When is carnival. The history of Shrovetide in Rus'
Maslenitsa is one of the most fun holidays of the year, which is widely celebrated throughout Russia. It reflects centuries-old traditions, carefully preserved and passed down from generation to generation. This is a week-long holiday ritual with round dances, songs, dances, games, dedicated to saying goodbye to winter and welcoming spring.
history of the holiday
In fact, Maslenitsa is an ancient pagan holiday. It is believed that Maslenitsa was originally associated with the day of the spring solstice, but with the adoption of Christianity, it began to precede Great Lent and depend on its timing.
In Rus', it has long been customary to celebrate the change of seasons. Winter has always been a difficult time for people: cold, hungry, dark. Therefore, the arrival of spring was especially rejoiced, and it was necessary to celebrate it. Our ancestors said that it is difficult for young Spring to overcome the old treacherous Winter. To help Spring drive away Winter, they organized fun festivities on Maslenitsa. Saying goodbye to Winter, the ancients praised Yarila - the pagan god of the sun and fertility. Yarilo was presented to the Russians in the form of a young man who died annually and resurrected again. Yarilo, resurrected, gave people the sun, and the sunny spring warmth is the first step towards a bountiful harvest. Before the baptism of Rus', the Maslenitsa holiday was celebrated 7 days before the day of the Spring Equinox and another week after.
With the adoption of Christianity, the celebration of Maslenitsa shifted and shortened by a whole week. The church did not dare to cancel Maslenitsa and ban entertainment, despite all the merry and not very religious traditions: this holiday was too significant for the people. But Maslenitsa week quite harmoniously fit into Christian traditions. Maslenitsa began to be celebrated on the eve of Lent. A week before Lent, it is no longer possible to eat meat, but people don’t really need it, because pancakes are baked on Maslenitsa. They are quite enough to feel full and not suffer from a lack of meat food. This is a great opportunity for the Orthodox to eat before Lent. But in the Orthodox interpretation, Shrovetide week is not so much a week of fun, but a week of preparation for Great Lent, forgiveness, reconciliation, this is a time that needs to be devoted to good communication with relatives, friends, and doing good.
Boris Kustodiev. Maslenitsa. 1916
Shrovetide: why is it called that?
The most common is the following version: on Maslenitsa, people tried to appease, that is, butter up the spring. Therefore, the celebrations were called “Shrovetide”.
According to another version, this name appeared after the adoption of Christianity. You can't eat meat, but you can eat dairy products. Therefore, people baked pancakes and poured plenty of oil on them. This is where the name associated with butter pancakes comes from. This week was also called meat-fare - due to the fact that there is an abstinence from meat, and cheese - because a lot of cheese is eaten this week.
And they also called Maslenitsa among the people "honest", "wide", "gluttonous", and even "the ruiner".
Traditions and customs
Our ancestors revered the sun as God, because it gave life to everything. People rejoiced at the sun, which, with the approach of spring, began to appear more and more often. Therefore, a tradition appeared in honor of the spring sun to bake round cakes resembling the sun in shape. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece of sunlight and heat. Over time, flat cakes were replaced with pancakes. Round, ruddy, hot - pancakes are a symbol of the sun, which means renewal and fertility.
Also in Ancient Rus', pancakes were considered a memorial dish and they were prepared in memory of departed relatives. Pancakes have also become a symbol of Winter's burial.
Pancakes for Maslenitsa had to be baked and eaten as much as possible. They were served with all sorts of fillings: fish, cabbage, honey, and, of course, butter and sour cream. Baking pancakes has become a kind of ritual to attract the sun, prosperity, prosperity, well-being. The more pancakes are cooked and eaten, the sooner spring will begin, the better the harvest will be.
Sergei Utkin. Pancakes. 1957
In addition to baking pancakes, there were other Shrovetide rites associated with sun worship. So, for example, various ritual actions were performed based on the magic of the circle, because the sun is round. Young people, and adults too, harnessed the horses, prepared the sleigh and went around the village several times in a circle. In addition, they decorated the wooden wheel with bright ribbons and walked down the street with it, fastening it on a pole. During the general festivities, round dances were necessarily led, which were also a ritual associated with the circle, that is, with the sun. It symbolized the sun and fire: the guys lit the wooden wheels and rolled down the hill. Who was able to roll his wheel without a single fall, happiness, luck and prosperity awaited him this year.
The most popular pastimes that used to be held in the villages during Maslenitsa were fist fights, sleigh rides, climbing a pole for a prize, eating pancakes for a while, and, of course, round dances, songs and dances.
Another indispensable participant in the Maslenitsa festivities was the bear. People put on a bearskin on one of the men, after which the mummers began to dance along with their fellow villagers. Later, in the cities, a live bear was also shown on the square. The bear has become one of the symbols of Maslenitsa and the onset of spring, because in winter the bear sleeps in a den, and wakes up in spring. The bear woke up - it means that spring has come.
And, of course, the symbol of the holiday is an effigy of Maslenitsa, made of straw and dressed in bright clothes. The scarecrow personified both the Maslenitsa holiday itself and the evil winter. On the last day of Maslenitsa, the scarecrow was burned on a ritual fire.
On Maslenitsa, it has always been customary to eat and have fun as much as possible.
Boris Kustodiev. Maslenitsa. 1919
Our ancestors believed that those who do not eat and have fun on Maslenitsa will live the coming year poorly and bleakly.
By the way, in pagan times in Rus', the New Year was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox, that is, Maslenitsa and the New Year were celebrated on the same day. Winter is over and it means the new year has arrived. And according to old beliefs, it was believed: as a person meets the year, so he will be. Therefore, they did not skimp on this holiday for a generous feast and unbridled fun.
Maslenitsa week
Maslenitsa is celebrated for seven days, from Monday to Sunday. The whole week is divided into two periods: Narrow Maslenitsa and Wide Maslenitsa. Narrow Shrovetide - the first three days: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Wide Shrovetide - these are the last four days, from Thursday to Sunday. In the first three days, the housewives could do household chores and clean up. From Thursday, all work stopped, and the Wide Maslenitsa began. On these days, any housework and housework was prohibited. It was only allowed to have fun and bake pancakes.
Each day of Shrove Tuesday has its own name and is filled with a unique meaning.
So, the days of Shrovetide week:
Monday - "Meeting".
The first day of Shrovetide week is called "Meeting" - this is the meeting of Maslenitsa. On this day they start baking pancakes. According to tradition, the first pancake was given to the poor, poor and needy people, so that they would pray for the souls of deceased relatives, or the pancake was left on the doorstep as a tribute to their ancestors.
On Monday, we dealt with organizational issues related to the festivities. On this day, preparations for the holiday were completed: snow slides, booths, swings, stalls for trade were completed.
In the morning, the father-in-law and mother-in-law sent the daughter-in-law to her father and mother for a day, in the evening they themselves came to visit the matchmakers and treated themselves to pancakes, rejoicing at the beginning of Shrovetide week.
And it was on this day that a stuffed Maslenitsa was made from straw and other improvised materials, dressed up in old clothes, various rags, at the same time getting rid of junk. Then the effigy was impaled and driven in a sledge through the streets, and finally put on public display in the main street or square of the village until Sunday.
Tuesday - "Games".
Tuesday was traditionally a day of festivities, games and fun. On this day, fun began in the morning, they rode sledges, ice slides, carousels. Buffoons walked the streets, entertaining the people and treating themselves to the generous alms of the hostesses.
Leonid Solomatkin. Maslenitsa. 1878
On this day, relatives and friends were invited to pancakes.
Flirting was the day of matchmaking in the villages. Young people furtively looked at each other, the guys looked after their brides, the girls stared at the guys and furtively wondered which of them would be the first to send matchmakers. And the parents looked closely at the future relatives and in a comic form began to agree on the upcoming celebration.
All Shrovetide rites, in fact, were reduced to matchmaking, in order to have a wedding immediately after Lent.
Wednesday - "Gourmet".
On Wednesday, according to tradition, the son-in-law came to his mother-in-law for pancakes, which she prepared especially for him. The mother-in-law had to feed her son-in-law to her heart's content and in every possible way showed her disposition to her daughter's husband. From this custom came the expression "The son-in-law came, where can I get sour cream?". There could be several sons-in-law, other guests, relatives, neighbors were invited, and the tables were bursting with refreshments. The sons-in-law praised their mother-in-laws and sang songs of praise to them and played funny scenes with dressing up. Women and girls gathered together, rode sleighs through the villages and also sang cheerful songs and ditties.
Thursday - "Revelry".
From that day on, the Broad Maslenitsa began. All chores stopped and real festivities unfolded in honor of Maslenitsa. The people with might and main indulged in all sorts of fun, games and fun. People rode down hills, on swings and carousels, had fun horse riding, sleigh rides, played snowballs, feasted noisily, all this was accompanied by cheerful round dances and chants.
On this day, fisticuffs and wall-to-wall games were usually held, where young people showed their prowess and become, showing off in front of girls and brides. The inhabitants of two villages, landlord and monastic peasants, inhabitants of a large village living in opposite ends could participate in the battles and compete. Moreover, they prepared for the battle very seriously: they took a steam bath in the bathhouse, ate hearty food to gain strength, and even turned to the sorcerers with a request to give a special conspiracy to win.
One of the favorite traditional pastimes was the assault and capture of the ice fortress. The guys built a town of ice and snow with a gate, they planted guards there, and then went on the attack: they climbed the walls, broke into the gates. The besieged defended themselves as best they could: snowballs, brooms and whips were used.
Vasily Surikov. Capture of the snow town. 1891
The meaning of these games, as well as the whole Maslenitsa, is a splash of negative energy accumulated over the winter and the resolution of various conflicts between people.
Children and youth went from house to house with tambourines, horns, balalaikas, singing carols. They were willingly treated with delicacies and conveyed greetings and bows to their parents and relatives.
In the cities, residents, dressed in the best outfits, took part in festive festivities, went to theatrical performances and booths to watch fun with a bear and buffoons.
Konstantin Makovsky. Folk festivities during Shrove Tuesday on Admiralteyskaya Square in St. Petersburg. 1869
Friday - Mother-in-law evening.
On this day, the son-in-law invited his mother-in-law to his pancakes. The mother-in-law came with a return visit, and even with her relatives and friends. Pancakes that day were baked by the daughter - the wife of the son-in-law. The son-in-law had to demonstrate his disposition towards his mother-in-law and her relatives. Family gatherings strengthened relations between relatives, and the general fun reminded of the imminent approach of the long-awaited spring and warmth.
Saturday - "Zolovkina gatherings."
On this day, the daughter-in-law honorably invited her husband's relatives to the house for pancakes. If the sisters-in-law, sisters of husbands, were unmarried, the daughter-in-law invited her unmarried girlfriends to common gatherings. If the husband's sisters were already married, then the daughter-in-law called her married relatives. The newlywed, according to custom, prepared gifts for her sisters-in-law and presented them to each.
Sunday - "Seeing Shrovetide". Forgiveness Sunday.
Shrovetide week ends with Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, close people ask each other for forgiveness for all the troubles and insults caused during the year. After the adoption of Christianity on this day, they necessarily went to church: the rector asked for forgiveness from the parishioners, and the parishioners from each other, and bowed, asking for forgiveness. In response to a request for forgiveness, the phrase "God will forgive" is traditionally pronounced. Also on Forgiveness Sunday, it was customary to go to the cemetery and commemorate the deceased relatives.
Like many years ago, the burning of an effigy on Sunday is considered to be the culmination of the whole Maslenitsa today. This action symbolizes the farewell to winter and the onset of spring. On this day, people held fairs, tea parties with bagels, rolls and pancakes, played games, danced round the Shrovetide scarecrow, sang and danced, and, finally, burned the scarecrow, dreaming that everything bad that happened in life would burn with it and the ashes were scattered over the fields.
Semyon Kozhin. Maslenitsa. Seeing off winter. 2001
Large bonfires were also a significant tradition, they were burned on purpose to melt the remnants of snow and invite the beautiful spring to visit as soon as possible. Old unnecessary things were thrown into the fires, thus getting rid of everything that interfered with life. Round dances were made around the fires, and one of the favorite pastimes was jumping over a blazing fire. On this day, all old grievances and conflicts were forgotten, and they said: "Whoever remembers the old, that's out of the eye."
Shrovetide omens.
There are many signs associated with Maslenitsa. It is believed that the more pancakes baked, the more luck, money and health will be in the family this year. If you skimp on treats and bake few pancakes, then it will not matter with finances.
If the pancakes turned out to be poorly baked or ugly, this meant that difficult times, illnesses and troubles were not far off. In the process of making pancakes, it was necessary to be in a good mood, think about good deeds and wish everyone who treats themselves with a pancake, goodness and happiness. Each housewife had her own pancake recipes for Maslenitsa, and they did not always reveal their secrets. In addition to eggs, flour and milk that are familiar to all of us, they added potatoes, apples, buckwheat, nuts, and corn to the dough.
Even our ancestors believed that the cold and rainy weather before the start of Shrovetide - to a good harvest and well-being. And the girls who wanted to get married had to drunkenly drink all the men they met - acquaintances and strangers, because meeting with a tipsy man on Maslenitsa is also a good omen, promising a happy and long marriage.
The traditions of celebrating Maslenitsa are rooted deep into our history. And in the old days, and now this holiday is celebrated on a grand scale, with a variety of entertainment and, of course, with pancakes. Many Maslenitsa traditions have survived to this day. No wonder Shrovetide is one of the most fun folk festivals!
Merry Maslenitsa, delicious pancakes and well-being!
Many people are anxiously awaiting the onset of Maslenitsa, the traditions of celebrating which go deep into our history. As in the old days, this holiday is celebrated on a grand scale, with chants, dances and competitions.
On Maslenitsa, young men showed their agility in a fistfight
The most popular pastimes that used to be held in the villages were: fisticuffs, eating pancakes for a while, sleigh rides, climbing a pole for a prize, playing with a bear, burning a scarecrow, swimming in an ice hole. The main treat both before and now are pancakes, which can have various fillings. They are baked every day in large quantities.
Cartoon "Look, Maslenitsa", 1985
The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. On Shrovetide week, it is customary to spend every day in its own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors.
Monday - "Meeting Maslenitsa"
On this day they start baking pancakes. It is customary to give the first pancake to the poor and needy people. On Monday, our ancestors prepared a scarecrow, dressed it in rags and put it on the main street of the village. It stood on public display until the resurrection.
Boris Kustodiev Maslenitsa, 1919
Tuesday - "Game"
It was dedicated to the youth. On this day, folk festivals were organized: they rode sledges, ice slides, carousels.
Shrove Tuesday is called meat-empty because of the abstention from meat.
Wednesday - "Lakomka"
On this day, guests were invited to the house. They were treated to pancakes, honey cakes and pies. On Wednesday, it was customary to serve pancakes to their sons-in-law, hence the expression “The son-in-law came, where can I get sour cream?”. Horse racing and fist fights were also held.
Maslenitsa in the film "The Barber of Siberia". 1998
Thursday - "Razgulya"
From this day begins the Wide Shrovetide, which is accompanied by snowball fights, sledding, cheerful round dances and chants.
Friday - Mother-in-law evening
On this day, the sons-in-law invited the mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.
The climax of Maslenitsa is the burning of a scarecrow
Saturday - "Zolovkin gatherings"
The daughter-in-law invited her husband's sisters to their house, talked with them, treated them to pancakes and gave gifts.
Sunday - Forgiveness Sunday
On Sunday they said goodbye to winter, saw off Maslenitsa and symbolically burned its effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and relatives for forgiveness for those grievances that have accumulated over the whole year.
Peter Gruzinsky - Maslenitsa. 1889
In fact, Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday, which was eventually changed to the "format" of the Orthodox Church. In pre-Christian Rus', the celebration was called "Seeing off the winter."
Our ancestors revered the sun as God, which is why the tradition of baking round cakes resembling the sun appeared. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece of sunlight and heat. Over time, flat cakes were replaced with pancakes.
Maslenitsa is one of the most popular and massive Christian holidays, which originally has pagan roots. Maslenitsa begins its history long before the advent of Christianity as a separate religion - it was a spring holiday dedicated to the pagan god Yarila Solnechny. These days, pancakes were baked and eaten in large quantities, which symbolized the fiery sun, and fun and celebrations marked the imminent arrival of spring warmth.
In the 16th century, Maslenitsa officially became a holiday of Christian Rus', it was easier to accept such a bright pagan holiday than to try to abandon it. Maslenitsa lasts a whole week, which begins seven weeks before the main Christian holiday of Easter, and is a preparation for Lent. The main attributes of Shrovetide week are pancakes, cheesecakes (and other baked goods), fun, competitions, fairs and a straw doll, which received the same name Shrovetide. The date of the holiday is annually determined according to the lunar calendar, depending on the celebration of Easter, and most often falls at the end of February - the beginning of March, when the first warm days are expected. Each day of the seven holidays has its own purpose and name:- The first day is the beginning of the holiday, when a scarecrow is made of straw and dressed up in bright women's outfits.
- The second day is general festivities, games, fairs. In Rus', on this day, the young men picked up brides for themselves, and the girls looked at the guys.
- Third day: traditionally invited to visit the mother-in-law, it is from here that the expression “to the mother-in-law for pancakes” came from.
- The fourth day was called "walk around", when in the midst of fun, competitions, round dances and fist fights, famous in Rus', are organized, which, of course, are not practiced today.
- Fifth day: the son-in-law invites his mother-in-law and father-in-law to visit him. However, before this, the guests sent their son-in-law everything that was necessary for making pancakes (milk, flour, a tub, and the rest).
- Sixth day: relatives from the bride’s side are invited to visit them (in the common people “sister-in-law gatherings”), and preparations are underway for the end of the holiday.
- The seventh day is Forgiveness Sunday, when everyone asks forgiveness from each other and the main action takes place - the burning of the effigy of Maslenitsa, which is carried around the village and then circle dances around the fire and jump over it.
Most of the traditions of this holiday have remained in the past, fisticuffs no longer take place, and the mother-in-law does not send a tub of flour to her son-in-law, but still Maslenitsa is a holiday of delicious pancakes and mass fun. Treating pancakes, showing off new pancake recipes and visiting pancakes are good traditions for which this holiday has received such wide popular love.
When this merry holiday, Maslenitsa, comes, it is always accompanied by fun, festivities, and that is why Maslenitsa is so loved by the Russian people.
Favorite holiday
Shrovetide in Russia and in Rus' has always been accompanied and is accompanied to this day by a cheerful mood and joy, celebrated on a grand scale and with an abundance of various goodies, including pancakes, pies and cheesecakes. Maslenitsa is celebrated everywhere: in villages and cities. It was believed that non-participation in it threatens that a person can bring trouble on himself. On Maslenitsa, it is customary to eat a lot of fatty and unhealthy foods, it is allowed to indulge in intoxicating drinks and go on a visit. Perhaps that is why it was and remains a favorite Russian holiday.
History of Maslenitsa
The history of the holiday goes far into antiquity. Shrovetide is an ancient Slavic holiday that is firmly rooted in the daily life of people even after Oddly enough, the Slavs celebrated the New Year with Maslenitsa, because until the 16th century the year began not from January, but from March. Pancakes among the Slavs were associated with the sun: round, ruddy and hot. In the life of Russian people, Maslenitsa week was the brightest, most cheerful and carefree. All the Russian people amused themselves with dancing, sleigh rides, various fairs, admiring traveling theaters, participating in fisticuffs and honoring the newlyweds. Over time, new holidays began to appear, but Maslenitsa continued to be celebrated on a grand scale, without stinting on treats.
During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, many measures were taken to calm the daring subjects, but all attempts were in vain.
A great lover of fun, Peter I tried to connect this holiday with European traditions: Italian carnival processions, clownish performances, noisy feasts. Only in one year (1724) did Maslenitsa fail due to severe frosts and snowstorms: the carnival procession could not be organized, because it was too cold for guests in costumes and masks on the streets of St. Petersburg.
On Maslenitsa, every day of the week is accompanied by its own special ceremony.
So, on Monday it is customary to meet Maslenitsa: dress up a straw effigy and dress in women's clothes.
On Shrovetide Tuesday - festivities, sleigh rides from icy hills. Large crowds of people went to the fairs, laughed at the performances of puppet theaters and wandered among the guests.
On Wednesday - gourmet. In each house, a table was laid with all kinds of treats: pancakes, pies, beer. At the fairs, you could treat yourself to nuts, gingerbread, and honey.
Thursday falls in the middle of the fun. It was on this day that the most spectacular fisticuffs took place, with their strict rules and restrictions. By the way, Ivan the Terrible was very fond of such entertainment and this day was especially solemn and cheerful.
On Friday, they tried to speed up the wedding and find a single couple. Also on this day, mothers-in-law invited their sons-in-law to pancakes and pies.
On Saturday, sisters-in-law and young daughters-in-law preferred to gather and arranged gatherings at the table.
On Sunday of that week, Maslenitsa, when celebrated, is accepted by everyone for committed deeds or accidental insults. That is why the last day of the week is called "Forgiveness Sunday".
There are no clear dates for the celebration: they are mobile and different every year. Therefore, speaking about when Maslenitsa is celebrated, we cannot name a specific number, but we will give guidelines: this is the eighth week before Great Lent. The whole week is accompanied by delicious food and drinks, thereby preparing believers for fasting.
Festivities
Maslenitsa has always been accompanied by cheerful and carefree festivities. In Rus', it was considered a wild, ruinous week. The inhabitants of the villages, young and old, preferred to rest this week, sledding, down hills, dressing up a straw woman in clothes, carrying her on a sleigh. Fairs were also organized, where everyone considered it his duty to buy necessary and unnecessary trinkets. Treats were sold on the squares - pancakes with various fillings: sour cream, honey and caviar. You could have a beer or hot tea. Famous fistfights, masquerades were arranged, mummers went around. When Shrovetide is celebrated, everyone is in a good and cheerful mood.
Signs and customs
Maslenitsa (when it is celebrated, we have already found out) is the time when all customs and signs are associated with pancakes.
- It is believed that if pancakes do not work out, then expect trouble and misfortune, but if the food is hot and ruddy, good luck and happiness will accompany the family.
- A lot of pancakes - to enrichment and prosperity, few - the year will be lean and difficult.
- All year there will be no quarrels between the son-in-law and the mother-in-law if she feeds him delicious pancakes. Otherwise, quarrels cannot be avoided. But they often forget about the father-in-law, because it is he who should invite the son-in-law on Sunday to "eat up the ram", that is, for a meat dinner.
- It is customary to treat all friends and acquaintances with pancakes, as well as commemorate the dead by eating the first pancake in their honor.
- Swings were considered one of the most favorite pastimes on Maslenitsa. It is customary to think that the higher the swing rises, the richer the harvest will be. Signs and slides did not bypass: the longer you drive, the longer the flax will grow in the fields.
- It was also believed that if, when Maslenitsa is celebrated, the festivities are accompanied by rain, then a rich harvest of mushrooms in the forests can be expected. And if it is frosty and cold on Maslenitsa, then the summer will be warm.
- It was customary to celebrate the days of Maslenitsa on a grand scale, without stinting on treats. If you meet Maslenitsa with sadness, not having fun from the heart, then the rest of the year will be boring and dreary.
Attribute
An invariable attribute of Maslenitsa is Kostroma. This is a fictional character who has become the embodiment of spring and fertility. They created it with the help of straw, most often the scarecrow had the face of a girl. The "funeral" of the scarecrow took place in a parodic form. He was laid on boards or stretchers. Worn around the village, brought to the church, then to the river and into the forest. The girls covered their heads with white scarves and "mourned the deceased." At the head of the procession were guys dressed up as priests, in bast shoes and with a censer. Often such "funerals" ended with drowning or burning an effigy at the stake. This whole rite is connected with the idea of the spring revival of nature. It was believed that without this rite, nature would be unfavorable to the inhabitants of the villages, the summer would be damp or dry, which would lead to crop failure and, accordingly, poverty and ruin.
The days of Maslenitsa among the Russian people were considered the days of a holiday, unbridled fun, parties. Maslenitsa was a favorite holiday for many villagers, associated with the arrival of spring, the rebirth of the forces of nature. Residents were looking forward to this week to eat plenty of tasty and fatty food before a strict fast. It was also customary to have fun on Maslenitsa, ride a sleigh, honor the elderly and newlyweds, and, of course, eat hot and ruddy pancakes. Today, Maslenitsa has lost its significance a little, but, nevertheless, in the soul of the Russian people it remains a cheerful, wild and "delicious" holiday.
Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa called by different names, and all these names mean the same thing. Because of the abstention from meat, the name of the meat-empty came about; from eating cheese - cheese week; from the widespread use of oil - Shrovetide, which lasts a whole week before Lent. In the holy calendar and church books, the name of the cheese week is used. At this time they do not eat anything meat; fish, milk, eggs and cheese are common to all. The well-known name of this week throughout Russia is Maslenitsa.
Maslenitsa- a holiday of seeing off winter, the eighth week before Easter. Maslenitsa took place before Great Lent, on the cheese week of the Orthodox calendar, and ended on Forgiveness Sunday.
According to the canons of the Orthodox Church, the cheese week was intended to prepare believers for fasting, when each of them had to be imbued with a mood corresponding to the coming time of bodily abstinence and intense spiritual reflection (see). In traditional Russian life, this week has become the brightest holiday filled with the joy of life. Maslenitsa was called an honest, wide, drunken, gluttonous, ruiner. They said that she "sang and danced for a whole week, ate and drank, visited each other, rolled in pancakes, bathed in oil." Maslenitsa was celebrated all over Russia, both in villages and cities. Its celebration was considered obligatory for all Russian people: "At least lay yourself down, but spend Shrovetide."
In the villages, all residents, regardless of age and social status, took part in it, with the exception of the sick and infirm. Non-participation in the Shrovetide fun could entail, according to legend, "life in bitter trouble." The festivities began with a Maslenitsa meeting on the Sunday before Maslenitsa. However, this rite was not widespread. Where he was famous, Shrovetide was greeted with pancakes, which were laid out on elevated places with calls: “Come to visit me, Shrovetide, in the wide yard: ride in the mountains, roll in pancakes, have fun with your heart!”, As well as singing songs : Shrovetide annual, Our dear guest! She does not come to us on foot, She comes on horseback. She has black horses, Young servants. The first three days of Shrove Tuesday were preparations for the holiday: they brought firewood for Shrovetide bonfires, cleaned the huts. The main festivities fell on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - the days of the wide Maslenitsa. All carnival entertainment usually took place on the street.
They went into houses only to warm up a little if it was frosty, and to treat themselves to festive dishes. Smartly dressed people - girls, boys, couples, children, old men and old women - all poured out into the street, participated in the festive festivities, congratulated each other, went to the fair, where they bought necessary and unnecessary things, marveled at the miracles that were shown in booths - mobile theaters, rejoiced at puppet shows and "bear fun" - performances of the leader with a bear.
The Shrovetide complex included such entertainments as riding from the mountains, sleigh rides, various ceremonies of honoring the newlyweds, fistfights, processions of mummers, war games, such as “The Capture of the Snow Town”, etc. A characteristic feature of Shrovetide was the use a large amount of fatty foods, as well as intoxicating drinks. From drinks they preferred beer, and from food - sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, eggs, all kinds of flour products: pancakes, cheesecakes, spices, brushwood, cakes. The predominance of dairy food was due to the church ban on eating meat in the week preceding Lent.
Many songs, jokes, sentences sounded on Shrovetide, most of which had no ritual significance, these were funny songs dedicated to Shrovetide and Shrovetide festivities:
Oh, dear oiler,
Darling, lily, dear. She came to visit us
She came, she came, she came. Yes, she brought cheese with butter,
I brought it, I brought it, I brought it. And we rolled the butter dish,
They rolled, they rolled, they rolled. They rode on a black horse,
We rode, we rode, we rode.
The history of Maslenitsa is rooted deep in antiquity. Shrovetide is an ancient Slavic holiday that we inherited from pagan culture, which has survived even after the adoption of Christianity. It is believed that initially it was associated with the day of the spring solstice, but with the adoption of Christianity, it began to precede Great Lent and depend on its timing. However, this is not all about the meaning of Maslenitsa. For the Slavs, for a long time it was also a meeting of the New Year! Indeed, until the XIV century, the year in Rus' began in March. Even pancakes, an indispensable attribute of Maslenitsa, had a ritual meaning: round, ruddy, hot, they were a symbol of the sun, which flared up brighter, lengthening the days. And according to old beliefs, it was believed: as a person meets the year, so he will be. That is why our ancestors did not skimp on this holiday for a generous feast and unbridled fun. And the people called Maslenitsa "honest", "wide", "gluttonous", and even "the ruiner".
Centuries passed, life changed, with the adoption of Christianity, new church holidays appeared, but the wide Maslenitsa continued to live. Nothing could force the Russians to give up their favorite holiday - hospitable and recklessly cheerful. By the way, at one time Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich tried to calm down his daring subjects with the most stringent measures. The governors sent royal decrees around towns and villages, either forbidding private distillation, or demanding that Russians not gamble, do not hold fisticuffs. But neither the formidable royal decrees, nor the instructions of the patriarch were able to cope with overflowing fun.
But in 1724 in St. Petersburg Maslenitsa failed. Peter, a well-known lover of all kinds of amusements, intended to organize a funny sledge procession in the new capital, but a blizzard swept through the holiday week and there was a severe frost. For several days, the participants in the procession in costumes and masks gathered at the gathering place, but, having stiffened along the way, they went to warm themselves to visit someone. Alas, the element won, the fun failed.
Catherine II, on the occasion of her coronation, imitating Peter I, staged a grandiose masquerade procession called “Triumphant Minerva” in Moscow during Shrovetide Week. For three days, a masquerade procession traveled around the city, which, according to the empress's plan, was supposed to represent various social vices - bribery, embezzlement, bureaucratic red tape and others, destroyed by the beneficial rule of the wise Catherine.
Over time, "rolling fun" in the cities improved. Wooden slides with elegant pavilions began to be erected on the ice of the river or on the squares. The slides were decorated with colorful flags, spruce and pine branches, and even wooden sculptures. In St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 19th century, the mountains of the merchant Podoznikov were famous. They were built on the Neva against the Senate and reached 26 meters in height. By the way, skiing from the city mountains at that time was paid and cost a penny. A brisk trade in hot sbiten, tea from smoking samovars, sweets, nuts, pies and pancakes unfolded near the icy mountains. The audience in large booths was amused by buffoons and the beloved folk hero Petrushka.
In villages where booths never existed, the inhabitants themselves became the protagonists of an unusual battle - the capture of a snowy town. Having gathered, they together built a fortress from the snow with intricate towers and gates. Most often they put it on the ice of the river and cut through the wormwood in the middle. Then the participants of the game were divided into two parties. The equestrian braves besieged the fortress, and its defenders fought back with snowballs, brandished twigs and brooms, frightening the horses. The winner, who burst into the gate first, was expected by a test: he was forced to swim in an ice hole.
But the most beloved and beautiful Maslenitsa ceremony was sleigh rides. Everyone who had a horse rode out, and assorted teams rushed through the streets: the rich flaunted sleek trotters and painted sleds covered with carpets, and after them galloped peasant horses, polished to a shine, decorated with colored ribbons.
Of course, pancakes were the main treat at Maslenitsa. They were baked and eaten in myriad quantities.
There were certain ceremonies for each day of Shrovetide week. On Monday - a meeting of Maslenitsa, on Tuesday - flirting. For gourmets, that is, on Wednesday of Shrove Week, mother-in-laws invited their sons-in-law and their wives to pancakes. This custom was especially observed in relation to the young, recently married. Surely this is where the expression "to the mother-in-law for pancakes" came from. The most crowded luge rides took place on Broad Thursday. On Friday - the mother-in-law's evening - the sons-in-law called the mother-in-law for a treat. Saturday was reserved for the sister-in-law gatherings. Sunday was called "Forgiveness Day". On this day, everyone visited relatives, friends and acquaintances, exchanged kisses, bows and asked for forgiveness from each other if they offended by words or deeds. The whole week was called "honest, wide, cheerful, noblewoman-carnival, madam carnival."
Monday - meeting
On this day, an effigy of Maslenitsa was made from straw, they put on old women's clothes on it, put this effigy on a pole and, singing, drove it on a sleigh through the village. Then Maslenitsa was set on a snowy mountain, where sleigh rides began. The songs that are sung on the day of the "meeting" are very cheerful.
Tuesday - play
From that day on, various kinds of entertainment began: sleigh rides, folk festivals, performances. In large wooden booths (rooms for folk theatrical performances with clowning and comic scenes), performances were given led by Petrushka and Shrovetide grandfather. On the streets there were large groups of mummers, in masks, driving around familiar houses, where merry home concerts were impromptu. Large companies rode around the city, on troikas and on simple sledges. Another simple entertainment was held in high esteem - skiing from icy mountains.
Wednesday - gourmet
She opened treats in all houses with pancakes and other dishes. In each family, tables were set with delicious food, pancakes were baked, in the villages they brewed beer together. Theaters and trade tents appeared everywhere. They sold hot sbitni (drinks made from water, honey and spices), roasted nuts, and honey gingerbread. Here, right under the open sky, one could drink tea from a boiling samovar.
Thursday - revelry(fracture, broad Thursday)
This day was the middle of games and fun. Perhaps, it was then that the hot Shrovetide fistfights took place, the fists, leading their origin from Ancient Rus'. They also had their own strict rules. It was impossible, for example, to beat a lying person (“they don’t beat a lying person”), to attack one person together (two fight - don’t get the third one), to beat below the belt or to beat on the back of the head. There were penalties for violating these rules. It was possible to fight "wall to wall" or "one on one". There were also "hunting" fights for connoisseurs, lovers of such fights. Ivan the Terrible himself watched such battles with pleasure. For such an occasion, this entertainment was prepared especially magnificently and solemnly. And yet it was a game, a holiday, which, of course, corresponded to clothing. If you also want to follow the ancient Russian rituals and customs, if your hands itch a lot, you can have a little fun, probably with a fight - all negative negative emotions will be removed at the same time, a detente will come (maybe this was some kind of secret meaning of fisticuffs fights), and at the same time it is a duel of the strongest. Just do not forget about all the restrictions and, most importantly, that this is still a festive game duel.
Friday - mother-in-law evenings
A number of Maslenitsa customs were aimed at speeding up weddings and helping young people find a mate. And how much attention and honors were given to the newlyweds at Shrovetide! Tradition requires that they go out dressed “to people” in painted sleighs, pay visits to everyone who walked at their wedding, so that they solemnly roll down the ice mountain to the songs. However, the most important event associated with the newlyweds was the visit of the mother-in-law by the sons-in-law, for whom she baked pancakes and arranged a real feast (unless, of course, the son-in-law was to her liking). In some places, “Teschin pancakes” took place on gourmets, that is, on Wednesday during Shrovetide week, but could be timed to coincide with Friday. If on Wednesday the sons-in-law visited their mother-in-laws, then on Friday the sons-in-law arranged “mother-in-law evenings” and invited them to pancakes. The former boyfriend usually appeared, who played the same role as at the wedding, and received a gift for his efforts. The called mother-in-law (there was also such a custom) was obliged to send in the evening everything necessary for baking pancakes: a frying pan, a ladle, etc., and the father-in-law sent a bag of buckwheat and cow's butter. The disrespect of the son-in-law for this event was considered a dishonor and insult, and was the reason for the eternal enmity between him and the mother-in-law.
Saturday - sister-in-law gatherings
The sister-in-law is the sister of the husband. So, on this Sabbath day, young daughters-in-law hosted relatives. As you can see, at this “fat Shrovetide” every day of this generous week was accompanied by a special feast.
Sunday - seeing off, a kisser, a forgiveness day.
The last day of the Maslenitsa week was called “forgiveness Sunday”: relatives and friends did not go to each other to celebrate, but with “obedience”, asked for forgiveness for intentional and accidental insults and grief caused in the current year. When meeting (sometimes even with a stranger), it was supposed to stop and with triple bows and “tearful words” ask for mutual forgiveness: “Forgive me, what I am guilty of or have sinned against you.” “May God forgive you, and I forgive you,” the interlocutor answered, after which, as a sign of reconciliation, it was necessary to kiss.
Saying goodbye to Shrove Tuesday. On this day, bonfires were lit in the northern and central regions of European Russia, and a straw effigy of Maslenitsa was buried in the southern regions. Maslenitsa is a complex and ambiguous phenomenon. This holiday goes back to the spring agricultural rites of the pre-Christian era of the life of the Slavs, when Shrovetide was timed to coincide with the day of the vernal equinox - the boundary separating winter from spring. Ritual actions were aimed at making the winter hardships end and spring would come, followed by a warm summer with abundant bread. In the XIX-beginning of the XX century. entertainment elements came to the fore in the celebration of Shrove Tuesday.
Farewell to Maslenitsa ended on the first day of Great Lent - Clean Monday, which was considered the day of cleansing from sin and fast food. Men usually "rinsed their teeth", i.e. they drank vodka in abundance, ostensibly in order to rinse out the remnants of fast food from their mouths; in some places fistfights, etc., were arranged to “shake out pancakes”. On Clean Monday, they always washed in a bathhouse, and women washed dishes and “steamed” milk utensils, cleaning it from fat and the remnants of the milk.
