Carnival week. There are special rules for the successful preparation of pancakes.

which will last 48 days and end with Easter on April 16, 2017. At the time of fasting, people limit themselves not only in bodily food, but also rebuild their spiritual being.. In order to better tune in to prayer, to cleanse not only the body (fasting is also proper, separate nutrition), but also the soul, in the old days all entertainment events were canceled, theaters were closed (in the sense, there were no performances).

The body cannot abruptly refuse food of animal origin. Therefore, the preparation for fasting takes a week - seven days. At this time, meat food is gradually excluded from the diet. Pancakes with cottage cheese filling, red caviar, fried and salted mushrooms, fish, etc. are welcome.

Maslenitsa is a farewell to winter and a greeting, a meeting of spring.

People are trying their best to have fun. They go to visit, arrange street fairs, festivities, sleigh rides, performances. In general, from whom what the soul asks. This is very clearly and symbolically shown in Nikita Mikhalkov's film "The Barber of Siberia". During the celebration of carnival they burn a scarecrow - a symbol of winter.

This year, the Maslenitsa celebration will traditionally last a week - from February 20

In the old days, every day had its own custom. The main ones were which had a special sacred meaning. Well, and of course, the customs of having fun. For example: when to go to the mother-in-law for pancakes, etc. Now no one observes these traditions. But pancakes are loved and baked - in families, in a kindergarten for children, cafes and restaurants. This pancake week, when they try to surprise them with the shape (openwork), beauty (multi-colored), stuffing (the most diverse).

Maslenitsa in 2017: from a long time ago, Maslenitsa was considered the most cheerful and joyful holiday after the New Year celebrations. So in 2017, Shrove Tuesday is celebrated from February 20 to February 26. This holiday has a long history, and traditions that have evolved over a long time. Also, this holiday is the last celebration before Lent, which takes place before the celebration of the largest church holiday, Easter. What traditions should be observed and how best to spend Shrovetide.

Traditionally Maslenitsa is considered in Russia one of the most fun and long-awaited holidays of the year. As you know, the beginning of the celebration of this holiday changes every year, but at the same time, this holiday always lasts a whole week, during which it is customary to organize festivities, visit guests and have fun.

Maslenitsa in 2017: The history of the holiday

Before the baptism of Russia, Maslenitsa was celebrated 7 days before the day of the Spring Equinox and a week after. People believed that by arranging pancake feasts, they contribute to the fact that spring wakes up faster from sleep, and the body is restructuring the hormonal system and preparing 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 Great Lent and is celebrated for only one week.

Maslenitsa is a bright, cheerful celebration, which is designed to drive away winter and invite spring, awakening nature and the warmth of the sun. People from ancient times compared spring with a new life, glorified the Sun, which gave mood and happiness to all living things. It was in honor of the sun that the housewives baked sweet cakes, 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 fragrant dishes, they believed that they were eating a piece of the warmth and power of this bright planet.

Maslenitsa in 2017: Centuries-old traditions of Maslenitsa festivities

• According to Orthodoxy, Maslenitsa is considered the preparation of the human body for the upcoming Great Lent. This week, the Russian people excluded meat from food, but it was allowed to eat all dairy products, eggs, fish. The main festive dish to this day is pancakes, which are very similar in shape and color to the sun, which shines warmer with the advent of spring.

• It is noteworthy, but in pre-revolutionary Russia, the Maslenitsa week accounted for the most matchmaking, conspiracies and weddings. These days, special competitions were held at which young men could openly express their feelings for the chosen one and vice versa. It is no coincidence that a sentence appeared among the people: "On Maslenitsa matchmaking - on Krasnaya Gorka wedding."

• According to ancient traditions, the main role in this week belonged to women. They demonstrated all their culinary skills, hospitality, the ability to welcome guests, as well as sing and dance. It is no coincidence that the fair sex were the main actors in all the days of Maslenitsa, each of which had its own meaning and customs.

Maslenitsa in 2017: Maslenitsa celebration, rituals and traditions.

A well-known custom for Maslenitsa is the baking of pancakes. This custom has its roots in pagan times. Pancakes were baked golden, ruddy, hot - all this is the personification of the Sun, the meeting of spring. During the festivities, the people led round dances, decorated cart wheels and carried it around the streets, all this is connected with the round shape of the Sun, all these rituals were considered as if “oiling” the Sun, hence, by the way, the name Maslenitsa comes from.

Another tradition is jumping over the fire, this custom is also deeply rooted in paganism, since it was believed that by jumping over the fire, a person, as it were, singes his sins. But today, if such a tradition has been preserved, it is more for the sake of fun, fun. As for the sinful side of a person, an Orthodox person needs to go to church and bring their repentance to God, and not burn them by jumping over the fire.

At the end of all the festivities, at the end of the celebration, a scarecrow of the “Shrovetide” was burned, the personification of the outgoing winter, and the arrival of spring, the approach of the period of field work. Burning an effigy, people always waited and believed that the year would be fertile and fruitful.

Maslenitsa 2017: Forgiveness Sunday

The seventh, last day of Shrovetide is considered forgiveness Sunday, on this day all people, preparing for Great Lent, asked for forgiveness from each other, commemorated the dead.

Evening services dedicated to the rite of forgiveness are held in churches, when the rector asks for forgiveness from the parishioners, and the parishioners, in turn, ask for forgiveness from each other, answering the request "God will forgive."

Maslenitsa 2017: Why do we celebrate Maslenitsa seven weeks before Easter?

As we know, the most important Orthodox holiday Easter falls on different dates every year. Every year this holiday is celebrated on different Sundays of the month. This is due to several factors, in accordance with the lunar calendar, the spring equinox, as well as the celebration of the Jewish Passover. And since Easter is a mobile Orthodox holiday, that is, it falls on different dates, other church dates of certain holidays are counted from the date of the celebration of Easter.

Accordingly, the celebration of Shrovetide falls annually on different dates, or rather, just seven weeks before Easter. But since the Maslenitsa holiday itself has pagan roots. And the Orthodox Church is against various pagan worldviews. The last week before Great Lent, which is commonly referred to as simply Shrovetide festivities and seeing off winter for people who believe in fasting, this week is a preparation for Great Lent, that is, half-fast, when it is already forbidden to eat meat products, but eggs, cheese, you can still eat milk.

Maslenitsa celebration in 2017. Maslenitsa week.

considered one of the most fun holidays of the year. It lasts seven days, and during the pancake week people have fun, arrange festivities, go home to visit, and eat pancakes. In 2017 Maslenitsa will begin on February 20 and end on February 26.

Shrove Tuesday is a truly national celebration of the meeting of spring. Before entering Great Lent, people say goodbye to winter, enjoy the first fine days by baking traditional pancakes, and get ready to cleanse their soul and body.

Cheese week (before the spelling reform, it was also often buttermilk) is a folk holiday cycle that has been preserved in Russia since pagan (pre-Christian) times. The rite is associated with seeing off winter and welcoming spring.

Other names for Shrovetide: Shrovetide, Shrovetide, Shrovetide week, World holiday, Pancake week, Pancake week, Pancake week, Pancake eater, Gluttonous week, Obyedukha, Wide Maslenitsa, honest, cheerful, Tselovalnitsa, Krivosheyka, Boyarynya Shrovetide, Dairy week, ustsilem. Milkmaid, woodland. Butter dish, Masloed, Masny tyzhden, Belarusian. Carols buttered, Karovina i horse holy, Ukrainian. Kolodiy, Slovak. Smrtni week "a, Christ. Raw week.

Shrovetide traditions

Maslenitsa has several names: it is called meat-empty, because there is an abstinence from meat, cheese - because of the abundance of cheese this week, and directly, Shrovetide - because of the use of a large amount of butter.

Celebration traditions go deep into our history. But just as before, this holiday is usually celebrated on a grand scale, with songs, dances, contests. The most common amusements that took place in the villages were fist fights, sleigh rides, eating pancakes for a while, climbing a pole for a prize, swimming in ice holes, playing with a bear, and finally, burning a stuffed animal. The main treat is pancakes with various fillings. You need to cook them every day, and in large quantities.

The people claimed that those people who do not have fun on Maslenitsa will live in poverty for a year and there will be no fun in their house.

1. In no case should you eat meat food on Maslenitsa. Dairy products and fish are allowed. The main dish that should be on the table of every housewife is pancakes.
2. On Maslenitsa you need to eat a lot, often and wherever possible. Gluttony is the main principle of this holiday. That is why it is customary to eat not only at home, but also at a party, where they are often invited this week.

Maslenitsa is celebrated from Monday to Sunday, and every day this week is usually celebrated in a special way, observing the traditions of the holiday.

Monday (20 February) called "Meeting Maslenitsa". On this day, the housewives began to bake pancakes, and the first pancake was always given to needy, poor people. As early as Monday, a effigy of Maslenitsa was being prepared, which was exhibited on the main street. And it, dressed in rags, had to stand until the resurrection.

Tuesday (21 February) popularly called "Zagrysh". This day was completely dedicated to the newlyweds. On this day, folk festivals were organized: sledding, carousels and ice slides.

Wednesday (22 February)- "Gourmet". On this day, it was customary to call guests (neighbors, friends, relatives) to the house and treat them with delicious pancakes, pies, honey gingerbread. Also on Wednesday, mother-in-laws treated their sons-in-law to pancakes, hence the expression “Son-in-law came, where can I get sour cream?”. On this day, fisticuffs and horse racing were popular.

Thursday (February 23) people called it "Razgulyay". It was from this day that the Wide Maslenitsa began, which was accompanied by sledding, snowball fights, cheerful songs and round dances.

Friday (February 24). This day was designated as "Teschin's Evenings", because it was on Friday that sons-in-law invited their mother-in-law to their house and treated them to pancakes. At the same time, the husband of their daughter, the day before, should come to the mother-in-law's house and invite her to visit.

Saturday (25 February) is called by the people "Zolovkina gatherings." Young daughters-in-law called her husband's sisters, talked to them, treated them to various delicacies and gave gifts. If the sister-in-law had not yet married, then the daughter-in-law called her unmarried friends, and if the husband's sister was married, then only married relatives were invited.

Sunday (26 February) is the apotheosis of Maslenitsa and has the name "Forgiveness Sunday". It was on this day that they saw off Maslenitsa, said goodbye to winter and symbolically burned an effigy. Even on Sunday, it is customary to ask relatives and friends for forgiveness for those grievances that have accumulated over the whole year.

Many signs are associated with Shrovetide, and people in the old days believed these signs. It is believed that on Maslenitsa you need to bake as many pancakes as you want happiness and prosperity. Mountains of pancakes foreshadowed good luck, health, prosperity in the families of relatives and friends. If the table is empty, then a financial collapse should be expected for the year. It was not for nothing that Maslenitsa was also called the "Despoiler", because in a week the money was spent immeasurably.

It was a bad omen if the pancakes failed, burned or turned out tasteless. This meant that trouble, illness or trouble would come very soon.

Also, our ancestors believed that the cold weather on Maslenitsa prophesies a good harvest year. The girls who intended to get married this year had to drink all the men they met on the way.

Interesting old traditions of Maslenitsa:

• Young people should show special respect to the elders in the family;
• Newlyweds can kiss in public, showing their love;
• It is necessary to commemorate the deceased relatives. The best thing -
  go to the cemetery and bring pancakes there;
• Be sure to treat the beggars near the church with the most delicious pancakes with rich fillings;

What to do for children

In the folk tradition of celebrating Shrovetide, children did not bake pancakes, but they had their own special activities. You can sculpt from clay or make whistles from wood, painting them with bright colors. These musical instruments make a sound similar to trills. It was believed that in this way it was possible to summon spring more quickly, deceiving it that the birds were already singing.

As for the places of public celebrations, it is necessary to hold fairs, arrange booths, ride a sleigh from the ice slides. In the old days, fisticuffs were still held on Sunday, but in modern society this custom has been forgotten. By the way, some dived into the hole to repeat their epiphany feat.

Shrovetide symbol - pancakes

It is believed that modern pancakes are the “ancestors” of oatmeal jelly, which someone decided to bake on fire. A little later, people began to bake pancakes not only from oatmeal, but also from rye, wheat, and buckwheat. Traditional cuisine knows many recipes for pancakes with various fillings.

The hostesses prepared pancakes with fish, mushrooms, eggs, honey, buckwheat, onion sauce, cottage cheese. Pancakes were served with sour cream, red or black caviar and butter. It is noteworthy that pancakes had to be eaten only with your hands. It was believed that if they were pierced with a fork or cut with a knife, then trouble would not be long in coming.

Pancake as a symbol of satiety

If we consider pre-Christian traditions, then pancakes were a symbol of sacrificial bread brought as a gift to the gods. Only since the 19th century, pancakes have become a treat for Maslenitsa with the symbolic meaning with which we accept them now. It is believed that the predecessor of the pancake was the usual oatmeal jelly. Someone decided to warm it up on fire and get the first pancake. Then they began to bake pancakes from flour of different varieties, including buckwheat or rice flour.

Most importantly, an ordinary pancake can be completely transformed in taste, depending on the filling that will be added to it. Pancakes with fish and caviar are a great main appetizer. Pancakes with vegetables and mushrooms are a cold appetizer, and, of course, sweet pancakes with honey, jam or just butter. Each recipe is special and has its own culinary symphony.

Days of Maslenitsa celebrations in 2012-2030

The start date of Maslenitsa changes each year depending on when Lent begins. The main traditional attributes of the folk celebration of Maslenitsa in Russia are pancakes and festivities.

Maslenitsa is the last week before the Easter fast. Every year Maslenitsa is celebrated on different dates, it all depends on the beginning of Lent and, accordingly, Easter. Maslenitsa is celebrated during the week before Lent. This week prepares people for fasting and the beginning of spiritual and physical cleansing. Maslenitsa always starts on Monday and ends on Forgiveness Sunday.

Maslenitsa and Maslenitsa week are celebrated in certain years in February, and in certain years in March (while Maslenitsa itself can take place from February to March).

Maslenitsa is one of the most beloved holidays of the year, almost like New Year's. And why? Yes, because the holiday lasts a whole week, and every week you can eat pancakes! You can cook 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 - have fun! And see off the winter, meeting the long-awaited spring. Indeed, a wonderful holiday, with fairs, booths, common games, festivities!

When does Shrove Tuesday (also known as both Satiated Week and Cheese Week) begin in 2016? The beginning of Maslenitsa - March 7, 2016; the end of Shrovetide (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 20 to 26 February.
• In 2018 Maslenitsa will be celebrated from 12 to 18 February.
• 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!

The start date of Maslenitsa can also be determined independently: you need to count from the date of Easter 56 days ago, 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 carnival? 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 toppings and additions to pancakes: sour cream, caviar, red fish, butter, honey, jam , jam. All this can be all week just get out of the refrigerator. What could be tastier than Russian pancakes! Lacy, buttery, with bacon, with apple, with cabbage, with trout - pancakes can be very different!

It is best to pick up recipes in advance so as not to look for them at the last moment.

You can make yourself a list of recipes from the Internet, or you can buy a book about pancakes in advance- the book is more convenient to use, it is always at hand, you do not have to print recipes. With or without filling, sweet or savory, with honey, cream, berries, chocolate or cheese, bacon and salmon - pancakes can be both a delicious dessert and a great snack! And it's not hard to cook them. And not only on Shrovetide!

In the old days, for Shrovetide, the whitewashing of the stove was renewed, festive dishes were taken out, yards and huts were swept. And today, for this holiday, it is desirable 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 baked, as a rule, from buckwheat flour. Today, there are hundreds of recipes for pancakes and just as many options for baking, all kinds of sauces and toppings for pancakes. Crepes with apples in Calvados will delight those with a sweet tooth, while exotic sesame pancakes with Thai vegetables will appeal to vegetable lovers. Pear and bacon biscuits will undoubtedly get a chance to become a favorite dish for real gourmets. Pancakes with apples and wild berries, with greens and champignons, with sorrel and rice, with sea fish...

And what a variety of fillings for pancakes you can think of! 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 spicy: with meat, mushrooms, vegetables.

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

Days of Pancake Week

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

Each day of Shrove Tuesday has its own special menu, special meaning, and has its own name.

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

wide-breasted Maslenitsa,
We praise you
We ride on the mountains
We eat pancakes!

flirting- the second day of Shrovetide. Day of matchmaking and flirting. They bake pancakes with bacon, the newlyweds must definitely slide down the icy mountain, and young girls and boys are looking at each other for future matchmaking. In 2016 it is March 8th.

Gourmand- the third day of Shrovetide. Hospitality day. Pancakes are prepared with fillings: sweet cheese pancakes, salty pancakes stuffed with fish, pancakes with buckwheat porridge and mushrooms. You need to visit each other, sing songs, play and have fun. In 2016 it is March 9th.

roam- the fourth day of Shrovetide. A day of demonstration of male strength and dexterity. Fist fights, snow fights - this is how this day should go. Throwing away winter negativity. In 2016 it is March 10th.

Mother-in-law evening- the fifth day of Shrovetide. A mother-in-law with a father-in-law comes 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.

Zolov's gatherings- the sixth day of Shrovetide. 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 Shrovetide. We forget old grievances, we burn the effigy of Maslenitsa, we eat pancakes for the last time before Lent, we see off Maslenitsa. In 2016 it is March 13th.

Pancakes in the old days: how they were prepared

There is hardly a person who refuses to taste a lush porous pancake soaked in oil. This old Russian dish traces its history back to pagan times. A round and hot pancake is a symbol of the spring sun.

In Russia, the dough for pancakes began to be prepared 5-6 hours before baking. At first, only part of the flour was kneaded with yeast, and then, when the dough was suitable, the rest of the flour, salt, sugar, and butter were added.

For custard pancakes, the dough was still scalded with milk.

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

Previously, pancakes were cooked in an oven, so people still say about pancakes “bake, bake”, although they are currently fried.

In the 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 come up. Pancakes were baked in small cast iron pans. Such pans could not be washed. They poured a little vegetable oil into them, poured coarse salt, warmed them up well, allowed them to cool slightly and carefully wiped them with a dry cloth. If the pan is poorly cleaned, then the first pancake was not successful, hence the saying “the first pancake is lumpy”.

Ready-made pancakes were placed in a deep dish wrapped in a towel.

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

What are fried pancakes?

Pancakes with spicy were popular in the old Russian cuisine. The filling was finely chopped and laid out immediately on a frying pan greased with vegetable oil, after which it was poured with dough.

Yeast-free pancakes

In addition to traditional pancakes, Russian cuisine is also famous for 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 on water, milk, beer. Each national cuisine is characterized by a certain size of pancakes and a method of serving.

The 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 water or milk for sourdough should not be higher than 50 ° C.

Baking soda and baking powder are interchangeable in recipes. Baking powder should be taken twice as much as soda. However, for pancakes, the ingredients of which 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 does well indoors with high humidity, so the best place for it in the apartment is the bathroom.

A container with sponge can be placed in water, the temperature of which is not higher than 50 ° C.

For the successful preparation of pancakes, there are special rules:

1. Flour must be sifted immediately before making 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 pounded with sugar are added, the dough is mixed, whipped a little, and only then the whipped proteins are introduced.

3. Bake yeast pancakes when the dough has just risen.

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

5. It is necessary to pour the dough into the pan in small portions so that the pancakes do not turn out to be too thick and clumsy, and can be baked in a short time. When pouring the dough into the pan, it is better to hold the ladle in one hand, and the 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. Baked pancakes should be put on a plate, covered with a clean towel so that they breathe, but at the same time do not cool down, do not dry out.

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

And the main secret of delicious pancakes - should be eaten immediately after preparation., as they say, piping hot.

And then - a couple of delicious recipes.

Buckwheat custard pancakes

Lush fragrant 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, 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, mix. Add melted butter, stir. Separate the yolks from the proteins, add sugar and yolks to the milk, mix. Add the sifted flour, beat, cover with a towel and put in a warm place for 2 hours.

Whisk egg whites with salt. Heat the remaining milk to 50 ° C, add to the dough, mix. Add the beaten egg 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 fritters

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

Put the blueberries into the dough and mix.

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

Heat up a frying pan and add vegetable oil. Pour the batter into the pan with a large tablespoon, fry until golden brown and turn over. We fry until ready. Transfer to a plate, brushed with butter.

Published on 02/21/17 03:58 PM

Maslenitsa in 2017: what date do Orthodox Christians have, what are the days of Maslenitsa week called - read this and much more in the TopNews material.

Maslenitsa in 2017: from what date to what date

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In Russia, from February 20 to February 26, 2017, one of the most beloved among the people and reckless holidays is celebrated - Wide Maslenitsa. This event came to us from pagan times, but our ancestors called this period Cheese Week or Week, when they said goodbye to winter and met spring.

Maslenitsa 2017 by day of the week

It is customary to have fun and bake pancakes throughout the Maslenitsa week. festivities intcbatch started on Monday, which is called Meet. On the first day of Maslenitsa, pancakes were baked, the first of which was always given to the poor. Also on Monday, the father-in-law sent the daughter-in-law to her parents, and they themselves came to visit them in the evening. On this day, a scarecrow of straw was also built, symbolizing winter.

Tuesday is called Winning. On this day, brides are held. Also, young people have fun, eat pancakes, ride down the hill.

Wednesday - Lakomka - was intended for the son-in-law to come to visit his mother-in-law for pancakes.

Thursday - Razgulyai - meant the beginning of festivities with a particularly wide scope. On this day, they stopped all chores and indulged in fun, participated in contests and even fisticuffs. Also, caroling, bonfires and singing songs are not forbidden.

The fifth day of Maslenitsa is called Mother-in-law evenings - on Friday, the mother of the wife visits her son-in-law with a return visit.

Saturday - Zolovkin gatherings. Daughters-in-law are supposed to treat and give a gift to an unmarried friend or husband's sister.

On Sunday in Russia, Maslenitsa is traditionally seen off and preparations are made for Lent. This day is called Forgiveness Sunday. The Orthodox ask each other for forgiveness and burn the straw effigy of winter.

It is not customary to indulge in despondency throughout Maslenitsa. You need to walk around and have fun. It was believed that a well-spent Maslenitsa week would attract a rich harvest for the coming year and avert any troubles.