but we are more familiar with the word “Maslenitsa”. The holiday is dedicated to the farewell of winter and the welcome of the long-awaited spring.

In Rus', it was customary to celebrate this day in the last week before Lent and seven weeks before. Many people associate the holiday with lots of delicious pancakes and folk festivities.

history of the holiday

Before the baptism of Rus', Maslenitsa was celebrated 7 days before the Spring Equinox and a week after. People believed that by organizing pancake feasts, they would help spring awaken from sleep faster, and the body would undergo a restructuring of the hormonal system and prepare for an active life.

The Christian Church decided to leave this holiday so as not to enter into disputes with Russian traditions, but moved it a little. Thus, Maslenitsa does not contradict Lent and is celebrated for only one week.

Maslenitsa is a bright, cheerful celebration that is designed to drive away winter and invite spring, awakening nature and the warmth of the sun. Since ancient times, people have compared spring with new life and glorified the Sun, which gave mood and happiness to all living things. It was in honor of the sun that housewives baked sweet flatbreads, and later they learned to make pancakes from fermented dough.

Our ancestors established this dish as a kind of symbol of the Sun, because they are just as round, yellow, and warm. When they ate the fragrant dishes, they believed that they were eating a piece of the warmth and power of this bright planet.

Basic Maslenitsa rules

Of the huge number of requirements that must be observed on Maslenitsa, I would like to highlight only the main ones:

1. Firstly, you cannot eat meat for seven days. Only dairy products and fish are allowed. The main dishes of the week are pancakes with various fillings. They are baked every day, from Monday to Sunday.
2. Secondly, you need to eat as much as you want, because food these days is a special form of life. There were even popular sayings: “You need to eat as much as the dog can wag its tail.” During the holiday, it was customary to visit people and invite them over, honoring friends with delicious pancakes and other treats.
3. Thirdly, on Maslenitsa it is customary to organize festivities and take an active part in them. Nowadays in cities, large squares host concerts with songs and dances, various competitions and round dances.

Holiday traditions

It has long been customary to celebrate each day of Cheese Week in different ways:

Monday – “Meeting”

Early in the morning, the mother-in-law and father-in-law gathered their daughter-in-law and sent her to her parents, and in the evening they themselves came to visit the matchmakers. During dinner they discussed various competitions where the holiday would be held. By this day, swings, slides and booths had already been installed on the square.

Housewives started baking pancakes on Monday. It was customary to give the first pancake to the poor so that they would remember their deceased relatives. It was on Monday that the effigy of Maslenitsa was installed in villages and villages, which was dressed in various rags.

Tuesday - “Flirting”

With the onset of Tuesday, young people began to organize sleigh rides, slides and other fun activities. Whoever became the winner in a particular game was treated to delicious pancakes with different fillings. On this day, numerous bride viewings were held, because all Maslenitsa rituals are a kind of preparation for the engagement, in order to have a wedding after Easter and Krasnaya Gorka.

Wednesday - “Gourmets”

The saying goes well about this day: “What’s in the oven goes to the table!” Of course, the signature dish of any table is pancakes. On Wednesday we went to visit our mother-in-law, grabbing some tasty treats.

Thursday – “Walk Wide”

All days before Thursday were considered not so significant. But with the arrival of this day, the people stopped working and completely surrendered to the fun. People played games, danced in circles, had fist fights, and climbed a tall pole.

Friday – “Mother-in-law’s Evening”

Many Maslenitsa rituals on this day were used to speed up the marriage between young people. Mothers-in-law came to visit their sons-in-law for pancakes. There was a custom when the mother-in-law sent everything needed for pancakes to her son-in-law's house the day before: frying pans, a ladle, and the father-in-law - flour and butter. If the son-in-law neglected this custom, he greatly upset his wife’s parents and other relatives.

Saturday – “Sister-in-Law’s Gatherings”

Daughters-in-law had to invite their sisters-in-law (husband's sister) to visit them. It was necessary to give some kind of gift to a relative. In addition to such evenings, it was customary to simply visit friends and acquaintances to enjoy delicious food.

Even on Saturday, a “kissing party” was held - all the newlyweds took part in the honoring ceremony. Engaged young people climbed a large mountain to ride, had to bow, kiss and slide down on a sleigh. Under the mountain they continued to kiss amid loud screams from the crowd.

Resurrection - “Forgiveness Sunday”

Maslenitsa ends with Forgiveness Sunday. This day was also popularly called “kissing day” or “seeing off”. The week of gluttony and festivities was ending. Fires were lit everywhere to melt the ice and snow, and it was also the turn of the scarecrow - it was also burned. On this day, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from the Lord and from relatives.

10 rules for delicious pancakes for Maslenitsa

Since pancakes are considered the main symbol of this holiday, you need to know how to cook. It’s not easy to make pancakes, but it’s even more difficult to make them truly tasty, thin and aromatic. There are several secrets that are sure to be useful to modern housewives:

• You need to bake pancakes in thick pans of small diameter.
• Pour the dough onto a well-heated surface, having previously greased it with oil or fat.
• You need to pour the dough into the center of the pan, and then, tilting it, distribute it over the entire surface.
• Pancakes begin to stick to the pan for several reasons: if the surface is cold; if you put a small amount of flour; if the flour is of poor quality.
• As soon as the pancake dough has risen well, add the beaten egg whites.
• You need to mix the whites with the dough in a “bottom-up” or “top-down” motion, otherwise the dough will “sag.”
• If you use buckwheat flour for pancakes, you need to make sure that it is dry, sifted and without a musty smell.
• When bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, it should be turned over to the other side.
• Fry pancakes over high heat.
• During baking, you need to make sure that the pancake is easily separated from the pan. To do this, you can use a special spatula or fork.

Pancake recipe for Maslenitsa

Maslenitsa 2017 is one of the most revered holidays among the people, symbolizing farewell to winter and the imminent arrival of the long-awaited warmth of spring. Fun, sincere joy, lively mass celebrations - this is what characterizes a special week of the year, filled with preparation for Lent and anticipation of spiritual and physical cleansing. Maslenitsa in 2017 begins on February 20 and ends on the 26th.

Features of the holiday: history and customs of appearance

These days in Orthodoxy are imbued with special meaning and symbolism. The main feature approved by the church charter is the refusal of meat and the consumption of dairy products, which is associated with the first calving of cows after the winter “downtime,” as well as the preparation of pancakes, which are so similar to the sun. Another interesting detail is connected with the Ukrainian and Belarusian customs of “block life” - dressing up a thick stick in the shape of a person. She was tied to all the single guys and unmarried girls. By the way, it was on these days that engagements and marriages most often took place, and for already married young people they organized public viewings, with passionate kisses while snow fell.

Maslenitsa is also a typical women's holiday. The seven days of festivities are sometimes called Babskaya Week, because the main role was given to the fair sex, the theme of girlish purity, host hospitality and motherhood.

“Seeing off Maslenitsa” has always been of key importance, which was accompanied by the symbolic lighting of a fire with the subsequent destruction in the fire of an effigy of Winter made from rags and straw. Instead of a doll, a living personification of the holiday was carried through the villages - a smartly dressed girl or woman. The most important day of Cheese Week has always been considered Sunday - the day of fasting, which received the popular name of Forgiven. On this day, family and friends sincerely asked each other for forgiveness for all the troubles and insults caused over the past year. It was also customary to visit deceased relatives in cemeteries and “treat” them with pancakes.

Every day is a holiday: symbolism of 7 days

Maslenitsa 2017, according to historical tradition, will consist of 7 days, each of which is imbued with a unique meaning.

1. The beginning of narrow Maslenitsa, or the Meeting, is Monday, February 20. On this day, it is customary to start baking pancakes, giving the first unsuccessful one to the deceased, go out into the streets to build snowy mountains, make a winter scarecrow, send the daughter-in-law to her parents’ house, and in the evening go to visit the matchmakers.
2. Tuesday, February 21 - Flirting is a time of entertainment, filled with positive things in the form of slides, acting and organizing theatrical performances, fun concerts, visiting guests, sliding down icy slides, and brides' viewings.
3. Fast Wednesday, February 22, also called Lakomka, should be held under the motto of hearty feasts at the mother-in-law's with all sorts of goodies (homemade beer, honey gingerbread, sbitny) and, of course, pancakes with a variety of fillings.
4. The turning point, or “Wide” Thursday, February 23, also called Revelry, marks the middle of the festivities. At this time, it becomes really “hot”: from fist fights, funny dances, horse racing and riding through the streets - all the negativity spills out through these actions. Household chores are replaced by all sorts of fun - swings, songs, fire jumping competitions and feasts.
5. Friday is Mother-in-law's evening, with the tradition of going to visit one's sons-in-law, by personal invitation, as a symbol of honoring the wife's family. Every custom of this day is aimed at speeding up weddings and finding a couple for still free young people, so you can safely go out into the world.
6. Saturday is also a get-together, but this time for the sisters-in-law, when not only the husband’s sisters are invited to visit, but also all his other relatives, who are given gifts. Unmarried girls can invite friends. The culmination of the holiday is coming - farewell to Maslenitsa, as bright and unforgettable as possible, so that it will be remembered until next year.
7. February 26 closes Cheese Week with the Resurrection of Request, or the day of kissing - the day of cleansing from all sinful things and the remission of all voluntary and involuntary grievances. On this day, it is advisable to thoroughly wash the dishes and burn all the leftover holiday food, and scatter the ashes of the burnt scarecrow over the fields so that the coming year will be fruitful.

Spring is coming, and people are already asking a question that interests them: when will Maslenitsa be in Russia in 2017: what date? The question is reasonable, because every year the date changes due to the postponement of the date of Easter. The dates of Forgiveness Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Trinity and so on also change.

Maslenitsa in 2017 falls on February 20, lasts seven days and ends on February 26. What kind of holiday is this, where did it come from, how is it celebrated? In pagan Rus', Maslenitsa symbolizes the end of winter and the arrival of spring; according to Christian canons, it precedes Lent.

History of Maslenitsa

In ancient times, this holiday lasted two weeks - people visited guests, sang, danced in circles, burned a straw effigy, and jumped over a fire. The pagan Slavs worshiped the Sun God and baked round pancakes, symbolizing the warm spring sun.

With the advent of Christianity, the holiday was reduced to one week; bloody battles, which often led to death, also disappeared; this holiday was often turned into excessive eating and drinking. The Christian Church began to slowly fight this, but before Lent no one forbade having fun, baking pancakes, visiting each other - the main thing is that everything should be in moderation, without excesses. The holiday should be clean, beautiful and bring joy to people.

This week, people excluded meat dishes from their diet, as if preparing themselves and their bodies for Lent. It was allowed to eat dairy products. It was matchmaking week, brides and grooms walked the streets in the most beautiful clothes and seemed to present themselves for show. Married women demonstrated their skills in preparing gourmet dishes, and mainly in preparing pancakes.

Look at Maslenitsa.

Of course, in our time, Maslenitsa is no longer celebrated on such a grand scale as in those days when there was no Internet, mobile phones, when people communicated more and happily celebrated all the holidays that gave them a reason to take a break from hard work and have plenty of fun. Yes, it would probably be a little strange for us to see bonfires and straw effigies on the streets, among the turmoil of moving cars and people. But, despite this, in many villages of our country, people gather in entire yards, light fires, dance in circles, have fun and rejoice at the coming of spring. Luxurious tables are set with various dishes, but the main character remains the Pancake week pancakes, with different fillings, tasty, rosy, aromatic. They were served in a large assortment - with caviar, fried mushrooms, jam and butter, sour cream and honey.

Pancakes with milk for Maslenitsa

Products:

2 cups of flour
2 eggs
2 glasses of milk
A pinch of salt
1 spoon of sugar
A piece of butter or lard
50 ml vegetable oil

To make beautiful and soft pancakes, they need to be made correctly. It is necessary to sift the flour (required, for fluffiness), pour it in a heap into a bowl, and make a hole in it. Beat the eggs separately and pour into the flour, then pour in the milk, and not all of it, but only half the portion, add sugar and salt. Now you need to mix gently with a whisk until smooth. Then add the butter in small portions, continuing to stir, and the rest of the milk. And don’t rush to fry right away, the dough should rest for at least half an hour, and then you can start frying our delicious pancakes.

Look also: recipe with step-by-step photographs.

Little secrets:

• Why pour milk in portions? So that you can control the thickness or liquid of the dough.
• The ideal dough for pancakes can be compared to liquid sour cream.
• A regular mixer is very helpful in making the dough without lumps - set it to medium speed, add ingredients little by little and you will get a beautiful homogeneous mass for baking pancakes.

In addition to pancakes, all kinds of baked goods were baked on Maslenitsa. On Thursday they baked cookies with bird figures, which was a symbol of the arrival of birds, which means the arrival of the long-awaited spring.
In addition to fun and games, the main attribute of the Oil Week was food. People tried to eat enough before the long Lent, which would last until Easter.

In those days, people did not prepare a variety of dishes for every day, as we do today, and practically did not feel the arrival of the holidays. Therefore, they set tables rich in food, did not deny themselves anything, treated guests and went to visit. It was believed that during Maslenitsa, every owner should set the table as brightly as possible, with a variety of dishes. This week, as well as Easter, people saved money to go on a proper spree, have fun, and make it memorable for a long time. And whoever is greedy for such a thing with money and food, who will not treat guests properly, will face failure all year long.

Traditions of Maslenitsa week

First day: Meeting

From the very first day, housewives began preparing pancakes, baking them a lot, as it was believed then that the more pancakes, the more fertile the land and the richer the harvest. On this day, slides and carousels were built and the whole village made a scarecrow.

Take a look, there are many options.

Second day: Flirting

The young people had fun - they went down the hills on sleds, organized all kinds of competitions, the girls dressed in the most beautiful outfits, it was a real show of unmarried girls.

Third day: Gourmets

A married daughter, together with her husband, came to visit her parents. Hence the saying: “To your mother-in-law for pancakes.” There were many delicacies on the table, but the main character was still pancakes. You had to eat as many of them as you wanted.

Day four: Take a walk

On this day, Maslenitsa became a real holiday, people stopped working and gave themselves up completely to fun. There were fist fights, sledding, climbing on high poles, and even competitions were organized to see who could eat the most pancakes.

Friday, fifth day: Mother-in-law's party

The day when it was the son-in-law’s turn to receive his wife’s mother, and, of course, all the relatives. In many regions of Russia, according to tradition, the mother-in-law sent everything needed to prepare pancakes to her son-in-law's house. The son-in-law had no right to refuse, as he could greatly offend his wife’s parents.

Saturday, sixth day: Sister-in-law's gatherings

The husband's sisters (sisters-in-law) and the daughter-in-law's friends came to the young daughter-in-law's house. After the end of the evening, it was necessary to give an expensive gift to my sister-in-law. Oh, it was a bit difficult for those who had a lot of them. And we just went to visit, sit in good company and eat delicious food.

Sunday, seventh day of the holiday: Forgiveness Sunday, farewell to Maslenitsa. It is customary to ask for forgiveness from the Lord, from all friends and relatives. When asked for forgiveness, they answered: “God will forgive, and I forgive.”
On this day, a scarecrow Maslenitsa was burned. After the effigy was burned, the ashes were scattered across the field, as if trying to awaken the sleeping earth.
Great Lent began.

for harvest week - tasty and simple, with step-by-step photographs.

Signs of Maslenitsa

• If it was cold and frosty during Maslenitsa week, spring will come soon; if it is warm, winter will reign for a long time, and spring will be late.
• The first pancake was always given to poor people. Some left it for the departed souls, taking the pancake outside.
  On Monday, when Oil Week ended, we went to the bathhouse.
• On Saturday they took pancakes to the graves and bowed to the deceased.
• On Sunday it was necessary to fall asleep before midnight in order to easily wake up in the morning all year long.
• In the evening, nothing was removed from the table so that there would be peace, tranquility and abundance in the house all year round.

We told you when Maslenitsa comes in Russia in 2017, how to celebrate it correctly, what to cook, and you decide for yourself whether our advice was useful to you. Happy holidays and cheerful mood!