Maslenitsa: history of the holiday, traditions and customs. The history of Maslenitsa in Rus' briefly from paganism to the present day Traditions of Maslenitsa in Rus' for children

Maslenitsa is one of the most joyful and long-awaited holidays of the year, the celebration of which lasts seven days. At this time, people have fun, go to visit, have parties and eat pancakes. Maslenitsa in 2018 will begin on February 12, and its end date will be February 18.

Pancake week is a national celebration dedicated to welcoming spring. Before entering Lent, people say goodbye to winter, enjoy the warm spring days, and, of course, bake delicious pancakes.

Maslenitsa: traditions and customs

There are several names for this holiday:

meat-empty Maslenitsa is called because during the celebration people refrain from eating meat;
cheese - because they eat a lot of cheese this week;
Maslenitsa - because they consume a large number of oils

Many people anxiously await the onset of Maslenitsa, the traditions of celebrating which go back deep into our history. Today, as in the old days, this holiday is celebrated on a grand scale, with chants, dances and competitions.

The most popular entertainments that used to be held in villages were:

fist fights;
eating pancakes for a while;
sledding;
climbing a pole for a prize;
games with a bear;
burning an effigy;
swimming in ice holes.

The main treat, both before and now, are pancakes, which can have different fillings. They are baked every day in large quantities.

Our ancestors believed that those who do not have fun on Maslenitsa will live the coming year poorly and joylessly.

Maslenitsa: what can and cannot be done?

You should not eat meat on Maslenitsa. Allowed to eat fish and dairy products. Pancakes should be the main dish on the table in every home.
On Maslenitsa you need to eat often and a lot. Therefore, it is customary to invite guests and not skimp on treats, as well as to visit yourself.

Maslenitsa: the history of the holiday

In fact, Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday, which was over time changed to fit the “format” of the Orthodox Church. In pre-Christian Rus', the celebration was called “Farewell to Winter.”

Our ancestors revered the sun as a god. And with the onset of the first days of spring, we were glad that the sun was beginning to warm the earth. That’s why the tradition of baking round flatbreads, shaped like the sun, arose. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece of sunlight and warmth. Over time, flatbreads were replaced by pancakes.

Maslenitsa: celebration traditions

In the first three days of the holiday, active preparations for the celebration took place:

they brought wood for the fire;
decorated the huts;
built mountains.

The main celebration took place from Thursday to Sunday. People came into the house to enjoy pancakes and drink hot tea.

In some villages, young people went from house to house with tambourines, horns, and balalaikas, singing carols. City residents took part in festive festivities:

dressed in their best clothes;
went to theater performances;
We visited booths to watch buffoons and have fun with the bear.

The main entertainment was children and youth sliding down ice slides, which they tried to decorate with lanterns and flags. Used for riding:

matting;
sled;
skates;
skins;
ice cubes;
wooden troughs.

Another fun event was the capture of the ice fortress. The guys built a snowy town with gates, put guards there, and then went on the attack: they broke into the gates and climbed the walls. The besieged defended themselves as best they could: they used snowballs, brooms and whips.

On Maslenitsa, boys and young men showed their agility in fist fights. Residents of two villages, landowners and monastery peasants, residents of a large village living at opposite ends could take part in the battles.

We seriously prepared for the battle:

steamed in the baths;
ate heartily;
turned to the sorcerers with a request to give a special spell for victory.

Features of the ritual of burning an effigy of winter on Maslenitsa

Just as many years ago, today the culmination of Maslenitsa is considered to be the burning of an effigy. This action symbolizes the onset of spring and the end of winter. The burning is preceded by games, round dances, songs and dances, accompanied by refreshments.

As a scarecrow to be sacrificed, they made a large funny and at the same time scary doll, personifying Maslenitsa. They made a doll from rags and straw. After which she was dressed up in women's clothing and left on the main street of the village for a while Maslenitsa week. And on Sunday they were solemnly carried outside the village. There the effigy was burned, drowned in an ice hole, or torn into pieces, and the straw that remained from it was scattered across the field.

The ritual burning of the doll had a deep meaning: destroying the symbol of winter is necessary to resurrect its power in the spring.

Maslenitsa: the meaning of every day

The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. During Shrovetide Week, it is customary to spend each day in your own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors:

Monday called “Meeting of 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 displayed it on the main street of the village. It was on public display until Sunday.
Tuesday nicknamed "Zigrysh". It was dedicated to youth. On this day, folk festivities were organized: sleigh rides, ice slides, and carousels.
Wednesday- “Gourmand.” On this day, guests (friends, relatives, neighbors) were invited to the house. They were treated to pancakes, honey gingerbread and pies. Also on Wednesday, it was customary to treat your sons-in-law with pancakes, hence the expression: “ My son-in-law has come, where can I get sour cream?" Horse racing and fist fights were also held on this day.
Thursday popularly nicknamed "Razgulay". From this day begins Broad Maslenitsa, which is accompanied by snowball fights, sledding, cheerful round dances and chants.
Friday nicknamed “Mother-in-law’s Evening” because on this day the sons-in-law invited the mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.
Saturday- “Sister-in-law’s gatherings.” The daughters-in-law invited their husband's sisters to their house, talked with them, treated them to pancakes and gave them gifts.
Sunday- the apotheosis of Maslenitsa. This day was called “Forgiveness Sunday.” On Sunday we said goodbye to winter, said goodbye to Maslenitsa and symbolically burned its effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and family for forgiveness for the grievances that have accumulated over the year.

Proverbs and sayings for Maslenitsa

Video: history and traditions of the Maslenitsa holiday

There are many different holidays celebrated in Russia. But there is one that we inherited from our ancestors and is especially beloved - Maslenitsa!

The holiday in question is unusual and multifaceted. For some, this is a time of repentance and reconciliation, while for others it is a whole week of riotous fun. This contradiction has its roots deep in the history of Rus'.

In this article we will plunge a little into history and talk about what they did in Rus' on Maslenitsa and what traditions have been preserved to this day.

What does the word "Maslenitsa" mean?

According to the Explanatory Dictionaries of the Russian Language by D.N. Ushakov and S.I. Ozhegov:

Maslenitsa- (or obsolete Maslenitsa), Maslenitsa, w. (obsolete).

An agricultural holiday of farewell to winter among the ancient Slavs and other peoples, timed by Christians to coincide with the week before the so-called “Great Lent,” during which pancakes were baked and various entertainments were held. Wide Maslenitsa. ( last days this week, from Thursday). They had Russian pancakes at Shrovetide. Pushkin. It’s not all Maslenitsa, there will be Lent too. Proverb.

trans. About a free, well-fed life (colloquial fam.). “Not life, but Maslenitsa.”

From the history of Maslenitsa in Rus'

Maslenitsa (until the 16th century - pagan Komoeditsa, according to the old pre-revolutionary spelling they wrote “Maslyanitsa”) is one of the most ancient holidays of the religion of the Druids (magi).

History of Maslenitsa

Formerly Komoeditsa is a great ancient Slavic pagan 2-week holiday of the solemn welcoming of Spring and the beginning of the ancient Slavic New Year on spring equinox. This day marked the transition to spring agricultural work. The celebration of Komoeditsa began a week before the vernal equinox and lasted a week after.

In 988, the Varangian conquerors (Rurikovich Prince Vladimir), in order to strengthen their at that time greatly shaken power over the heavily oppressed conquered tribes, with fire, sword and great blood, forced the Slavs under their control to abandon their primordial gods, symbolizing the ancient Slavic ancestors, and accept faith in the God of a foreign people.

The Slavic population that survived after massive bloody skirmishes and protests was baptized in the most brutal manner (everyone, including small children, was driven into rivers by Varangian squads with spears for baptism, and the rivers, as the chronicler reports, “turned red with blood”). Images of Slavic gods were burned, temples and sanctuaries (temples) were destroyed. In the baptism of the Slavs there was not even a hint of reverent Christian holiness - just another brutal act of the Vikings (Varangians), who were particularly cruel.

Ivanov S.V. Christianity and paganism

During the baptism, many Slavs were killed, and some fled to the North, to lands not subject to the Varangians. As a result of the genocide carried out during Christianization, the Slavic population of Rus' decreased from approximately 12 million to 3 million people (this horrific reduction in population is clearly evidenced by the data of the All-Russian population censuses of 980 and 999). Later, those who fled to the North were also baptized, but they never experienced slavery (“serfdom”).

The enslaved Slavs forever lost their roots and spiritual connection with their ancient ancestors. After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the Magi fought for the independence of the Slavs and became participants in many uprisings against the Varangian enslavers (Vikings), and supported the forces opposed to the prince of Kyiv.

The last “real” Magi are mentioned in the 13th-14th centuries. in Novgorod and Pskov. By this time, paganism in Rus' was practically eliminated. Together with the Magi, their ancient runic writing and their knowledge disappeared. Almost all runic records, including historical chronicles, were destroyed by Christians. The original written history of the Slavs before the 8th century became unknown. Archaeologists occasionally find only scattered fragments of inscriptions on the stones of destroyed pagan temples and on shards of pottery. Later, the name “magi” in Russia meant only various kinds of folk healers, heretics and newly-minted warlocks.

After the adoption of Christianity in Rus', the ancient pagan Slavic holiday Komoeditsa - the great holiday of the Holy Spring, coming on the Vernal Equinox (March 20 or 21) - fell during the Orthodox Lent, when all kinds of fun celebrations and games were prohibited by the Church, and even punished. After a long struggle of churchmen with the pagan Slavic holiday, it was included in Orthodox holidays called “cheese (meat and meat) week”, preceding the 7 weeks of Lent.

Thus, the holiday moved closer to the beginning of the year and lost connection with the astronomical event - the Vernal Equinox, the day of the arrival of the pagan Holy Spring.

This broke his sacred connection with the previously traditional Slavic religion of the Magi (close to the Druids), in which it was the days of the winter (the longest night of the year) and summer (the longest day of the year) solstice and spring (the day lengthens and becomes equal to the night) and The autumn (the day shortens and becomes equal to the night) equinoxes were the greatest and most sacred holidays.

Among the people, the holiday, transformed into a church manner, was called Maslenitsa and continued to be celebrated with the same pagan scope, but on other dates tied to the day Orthodox Easter(Maslenitsa begins 8 weeks before Easter, then there is a 7-week Lent before Easter).

At the beginning of the 18th century, Peter I, a lover of feasts and holidays, well familiar with the cheerful European Maslenitsa customs, through his royal regulations, introduced in Russia the obligatory general celebration of folk Maslenitsa in the traditional European manner. Maslenitsa has turned into a secular holiday, accompanied by endless fun games, slides, and competitions with prizes. Actually, from the time of Peter the Great, our current folk Maslenitsa appeared with cheerful carnival processions of mummers, entertainment, booths, endless jokes and festivities organized by the authorities.

Traditions of Maslenitsa of Ancient Rus'

Until the 16th century, Rus' celebrated the sacred Day of the Vernal Equinox, which was considered the beginning of the New Year according to the solar calendar of the ancient Slavs. And the celebration of Komoeditsa began a week before the vernal equinox and lasted a week after.

The Slavs worshiped nature and revered the Sun as a deity that gives vitality to all living things. Therefore, on the spring holiday of Komoeditsa, it was customary to bake flat cakes, symbolizing the sun - round, yellow and hot. Subsequently, namely from the 9th century, when leavened dough appeared, flatbreads took the form of modern pancakes.

At the same time, people made sacrifices to the sacred beast revered by the Slavs - the bear. Pancakes were presented as a gift to the “bear” god - or to Whom in ancient Slavic - which is where the saying “the first pancake comes to the comas”, that is, to the bears.

People, surrounded by relatives of their kind, spent two weeks of the holiday in fun games, feasts, competitions and pagan rituals.

Surikov V. I. Capture of the snow town 1891

All these actions had deep meaning and significance. After an often half-starved winter, the Slavs needed to prepare and gain strength for the upcoming work, which would continue continuously from sunrise to sunset throughout the warm season.

Currently, there is very little information about how Komoeditsa was celebrated, but historians have tried to restore some of the rituals and customs of that time.

The festive day began with a visit to the sanctuary, near which grain was scattered, attracting birds symbolizing deceased ancestors. The Slavs believed that in this way the whole clan would unite at the sacred spring festival.

At this time, the women set the tables, filling them with dishes and drinks prepared from carefully preserved food from winter stocks. Having divided all the food, a fifth of it was carried to the Holy Fire, lit in an open place, and the altar was covered. Near the fire they placed a straw effigy on a pole, called Madder, while saying:

Come to us
To the wide yard:
Ride in the mountains
Roll in pancakes
Make fun of your heart.

Red beauty, blond braid,
Thirty brothers sister,
Forty grandmothers granddaughter,
Three mothers, daughter, Kvetochka,
Berry, quail.

Having tasted the first pancakes, they started a round dance, which was certainly led according to the movement of the sun. Afterwards, everyone began to jump over the fire, thereby cleansing themselves of evil spirits, and then washed themselves with melt water, which imparted beauty and strength. At the same time, newlywed couples who got married within a year were glorified, and single ones were marked with a rope. To remove the rope, it was necessary to make a choice right there or buy off a treat for the holiday table.

Another ritual on Komoeditsa was associated with the prediction of spring weather.

A specially prepared drink, surya made from charmed milk with magical herbs added to it, was poured into the bowl. With the first cup, filled to the brim with the sacred drink, the priestess Marena walked to the altar, where the priestess of the fruitful goddess Zhiva was waiting for her, who had to knock the cup out of her hands so that not a drop would spill on the altar. Otherwise, the Slavs would face a cold and stormy spring.

Go away, winter is cold!
Come, Summer is hot!
With difficult times,
With flowers, with grass!

Then, glorifying the god Yarilo and throwing old things into the fire, they burned the effigy of Madder, saying:

Madder is tanned, the whole world is tired of it!

After burning the effigy, the youth performed a ceremony to awaken the bear. The man dressed in bear skin lay in a makeshift den, and girls and boys, trying to “wake him up”, threw snowballs and twigs. The “bear” woke up only after the most beautiful girl came up to him and sat on his back. Then the mummer stood up and, pretending to awaken the bear, danced for the amusement of the people.

Having had some fun, they began the feast. Afterwards, festive fun, games and fist fights began. The day ended and, saying goodbye, the Slavs treated each other with gifts, “snacks,” bowing and asking forgiveness for unexpected offenses.

B.M. Kustodiev. Fist fight on the Moscow River

Komoeditsa took place in honoring and observing ancient traditions, glorifying the Slavic family and its customs.

With the adoption of Christianity Orthodox Church tries to abolish all pagan manifestations of the Slavs, including holidays. Therefore, since the 16th century, it was introduced in Rus' religious holiday Cheese Week or Meat Empty, which precedes Lent. At this time, it was necessary, gradually abandoning temptations, to prepare one’s soul and body for repentance, forgiving offenses and reconciling with family and friends.

Even in the ancient times of Christianity, Cheese Week received a rite of worship, as written by Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria, who lived in solitude in the 4th century. This ancient decree of the Church in the 7th century was even more firmly established and spread when the Byzantine king Heraclius, exhausted by a long war with the Persians, made a promise to God, after the successful end of the war, to prohibit the consumption of meat before the Great Forty-day Lent.

The name “Cheese Week” comes from the fact that, being a preparatory stage for the upcoming abstinence, it is forbidden to eat meat during the week, but cheese, eggs and dairy products are still allowed.

On Wednesday and Friday of Cheese Week, divine services are held with prayer and the usual bows, and on Saturday in the church they remember the saints who have shone through fasting and fervent prayer vigil and celebrate the Council of All Reverend Fathers.

The Sunday of the week is called “Forgiveness Sunday,” and the Liturgy on this day says that in order to receive forgiveness from God, we ourselves must forgive our neighbors.

Cheese Week was popularly called Maslenitsa, since during this period dairy products, including butter, were allowed.

Combining pagan and Christian traditions, folk Maslenitsa has long been celebrated in Rus' on a grand scale, as evidenced by the royal decree of the 18th century, in which Peter I prescribed a secular celebration in the image of foreign carnivals.

Tsar Peter, who loved riotous, youthful fun, celebrated Maslenitsa on a truly royal scale. This was noticed at one time by the son of a general in the Russian service, Friedrich Berchholtz, known for his detailed diary about his stay in Russia. He wrote about an unusual procession organized by the Russian Tsar, consisting of ships of the Russian fleet placed on horse-drawn sleighs:

His Majesty was having fun like a king. Not having the opportunity here in Moscow to rush through the waters as much as in St. Petersburg and, despite the winter, he, however, with his small, dexterous boatswains, on the dry route, did all the maneuvers possible only at sea. When we were sailing with the wind, he spread all the sails, which of course helped the 15 horses pulling the ship a lot.

Vasily Surikov. “Great masquerade in 1722 on the streets of Moscow with the participation of Peter I and Prince Caesar I.F. Romodanovsky”, 1900.

Along with fun, festivities and games, folk Maslenitsa also has a ritual side. Each day of the holiday week had its own name and purpose.

Meat Sunday is the last Sunday before Maslenitsa, when people went to visit friends and relatives, invited them to their place for Maslenitsa and finished eating meat dishes.

Monday: "meeting"

The matchmakers met and agreed to hold the holiday together. On this day, young daughters-in-law visited their parents. At a pre-selected place for festivities, ice slides, booths, and snow forts were built. The housewives began baking pancakes, giving the first to the tramps to commemorate the dead. And the youth made a symbol of the holiday from straw and old clothes - a scarecrow of Maslenitsa.

Tuesday: “flirt”

This day was dedicated to the show. It was believed that if you marry a bride on Maslenitsa, then the wedding will affect Krasnaya Gorka. Young people looked at each other during celebrations, fun games and slides, and then sent matchmakers to their betrothed’s house.

Wednesday: "gourmet"

This day was dedicated to the mother-in-law, who, having prepared pancakes, was waiting for her son-in-law to visit and in every possible way showed him her affection.

Thursday: "revelry"

The day when celebrations unfolded in full swing, all kinds of housework stopped and various competitions were organized. Entertainment alternated with rich feasts, and the most important event was the assault on the snowy town.

Friday: "mother-in-law's party"

On this day, the mother-in-law and her friends hurried to visit her son-in-law. The daughter prepared the treat and baked pancakes, and the son-in-law had to please the mother-in-law and show the guests his respect for the mother-in-law and her family.

Saturday: “Sister-in-Law Gatherings”

The holiday took place in the house of a young daughter-in-law, who invited her sisters-in-law or other relatives of her husband to the table for pancakes. On this day, the sister-in-law was presented with a gift from the daughter-in-law's relatives.

Sunday: “seeing off”

The last day of Maslenitsa is popularly called “Forgiveness Sunday” or “The Day of Kissing”. On this day, they visit the graves of deceased relatives and ask for forgiveness for all the insults caused over the year. By evening, the house was cleaned, the effigy of Maslenitsa and the remains of the holiday food were solemnly burned.

The Maslenitsa “funeral” ritual began with the lighting of a sacred fire into which funeral food was thrown. Then the effigy of Maslenitsa was carried on a pole throughout the village or carried on a sleigh, which was then burned along with the effigy, and the ashes were sprinkled on the fields. The belief was that the attributes of the holiday burned to the ground would bring a good harvest.

Maslenitsa is an ancient and Holy holiday in Russia, uniting, thanks to forgiveness of neighbors and help to those who suffer, both those who spend these days in preparation for Lent, and those who have fun and participate in mass festivities.

Playwright A.N. Ostrovsky, having decided to introduce a Maslenitsa farewell scene into the play “The Snow Maiden,” recorded ritual holiday songs heard in Russian villages. And in “The Snow Maiden” the Berendey tribe, who lived in “prehistoric times,” said goodbye to Maslenya week in the same way as the playwright’s contemporaries, as, perhaps, they are still saying goodbye to it in the Russian outback:

Farewell, honest Maslyana!
If you're alive, I'll see you.
Wait at least a year
Yes, you know, you know
That Maslyana will come again...

Proverbs and sayings for the Maslenitsa holiday

Not life, but Maslenitsa.
It’s not all about Maslenitsa, there will be Lent too.
Maslenitsa lasts for seven days.

Maslenitsa is an ancient Slavic holiday that we inherited from pagan culture. She copes seven weeks before Easter and falls between the end of February and the beginning of March. This is a cheerful farewell to winter, illuminated by the joyful anticipation of imminent warmth and spring renewal of nature. Even pancakes, an indispensable attribute of Maslenitsa, had a ritual meaning: round, rosy, hot, they were a symbol of the sun, which was burning brighter, lengthening the days.

Perhaps pancakes were also part of the memorial rite, since Maslenitsa was preceded by “parents’ day,” when the Slavs worshiped the souls of their departed ancestors. Centuries passed, life changed, with the adoption of Christianity in Rus' new church holidays appeared, but the wide Maslenitsa continued to live.

She was greeted and seen off with the same uncontrollable daring as in pagan times. In the old days, Maslenitsa was considered the most cheerful and riotous Slavic holiday, which celebrated the beginning of agricultural work. And although today we are not as fatally tied to the agricultural cycle as our ancestors, Maslenitsa is a good reason to have fun.

We'll wait until Monday

The word “Maslenitsa” itself appeared in the 16th century. People loved Maslenitsa so much that, in addition to numerous affectionate names for the whole week (“killer whale”, “sugar mouth”, “kisser”), they also came up with names for each of the seven days. The days were strictly scheduled: who went to visit whom, who treated whom.

Monday was called a meeting: on this day they celebrate Maslenitsa, dress up a stuffed doll, build snowy mountains, and sing counter songs. There are a great many songs, a good hundred pages are not enough to print them all.

On this day, the father-in-law and mother-in-law sent their daughter-in-law for the whole day, from early morning, to her father and mother. Anyone who thinks about staying and relaxing is mistaken. The daughter-in-law had to help with the housework, since on Monday evening the father-in-law and mother-in-law went to visit the matchmakers. Over pancakes, they slowly agreed on what days to pay visits to which relatives, and how to celebrate this entire week.

In the old days, Tsar Peter I personally opened the festivities in the Mother See at the Red Gate. From this place, wherever you looked, everything sang, danced, swayed on swings, rushed from the mountains.

Anyone who wants to even remotely imagine what it was like can go to Poklonnaya Hill during this Cheese Week, especially in its last days. Of course, the theatrical performance of 1998 will not completely repeat those booths, those buffoons and clowns, but it will charge you with fun.

On Monday we started baking pancakes. It seems - what could be easier! Ah, no. The young people who celebrated Maslenitsa on their own for the first time had their mother-in-law come early in the morning to teach their daughters how to bake good pancakes.

Alas, this custom has now been lost. But in vain. God be with them, with pancakes (although mothers-in-law always make them tastier for some reason), but “the simple joy of human communication” cannot be replaced by anything. Besides, extra honor for the father-in-law and mother-in-law wouldn’t hurt.

Everyone knows the proverb “The first pancake is lumpy.” And, in fact, why - is it just a matter of an unheated frying pan? The first pancake was intended for the souls of deceased parents. They put him on the windowsill and said: “Our honest parents! Here’s a pancake for your soul!”

A good rule is to commemorate, remember, not only on the days allotted for this, but also before the fun: if it weren’t for our parents, we wouldn’t have fun. The tradition is entrenched in the proverb: “lumpy” means not for me. Or rather, it will be a nuisance for me if I forget who gets the first pancake.

The second day of Maslenitsa, Tuesday, is called flirting. Unbridled games began. Here are the famous snow and ice fortresses (by the way, nothing more than the last shelter of winter), and girlish fun - swings, and buffoon ditties...

The main thing in flirting is the love theme. The newlyweds were even allowed to kiss in public; Single guys looked out for brides, and girls looked appraisingly at their betrotheds. That’s why ice slides were built, special “calls” were sent to the right houses, parents baked mountains of pancakes - so that boys and girls could be together, have fun, cuddle, of course, under the watchful eye of their parents.

Third day of Maslenitsa, Wednesday - gourmet. On this day, sons-in-law come to their mothers-in-law for pancakes. Fortunately, in modern families there are few sons-in-law - at best, one or two. Previously, feeding half a dozen sons-in-law was a ruinous task. Hence the saying: “Maslenitsa is a waste of money - a waste of money.” But there’s nothing you can do: “at least pledge yourself and celebrate Maslenitsa!”

Mother-in-law's pancakes are, according to custom, a whole feast. He can bake all sorts of things - small and large, with milk, and with yarn, and with caviar, and with herring. And there’s no talk of drinks - just to stay on your feet. Try not to please your son-in-law, because your daughter is your own blood, then she should listen.

As soon as everyone comes to their senses after a visit to their mother-in-law, the fourth day arrives - Big Thursday. That's when the real revelry begins! They carry a stuffed animal on a wheel, ride around, sing songs, and start caroling. Especially children. In Moscow now you definitely can’t go home: no one will open the door. But in the villages, no, no, and you will hear children’s voices: “Tryntsy-bryntsy, bake pancakes! Apply more oil, it will taste better! Tryn-tryntsa, serve the pancake!” The visiting continues - with gifts, with hops, because not everything is Maslenitsa for the cat, you need to have time to get some exercise before Lent.

The fifth day of Maslenitsa is called expressively - mother-in-law's evening. Now the son-in-law treats his mother-in-law with pancakes. And not just if she comes in, but with a preliminary invitation. The more the son-in-law invited his mother-in-law, the more honor he showed her. They say, “a mother-in-law’s son-in-law is her favorite son.” Here he proves that this is so. And to make the mother-in-law more pleasant, all conceivable relatives were invited at the same time: let them see how the son-in-law greets the mother-in-law.

The sixth day of this riotous week is sister-in-law's gatherings (sister-in-law is her husband's sister): the daughter-in-law gives gifts to her sisters-in-law. On this day, they burned the effigy of Maslenitsa - and finally said goodbye to winter. The ashes were scattered across the field to ensure a good harvest.

And here is the final day - Forgiveness Sunday, farewell, kissing party. All names are correct, all are clear. The party ends, there is no more gluttony or hangover. The last scarecrows are burned so that winter does not drag on into spring. For the same purpose, fires are lit on ice slides - to melt the ice and destroy the cold.

There were always a lot of people gathered around the Maslenitsa bonfire, it was fun, and many songs were sung. They said goodbye to Maslenitsa both jokingly and seriously. Throwing straw into the fire, the youth behaved more violently and shouted: “Get out, you ragged, dirty old woman!” Get out while you're still alive!

They threw pancakes into the fire - “Burn, pancakes, burn, Maslenitsa!”; the guys, smeared with soot, tried to dirty others, first of all, of course, the girls, and with them the mother-in-law - “Mother-in-law, Lyuli, fry the pancakes!”

In the afternoon they ask for forgiveness and perform merciful deeds.

This is a day of cleansing, a day of preparation for fasting. “Forgive me if I’m guilty.” - “And forgive me.” - "God will forgive". Forgiveness was accompanied by mutual bows and kisses. First, the younger ones ask the elders for forgiveness. Newlyweds always come to their father-in-law and mother-in-law, to their father-in-law and mother-in-law, and bring gifts. Kumovyov also need to be gifted. Godchildren visit their godparents.

Forgiveness Sunday is also a day of remembrance. They ask forgiveness from the dead, for which they go to the cemetery and leave pancakes on the graves.

At the end of Maslenitsa, it is customary to go to the bathhouse. There will be no time for fun on Monday - Lent will begin.

In principle, all these cute entertainments can easily be repeated today: we go sledding all winter, and pancakes are an extremely appetizing dish. Visiting your relatives on Maslenitsa is also not bad at all. However, we should not forget about them on all other days of the year.

Each housewife had her own recipe for making pancakes and kept it secret from her neighbors. Usually pancakes were baked from buckwheat or wheat flour, large - the size of a frying pan, or the size of a tea saucer, thin and light. They were served with various seasonings: sour cream, eggs, caviar, smelt, etc.

There are many different holidays celebrated in Russia.
But there is one that we inherited from our ancestors and is especially loved - this is Maslenitsa!

The ancestor of modern Maslenitsa was the ancient Slavic pagan Komoeditsa. Until the 16th century, Rus' celebrated the sacred Day of the Vernal Equinox, which was considered the beginning of the New Year according to the solar calendar of the ancient Slavs. And the celebration of Komoeditsa began a week before the vernal equinox and lasted a week after.

At the same time, people made sacrifices to the sacred beast revered by the Slavs - the bear. Pancakes were presented as a gift to the “bear” god – or in ancient Slavic Whom – which is where the saying “the first pancake comes to the comas”, that is, to the bears.

People, surrounded by relatives of their kind, spent two weeks of the holiday in fun games, feasts, competitions and pagan rituals.

Currently, there is very little information about how Komoeditsa was celebrated, but historians have tried to restore some of the rituals and customs of that time.

“Come to us,
To the wide yard:
Ride in the mountains
Roll in pancakes
Make fun of your heart.
Red beauty, blond braid,
Thirty brothers sister,
Forty grandmothers granddaughter,
Three mothers, daughter, Kvetochka,
Berry, quail.”

Another ritual on Komoeditsa was associated with the prediction of spring weather.

“Go away, Winter is cold!
Come, Summer is hot!
With difficult times,
With flowers, with grass!

Then, glorifying God Yarilo and throwing old things into the fire, they burned Madder’s effigy, saying at the same time: “Madder is tanned, the whole world is tired of it!”

Komoeditsa took place in honoring and observing ancient traditions, glorifying the Slavic family and its customs.

With the adoption of Christianity, the Orthodox Church tries to abolish all pagan manifestations of the Slavs, including holidays. Therefore, since the 16th century, a church holiday was introduced in Rus' Cheese week or Meat-eater which precedes Lent. At this time, it was necessary, gradually abandoning temptations, to prepare one’s soul and body for repentance, forgiving offenses and reconciling with family and friends.

The Sunday of the week is called “Forgiveness Sunday,” and the Liturgy on this day says that in order to receive forgiveness from God, we ourselves must forgive our neighbors.

Cheese Week was popularly called Maslenitsa, since during this period dairy products, including butter, were allowed.

“His Majesty was having fun like a king. Not having the opportunity here in Moscow to rush through the waters as much as in St. Petersburg and, despite the winter, he, however, with his small, dexterous boatswains, on the dry route, did all the maneuvers possible only at sea. When we were sailing with the wind, he spread all the sails, which of course helped the 15 horses pulling the ship a lot.”

Along with fun, festivities and games, folk Maslenitsa also has a ritual side. Each day of the holiday week had its own name and purpose.

Meat Sunday is the last Sunday before Maslenitsa, when people went to visit friends and relatives, invited them to their place for Maslenitsa and finished eating meat dishes.

Monday: "meeting"
The matchmakers met and agreed to hold the holiday together. On this day, young daughters-in-law visited their parents. At a pre-selected place for festivities, ice slides, booths, and snow forts were built. The housewives began baking pancakes, giving the first to the tramps to commemorate the dead. And the youth made a symbol of the holiday from straw and old clothes - a scarecrow of Maslenitsa.

Tuesday: “flirt”
This day was dedicated to the show. It was believed that if you marry a bride on Maslenitsa, then the wedding will affect Krasnaya Gorka. Young people looked at each other during celebrations, fun games and slides, and then sent matchmakers to their betrothed’s house.

Wednesday: "gourmet"
This day was dedicated to the mother-in-law, who, having prepared pancakes, was waiting for her son-in-law to visit and in every possible way showed him her affection.

Thursday: "revelry"
The day when celebrations unfolded in full swing, all kinds of housework stopped and various competitions were organized. Entertainment alternated with rich feasts, and the most important event was the assault on the snowy town.

Friday: "mother-in-law's party"
On this day, the mother-in-law and her friends hurried to visit her son-in-law. The daughter prepared the treat and baked pancakes, and the son-in-law had to please the mother-in-law and show the guests his respect for the mother-in-law and her family.

Saturday: “Sister-in-Law Gatherings”
The holiday took place in the house of a young daughter-in-law, who invited her sisters-in-law or other relatives of her husband to the table for pancakes. On this day, the sister-in-law was presented with a gift from the daughter-in-law's relatives.

Sunday: “seeing off”
The last day of Maslenitsa is popularly called “Forgiveness Sunday” or “The Day of Kissing”. On this day, they visit the graves of deceased relatives and ask for forgiveness for all the insults caused over the year. By evening, the house was cleaned, the effigy of Maslenitsa and the remains of the holiday food were solemnly burned.

Maslenitsa is an ancient and bright holiday in Russia, uniting, thanks to forgiveness of neighbors and help to the suffering, those who spend these days preparing for Lent, and those who have fun and participate in mass festivities.

There are many different holidays celebrated in Russia.
But there is one that we inherited from our ancestors and is especially loved - this is Maslenitsa!

People, surrounded by relatives of their kind, spent two weeks of the holiday in merry games, feasts, competitions and pagan rituals.