Maslenitsa is one of the most popular holidays in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. In addition to the religious overtones of the celebration, Maslenitsa week also has a unique flavor and traditions that have been created over centuries. How is Maslenitsa celebrated by day of the week, and how should one prepare for each stage of the celebration? Now you'll find out!
Day one - meeting (Monday)
Few people know what the days of Maslenitsa are called, especially among the younger generation. However, in in this case It is not the names of Maslenitsa days that are important, but the traditions inherent in this particular period of time. So, what traditionally should happen on the first day of celebration?
Traditionally, the first day was considered preparatory and the most modest in terms of public festivities. During this period, the father-in-law and mother-in-law sent their daughter-in-law to the matchmakers, and soon they themselves went to meet relatives.
Day two - flirting (Tuesday)
On this day, there were practically no noisy celebrations. The entire celebration boiled down to the matchmaking of brides. Potential grooms were invited to the house for a gala dinner with pancakes and flatbreads. It was believed that the strongest alliances were made during Maslenitsa week.
Trying to arrange the most magnificent viewing for the brides, the parents dreamed of organizing a wedding immediately after Easter, on Krasnaya Gorka, since the union concluded during this period was considered extremely strong and happy.
On the second day of Maslenitsa week, young people continued to have fun, sliding down the slides and making snow forts. Older generation was engaged exclusively in cooking and other household chores.
Day three - gourmet (Wednesday)
IN modern world Many traditions of Maslenitsa week have already been forgotten, but the ritual of going to your mother-in-law on Wednesdays for pancakes is still popular.
It was on the third day of the celebration that the son-in-law went to his wife’s mother to taste her treats.
The mistress of the house herself tried to put all the tastiest and best things on the table in order to show her affection for her son-in-law.
In addition to the son-in-law, his friends and numerous relatives were invited to the house, and often the celebration of the third day smoothly flowed into new celebrations.
It is also interesting that it was on the third day of the celebrations that the hostess of the house tried to put the maximum variety of pancakes on the table, demonstrating her own culinary abilities. So, for example, wheat, oat, buckwheat and many other versions of pancakes appeared on the table.
The richer the table was on the third day, the higher the rating of the mistress of the house.
Day four - revelry (Thursday)
On Thursday, Maslenitsa week experienced its turning point, and it was on this day that the most global and magnificent festivities began. This stage of the celebration is characterized by the following features:
The fourth day of Maslenitsa in Rus' was so large-scale in terms of celebration that often during this period all work was canceled, and people walked from morning until night. The most important activities were considered to be the making of fires of various sizes. By jumping over them, a person could cleanse his soul of sins. In fact, the ritual turned into a very fun, sometimes even dangerous game. Not only young people, but also everyone jumped over the fire.
In some provinces, rituals have noticeably transformed. For example, in some villages of Stary Oskol, young people staged traditional pranks. They locked all the doors in the house, covered the windows with snow, climbed onto the roof and changed into funny clothes there. This kind of fun was also common in other cities of the country. Also, traditionally, it was on Thursday that carols and special songs with religious overtones began to be sung everywhere.
Also in 
Traditional services dedicated to the holiday and the upcoming Lent were held in churches. However, services on Thursdays were not very popular, since during this period it was customary to have fun and attend various feasts.
Of course, on this day they continued to bake pancakes, but not only relatives were invited to visit, but also all acquaintances and even ordinary passers-by. Since everyone was preparing for Lent, it was considered good form to eat from the belly, simultaneously treating everyone who came to hand.
It was on this day that the largest festivities were held in the central squares, which died down only on Monday.
Day five - mother-in-law's evening (Friday)
After the mother-in-law's pancakes were eaten, a return visit was scheduled for Friday. The mother-in-law went to visit her son-in-law and her own daughter, where the main celebrations were held. What traditions exist for this day?
The festive table was traditionally prepared by the wife of the owner of the house.
It was believed that no one should help her, and the woman herself, by preparing various treats, had to prove her worth as a housewife.
Day six - sister-in-law's gatherings (Saturday)
This day was considered one of the most modest of the entire Maslenitsa week. For a while, large-scale festivities died down, and people tried to spend time either at home or visiting.
Traditionally, on this day, a young daughter-in-law invited her sisters-in-law to her husband's house. If the sisters-in-law themselves were not yet married, then unmarried girlfriends of the mistress of the house were invited to help them. If the sisters-in-law were married, then all the other guests had to be married. Girls rarely organized large-scale feasts, and for them the holiday was just an excuse to gossip and gossip about everyone they knew.
Already 
On this day, some families began to burn an effigy of Maslenitsa, saying goodbye to the holiday and preparing for Lent. Also, it was on Saturday that services dedicated to honoring the memory of ancestors and preparing for Lent began in churches. It was believed that on Saturday one should visit church to cleanse the soul and prepare for the main thing religious holiday- Easter.
On this day, many girls traditionally carried out fortune telling on their betrotheds or tried to look into their destiny. Men on this day could also gather in a narrow circle and have a feast, but still a large-scale celebration of the sixth day was considered wrong.
Day seven - farewell (Sunday)
Some of the largest celebrations took place on the last day of Maslenitsa week. From the very morning, people began to celebrate the end of Maslenitsa and the arrival of spring. What traditions were typical for this holiday?
In fact, although the holiday on Sunday was very large-scale, it did not last long. It began early in the morning, when people moved in a massive procession to the central square to burn the Maslenitsa effigy. These effigies were burned everywhere, even in the courtyards of their own houses or next to the road. Leftover food was thrown into the fire, as well as small images of Maslenitsa made from straw.
It was believed that burning tiny straw effigies would help get rid of sins and improve one's material condition.
Now the name of each day of Maslenitsa week is known only to the most ardent fans of this holiday. Moreover, now the celebration of each day is limited only to the preparation and consumption of pancakes, and some traditions have completely sunk into oblivion. Noisy festivities are organized in modern Russia only on the last day - with the traditional, ritual burning of the effigy.
Events
Maslenitsa is considered a pagan holiday, which has been successfully preserved to this day.
People had a strong belief that Spring needed help to overcome the long Winter. That's why they organized mass celebrations with various games and chants.
The date of Maslenitsa is not constant because it depends on when exactly Easter is celebrated.
What date is Maslenitsa in 2019
Thus, Maslenitsa week begins on March 4 and will last until March 10 this year.
On the very last day, Forgiveness Resurrection is usually celebrated.
National Maslenitsa
Maslenitsa is ancient Slavic holiday. It was also called Komoeditsa in another way, from the word “Coma” - pea, barley or oatmeal bread with the addition of various dried fruits, which were eaten on the very last day of the holiday, which lasted 2 weeks, exactly until the spring equinox.
All these days they cooked pancakes, considered a symbol of the Sun, which were served hot with copious amounts of butter. It melted on the hot pancakes the way snow melts in the Sun.
When Christianity was adopted, this holiday was timed just before Lent, It was because of this that Maslenitsa began to change from year to year depending on when Easter was.
Read also:Maslenitsa: 10 simple and delicious pancake recipes from Jamie Oliver
With Peter coming to power, the holiday began to be celebrated in a European way: with antics and drinking and partying.
All days during the holiday it was allowed to eat only cheese and dairy products. That is why in Rus' it was customary to bake pancakes and generously grease them with butter. It was a kind of ritual of luring the Sun, prosperity and wealth.
History of Maslenitsa
In Rus' Maslenitsa was celebrated as a petition to the gods with prayers for a rich harvest, as well as a cheerful meeting of spring.
People firmly believed that this holiday would help strengthen the pagan deity, which was gradually turning into the mighty Yarilo from the weak baby Kolyada. People also believed that Yarilo helped to achieve a good and rich harvest in the summer.
Traditionally, pancakes were the main treat on the table during the holidays. , which are very reminiscent of the Sun, they are just as round and hot.
In Rus' until the 14th century. The New Year began on March 1st. It coincided with Maslenitsa and therefore it used to be believed that as her meeting went, so would the whole next year.
For this reason, the ancestors spared no expense on lavish feasts, delicious treats and fun activities, for which Maslenitsa was especially generous. On Maslenitsa they ate too much, went broke and spent money without regret.
Maslenitsa: customs and traditions
In the first days of the holiday, people usually prepared very actively for the upcoming celebration: they decorated their houses, built hills and brought firewood from the forest to light fires.
The main days were considered to be from Thursday to Sunday . People came to the huts to taste buttery pancakes with hot tea. Housewives prepared pancakes with various fillings.
The very first pancake was always given to the homeless and the poor so that they would remember the dead. Dumplings, cheesecakes, pies and pancakes were also prepared. On Forgiveness Sunday, it was traditional to cook scrambled eggs.
In some villages, young people walked from house to house with balalaikas and tambourines, singing carols in different ways.
The youth climbed onto a high pole coated with oil and cheerfully jumped over the blazing fire . Various competitions were held in city squares. They set up special counters where hot pancakes were sold.
The townspeople, celebrating Maslenitsa, put on their best and most expensive clothes, We went to various performances, looked into special establishments, where we watched performances with the participation of bears and performances by buffoons.
One of the main entertainments for the townspeople was skiing from the ice mountains, specially decorated with multi-colored flags. They rode down the hill on sleds, matting, skins, skates, ice skates and wooden troughs.
An important event was also the capture of the snow fortress. A large ice town was built, where special guards were stationed. Then they went on the attack, climbing the walls and breaking into the gates. Those who were under siege defended themselves with various available means: whips, brooms and, of course, snowballs.
Fist fights were popular on this holiday, where the village boys showed everything they could do. Usually residents of different villages took part in them. We prepared seriously and thoroughly in advance. They steamed for a long time in the bathhouse, ate their fill and even went to the local sorcerers for spells for victory.
One of the holiday traditions was matchmaking . During the holiday, the boys were looking for brides, and the parents were negotiating about upcoming weddings.
How Maslenitsa is celebrated in Russia
This holiday is the culture of Russian peoples. Today it is influenced by religious traditions. On the last day of Maslenitsa, on Forgiveness Sunday, everyone asks each other for forgiveness in order to completely cleanse their souls and forget all grievances. They bake a lot of pancakes, hold noisy celebrations on the street and traditionally burn an effigy of winter.
Believers eat very densely and well throughout the week, since immediately after the holiday it begins Lent and food should be very, very modest.
If not everyone celebrates this holiday, then everyone has heard about it. Many people take this holiday very seriously, observing all traditions, and some simply cook delicious dishes.
Traditions of the Maslenitsa holiday
According to church traditions Maslenitsa cuisine also has its limitations. During Cheese Week, which precedes fasting, you can no longer eat meat, but animal fats and fish are still acceptable. Dairy products, cottage cheese and butter are not prohibited. These dishes are successfully enough to prepare a good table for the holiday.
In the last week, you need to pay attention to your loved ones, make peace with everyone with whom you are in a quarrel, and ask for forgiveness for all your actions. You need to try to understand and forgive the one who offended you, even if you have absolutely no idea how to do this.
Traditions have recently begun to revive
. Both in cities and villages, people began to visit each other for pancakes.
Fairs began to open where they sell various goodies, souvenirs and crafts. . Pottery made by artisans appeared on sale, as well as wicker baskets, beautiful scarves and many more of our own, originally Russian, beautiful and dear.
If you haven’t had time to make your own souvenirs at home, you can buy them here in order to mentally give them your troubles and burn them in a fire, getting rid of everything bad this year.
This holiday is celebrated in many countries. And only in Russia is it celebrated on a grand scale. Apparently this is why all tourists rush to Russia specifically for Maslenitsa.
During this holiday, it is customary to have fun and rejoice, then the whole year will pass joyfully and carefree.
Maslenitsa is an original Russian holiday, known since pagan times. Maslenitsa is a hymn to the sun, symbolized by round and ruddy pancakes. This is the joy of noisy festivities and merry feasts. This is a meeting of the long-awaited spring.
Monday. Meeting
On the first day of Maslenitsa, the Russian people celebrated the meeting of Pure Maslenitsa - the broad noblewoman.Wealthy people began Maslenitsa by visiting their relatives. In the morning, the father-in-law and mother-in-law sent the daughter-in-law to her father and mother for the day, and in the evening they themselves came to visit the matchmakers. Here, behind a round glass, it was decided when and where to spend time, who to invite to visit, when to ride through the streets.
By the first day of Maslenitsa, mountains, hanging swings, booths for buffoons, and tables with sweets were set up.
Tuesday. Flirting
On Tuesday, unbridled, cheerful and reckless games, rides, and fun began.In the morning, the girls and young men went to visit each other - to ride in the mountains, eat pancakes.
In rich houses, on this day, brothers built slides for their sisters in the courtyards of houses, and “callers” went from house to house - people through whom the owners of this or that house invited friends to visit them. The invitation was greeted with honor, treated to pancakes and wine, asking them to bow to the owner and hostess with the children and all household members. The refusal was then announced with a general expression: “we have built mountains right next to us and invited guests.” The neighbors interpreted such refusals in their own way: “this is where discord begins and their daughter is being promised for someone else.”
In general, all Maslenitsa fun and amusement tended, in fact, to matchmaking, so that after Lent they could have a wedding on Krasnaya Gorka.
Guests were received and greeted at the gate, at the porch. After the treat, they were released to go for a ride to the mountains, where the brothers looked out for brides, and the sisters glanced furtively at their betrothed.
Wednesday. Gourmand
On Lakomka, mothers-in-law hosted their sons-in-law for pancakes, and for the sons-in-law's amusement they called all their relatives.But before, there were not one or two sons-in-law, as in modern families, but five to ten! So the mother-in-law had to welcome and treat everyone, so that no one would be offended.
So Maslenitsa was a ruinous holiday for those families with many daughters. This is where the saying came from: “even if you pawn everything on yourself, still celebrate Maslenitsa!”
It happened that on this day “girls’ congresses” were organized in the villages: young and elderly women in festive dresses they rode around villages and villages separately from the men and sang funny songs.
And in the evenings they sang songs about a caring mother-in-law treating her son-in-law to pancakes; they played farces with a dressed up bear about how the mother-in-law baked pancakes for her son-in-law, how the mother-in-law’s head hurt, how the son-in-law said thank you to his mother-in-law.
It was believed that on Maslenitsa, and especially on Lakomka, you need to eat as much as your heart desires, or, as people said, “how many times a dog wags its tail.”
Thursday. Revelry
On Thursday, a wide revelry began: riding through the streets, fist fights and various rituals. For example, they attached a pole to a huge sleigh, tied a wheel to it, and on the wheel they put a man - a joker and an entertainer with wine and rolls, and after this “train” people followed with songs.They also started carrying the stuffed Maslenitsa and singing carols: dressed up children walked from house to house and sang: “Tryntsy-Bryntsy, bake pancakes!”, thus begging for a treat for the festive evening.
Friday. Mother-in-law's Vespers
Before the mothers-in-law had time to feed their sons-in-law pancakes on Wednesday, their sons-in-law now invite them to visit them!After all, on Friday, on mother-in-law's evening, sons-in-law treated their wives' mothers to pancakes and sweets.
There were different invitations: honorary - when the mother-in-law and all her relatives were invited to a festive dinner, or simple - to dinner.
Previously, the son-in-law had to personally invite his mother-in-law in the evening, and in the morning send special, ceremonial “calls” for her. The more “invited” there were, the more honors the mother-in-law received.
That’s why they said that “a mother-in-law’s son-in-law is her favorite son.”
Saturday. Sister-in-law's get-togethers
On Saturday, for her sister-in-law's gatherings (sister-in-law is her husband's sister), the young daughter-in-law invited her husband's relatives to visit her.If the sisters-in-law were not yet married, then she invited her unmarried friends to visit. If the husband’s sisters were already married, then the daughter-in-law invited her married relatives and took the guests with the whole train to their sisters-in-law.
The newlywed daughter-in-law had to present her sisters-in-law with gifts.
It is interesting that the word “sister-in-law” itself was believed to come from the word “evil,” since the husband’s sisters treated their daughter-in-law (“who came from God knows where”) with distrust and wariness - let’s remember, for example, Russian folk tales.
Sunday. Forgiveness day
On the last day of Maslenitsa, everyone asked each other for forgiveness, the newlyweds visited their relatives, gave gifts to their father-in-law, matchmakers and boyfriends for wedding gifts.They also went to give gifts to godfather and godfather: it was believed that the most honorable gift for godfather was a towel, for godfather - a bar of soap.
On Sunday they burned an effigy as a symbol of the winter that has ended. And the ashes were waved over the fields - “for a rich harvest.”
In the villages they burned fires, but not ordinary ones - from brushwood and logs, but from straw and old things. They threw into the fire everything that would no longer be needed in the new year in order to free themselves from everything unnecessary.
In cities, fires were lit for another purpose - to melt the icy mountains in order to destroy the last manifestation of winter - cold and ice.
In the evening, Forgiveness took place between family and friends: the children bowed at the feet of their parents and asked for forgiveness, after them all their relatives and friends came.
In this way, people were freed from old grievances accumulated over the year and met New Year With with a pure heart and a light soul.
Maslenitsa is an interesting and beloved holiday that has come to us from ancient times. It exists among both Slavic and most European peoples.
IN folk culture Maslenitsa week marks the transition from winter to the long-awaited spring, and marks the beginning of a new life cycle. In the Christian tradition, this period precedes Lent - at this time it is no longer advisable for Orthodox Christians to eat meat products, while dairy products are still allowed (hence the church name of the week - “Cheese Week”).
Maslenitsa has long been considered a holiday of the sun. All this week in Rus' it is customary to bake pancakes, which symbolize the luminary. It is customary to treat this ritual food with reverence and respect - for example, pancakes were under no circumstances allowed to be cut or pierced. They were sure to treat both their loved ones and all the people they met, especially orphans, beggars and wanderers, with pancakes. According to popular beliefs, the more satisfying the pancake table is, the more abundant and happier the coming year will be.
There were a great variety of pancake recipes. More often, the dough was kneaded with yeast, milk and buckwheat flour - pancakes on this basis turned out to be the fluffiest and most satisfying. Less common were the thin lacy pancakes made with wheat flour, so popular today. The fillings for Maslenitsa week were dense, but not meaty - cottage cheese, sour cream, mushrooms, fatty fish, caviar. Pancakes with baking were considered a special delicacy - the filling was laid out on the pancake being prepared, and an additional layer of dough was poured on top.
Any type of pancake is best baked in a well-heated frying pan, lightly greased with oil - this will avoid “lumps”. By the way, folklorists have a version that the well-known saying “the first pancake is lumpy” is not at all connected with the difficulties of preparation, but with another important Maslenitsa action. In some regions of Russia and Belarus, the custom of ritual feeding of bears that woke up after hibernation. The owner of the forest, whose true name was taboo (the Slavic names “bear” or “com” served as euphemisms), were brought the first pancakes as a gift and a sign of respect. That is, in reality, the first pancake was assigned to ComAm. Another interpretation of this proverb is associated with the tradition of eating the first pancakes in memory of deceased relatives. From the bitterness of losing loved ones, pancakes became a lump in the throat.
In addition to the rituals associated with pancakes, Maslenitsa is famous for various festivities and amusements - sleigh rides, visiting, and, of course, the culminating burning of an effigy. Traditionally, all these actions had their own script and were dedicated to a specific day of the week.
Monday – “Meeting”. The beginning of Narrow Maslenitsa, preparation for street festivities - filling the slides, making a stuffed Maslenitsa. Pancakes were eaten for the repose of loved ones and given to the “poor brethren.” On this day, the father-in-law and mother-in-law let the daughter-in-law go to visit her father and mother, and in the evening they themselves came to the matchmakers.
Tuesday – “Playing”- on this day there were youth street celebrations, snow games, matchmaking, and bride viewings. All marriage agreements had to be concluded before Lent, since weddings did not take place during Lent.
Wednesday – “Gourmand”. On Lakomka, sons-in-law went to visit their mother-in-law, bringing their family with them. It was a matter of honor to set a generous table and feed the guests deliciously and to the fullest. It was believed that you need to eat as many pancakes as possible on Lakomka.
Thursday – “Range” opened Broad Maslenitsa. All economic work stopped, and the largest public festivities began. Traditional entertainment - fist fights, taking snow towns, mummers, carols, jumping over fires. The girls invoked spring by singing ritual songs.
Friday – “Mother-in-Law’s Party”. Mothers-in-law, often with their girlfriends, came to visit their daughters’ husbands for pancakes.
Saturday – “Sister-in-Law’s Gatherings”. The daughters-in-law invited their husband's sisters to visit. On this day, commemoration of the dead also took place; it was customary to go to the cemetery. Even domestic animals were treated to pancakes: “so that the livestock in the house would not be moved.”
On Forgiveness Sunday In churches, a special church rite of forgiveness was performed - those gathered asked each other for forgiveness for the grievances caused during the year in order to enter the period of Great Lent with a pure heart. The culmination of the day is the ceremonial farewell to Maslenitsa. At lunchtime, a pre-prepared straw effigy was burned (in the southern provinces it was buried) - a symbol of winter. The remains of the festive feast were often thrown into the fire. The ashes from the burnt were scattered across the fields as a gift to Mother Earth. The more ash collected, the more fertile the year was expected to be.
On the first day of Lent, Clean Monday, the final farewell to Maslenitsa took place. The whole family steamed in a well-heated bathhouse. The housewives carefully swept the house, washed the dishes left over from Maslenitsa from grease and crumbs.
Maslenitsa is an ancient and surprisingly well-preserved Russian holiday that has not lost its popularity to this day. Its dates vary every year, as they depend on the time of Easter. In 2017, Maslenitsa is celebrated from February 20 to 26.
Maslenitsa (aka Cheese Week or Shrovetide Week) - an ancient Slavic holiday, which has been celebrated since the times of paganism and not forgotten after the baptism of Rus'. We spent a week saying goodbye to winter and celebrating the arrival of spring in joyful anticipation of spring warmth and the awakening of nature. Pancakes, without which Maslenitsa is impossible, symbolize the sun and have ritual significance.
What does Maslenitsa symbolize?
According to legend, Maslenitsa comes from the North, and its father was Frost. And then, at the saddest and harshest time of the year, a man saw Maslenitsa hiding behind huge snowdrifts, and called to warm and cheer people up. So Maslenitsa appeared to the people, a healthy woman with fat and rosy cheeks, treacherous eyes, with laughter, and not a smile on her lips and not that weak girl who was hiding in the forest. Maslenitsa forced a person to forget about the cold winter and warmed up frozen blood, then grabbed his hands and started dancing.
Before the start of Maslenitsa, swings and carousels, snowy mountains, and booths for cheerful buffoons were built in villages and cities.
Horseback riding was an obligatory part of the holiday. Young guys who were getting married bought sleighs especially for this ride. Of course, many young couples took part in the skating. Also, young people skied from the snowy mountains with great excitement. Jumping over a fire was also a Russian custom on Maslenitsa.
This is hilarious folk holiday with mass celebrations, games and fairs, songs and dances. Always associated with noisy winter fun days filled with the ringing of bells on horses and the delicious smell of pancakes.
Maslenitsa - Slavic holiday , farewell to winter, one of the most cheerful and positive holidays of the Russian soul. Maslenitsa is wide. Here is the Russian spirit, here it smells of Russia, here are Russian traditions.
Maslenitsa - pancake fair , pancakes, with red caviar, black caviar, mushrooms, and sour cream.
Maslenitsa - festivities and fun - joy for everyone!
Maslenitsa ends Forgiveness Sunday. And we will definitely ask for forgiveness for the troubles we caused each other!
How to spend Maslenitsa week? How to celebrate Maslenitsa?
Come visit me, Maslenitsa, in the wide yard: ride in the mountains, roll in pancakes, amuse your heart!
These are the words we will hear and say all this week. After all, a wide and honest Maslenitsa is coming.
It's like a breath of air before the long and harsh Lent. 
What kind of holiday is this - Maslenitsa?
IN daily life, sometimes harsh and ordinary, not entirely cheerful, holidays often burst in: wide, riotous, with fun, games, amusements, masquerade!
This is how carnivals appeared in Europe and the tradition of their festivities was preserved by Europeans for centuries.
Man putting on fancy dress and putting a mask on your face, you seem to become someone else: liberated, not holding back your emotions and feelings and can completely surrender to a fun holiday!
In Europe and Latin America there are carnivals, but here we have Maslenitsa! With mummers, buffoons, costumes, ditties, songs, feasts with pancakes.
How should you spend this whole Maslenitsa week? What are the traditions of this holiday? Maybe there is something we can borrow from our ancestors?
The Church calls Maslenitsa cheese or meat festival. 
It begins after Ecumenical Saturday and lasts until Lent.
During Maslenitsa week they do not eat meat at all, which is why it is meat-free. Of course, ours modern men I won't really like this tradition.
It was also allowed to eat cow's butter, milk, cream, and eggs. And even this was prohibited during Lent.
During Maslenitsa week, the Russian people had fun from the heart. And in the squares they sold pancakes, rolls and gingerbreads, nuts in sugar and other goodies. In addition, you could drink sbiten made from honey or horseradish and aromatic tea.
With Maslenitsa, the awakening of all living things and spring begins: “In February, winter meets spring for the first time.”
In Rus', spring is described as the beginning of a new life and procreation, and in this regard, they used to especially honor and congratulate young people who got married last year.
According to custom, the young people were taken for a ride throughout the village on a sleigh, then they could easily be thrown out of the sleigh face-first into the snow because their food could simply be meager and bad.
Whatever entertainment there is at Maslenitsa, they are all aimed at driving away winter and awakening nature from sleep.
“Farewell to winter” ended with the burning of a straw scarecrow dressed in women's clothing, and in the scarecrow’s hand was a pancake.
When the effigy was burned, all the people sang, danced and rejoiced.
Pancakes
And without any doubt, the main symbol and dish of Maslenitsa are pancakes, which begin to be baked from the first day of the holiday, Monday until Sunday. And from Thursday to Sunday they bake a lot of pancakes. In Rus', this tradition has existed since the times of worship of pagan gods.
Because the pancake looks like a round, yellow, hot sun, thereby calling on the sun god Yarilo, who can drive away winter. People believed that by eating a pancake, they received a piece of the power and warmth of the sun. According to tradition, each Russian housewife had her own special own recipe cooking pancakes, which was passed down through the female line from generation to generation.
A figurative description of the pancake as a ritual dish was given by A.I. Kuprin:
... Damn is a symbol of the sun, red days, good harvests, good marriages and healthy children!
Pancakes were baked not only from wheat flour, but also buckwheat, oatmeal and corn flour. When baking, potatoes, pumpkin, apples, millet or semolina porridge, and cream were added to the pancakes. Such pancakes were and are called to this day “pancakes with toppings.” And, as a rule, the dough for pancakes was made with yeast. Pancakes were eaten with eggs, caviar and red fish, sour cream and cottage cheese, butter and honey, minced meat from morning to evening, alternating with other dishes. In fact, real Russian pancakes tasted slightly sour and were baked with buckwheat flour.
All week we baked pancakes, pancakes, and yarn. Pancakes - the main dish for Maslenitsa - were eaten all week: morning, afternoon and evening. Moreover, they flavored them with everything that was in the house, that they could afford for the money, and, of course, what kind of imagination did anyone have for this. A - how to bake healthy pancakes for Maslenitsa.
But there were, and they still are, traditional days and treats. The traditions of Maslenitsa week have been preserved to this day and have their own name for each day of the week, which states what needs to be done on what day.
Days of Maslenitsa week, names
Every day of Maslenitsa has its own unique name among the people. The first three days of Maslenitsa are called narrow, since on these days they were still doing housework, and the last four are called Wide Maslenitsa, when work was prohibited.
The day before Maslenitsa (Sunday), according to tradition, they visited relatives, friends, neighbors, and in turn invited them to visit. This Sunday was called “Meat Sunday”, since it was the last day on which it was possible to eat meat and it was eaten together with the guests. On this day they called the son-in-law to “finish the meat.”
First day: Monday – Meeting
Baking of pancakes began, the first pancake was given to a beggar so that he would gratefully remember the souls of the deceased relatives, relatives and friends were invited to visit for pancakes, the daughter-in-law was sent to her parents' house for the day in order to come to visit her family in the evening. A huge scarecrow was built from straw, which was installed in the central square. They made slides, swings, and prepared tables with sweets. Moreover, the straw effigy of Maslenitsa was made by the children themselves.
Second day: Tuesday - Flirting
Mass visits to guests, fairs, and sleigh rides began. They organized viewings for brides to get married after Lent. The guys were looking for brides, and the girls were looking for grooms. But weddings took place only after Easter. The young people rode on the slides in the morning and ate pancakes. From this day on, fun and playful games and folk festivities begin.
Third day: Wednesday - Gourmets.
In all the houses, a meal was served, with very tasty food and certainly pancakes. Everywhere at Maslenitsa theaters and performances began. Numerous stalls appeared, selling hot pancakes and honey gingerbread, roasted nuts, sbitni and hot tea. On Gourmet Wednesday, mothers-in-law treated their sons-in-law to pancakes, and with them numerous other relatives.
Remember, “go to your mother-in-law for pancakes”?
This expression comes from the custom that young people who got married shortly before Maslenitsa should not come to the relatives of the young wife before Maslenitsa. But on Wednesday it was already possible to taste pancakes at my mother-in-law's.
Maslenitsa comes into full force on Thursday. 
Fourth day: Thursday - Take a walk or “wide Thursday”.
From this day began Wide Maslenitsa, housework was prohibited. The holiday unfolded in all its might. All kinds of fun and entertainment, competitions, pancakes with a variety of dishes. It was necessary to throw out all the negativity that had accumulated over the winter and resolve all conflicts.
According to tradition, on this day, in order to help the sun send off winter, people organized horse-drawn sleigh rides clockwise around the village, that is, “in the direction of the sun.” On “Broad Thursday,” the middle of fun and games was reached. On this day, games were held for men - fist fights, capture or defense of a snowy town. All these games, of course, had strict rules and there was a punishment for breaking them.
Friday - mother-in-law's party - the son-in-law treats his mother-in-law and father-in-law with pancakes. This Friday, the son-in-law came “to his mother-in-law for pancakes.” In turn, the mother-in-law must prepare and bake traditional pancakes in advance, and the son-in-law must definitely come to her and treat her with respect. The mother-in-law paid a return visit to her son-in-law, inviting her relatives and friends with her. Her daughter baked pancakes that day.
Saturday - sister-in-law's gatherings - communication with relatives. The newlyweds meet all their relatives on this day. Daughters-in-law were supposed to invite their sisters-in-law (husband's sisters) to visit them and give them gifts. On this day, the newlyweds hosted their relatives, including their husband’s sister, and treated them to pancakes. And also, everyone still goes to visit each other and treats them to pancakes.
Sunday is a forgiven day. Farewell to Maslenitsa, burning of Maslenitsa straw. On the last day of Maslenitsa, an effigy of Maslenitsa was burned along with the remains of food left after the celebration.
- Everyone asks each other for forgiveness from loved ones and relatives, from acquaintances and neighbors for all the grievances that have accumulated over the year. And as a sign of reconciliation, everyone kissed. They forgive as if they were parting during Lent.
- And then they sang and danced merrily, scolding the winter for its frosts, burning a straw effigy, with cheerful exclamations and singing, saying goodbye to the winter. When the scarecrow burns, the last fun begins - young girls and boys jump over the fire. The fun and festivities continue until the evening of Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, we tried to eat everything that could not be eaten during Lent.
- They ate all day, all evening, sometimes even getting up at night to finish the rest. This is how our ancestors prepared themselves before Lent.
- Moreover, food was not cleared from the table until the morning; it was believed that dead relatives would come at night to prepare it.
After the evening service, a ritual was performed in churches, during which the clergy and parishioners asked for forgiveness from each other, so that they could begin Lent, reconciling with all their neighbors, with a pure soul and heart.
