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Maslenitsa week traditions in Russia. Shrovetide - rituals and traditions. Shrovetide in Russia number

Many people await with trepidation the onset of Maslenitsa, the tradition of celebrating which goes deep into our history. As in old days, this holiday is met on a grand scale, with chants, dances and competitions.

On Shrovetide, young men showed their agility in fistfights

The most popular amusements that used to be organized in the villages were: fistfights, eating pancakes for a while, sleigh rides, climbing a pole for a prize, playing with a bear, burning a stuffed animal, 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.


Cartoon "Look you, Maslenitsa", 1985

The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. It is customary to spend every day at Shrove Tuesday in its own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors.

Monday - "Shrovetide Meeting"

On this day, pancakes begin to bake. It is customary to give the first pancake to 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 stood on public display until the resurrection.

Boris Kustodiev Maslenitsa, 1919

Tuesday - "Flirt"

It was dedicated to youth. On this day, festivities were organized: sledding, ice slides, merry-go-rounds.

Meat-empty Shrovetide is called because of abstinence 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 regale their sons-in-law with pancakes, hence the expression “Son-in-law has come, where can I get sour cream?”. Horse races and fist fights were also held.


Shrovetide in the film "The Barber of Siberia". 1998 year

Thursday - "Take a walk"

From this day, the Wide Maslenitsa begins, which is accompanied by snowball games, sledding, merry round dances and chants.

Friday - "Mother-in-law's evening"

On this day, the sons-in-law invited their mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.

The culmination of Maslenitsa is the burning of the effigy.

Saturday - "Sister-wife's gatherings"

The daughters-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 her effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and family for forgiveness for those grievances that have accumulated over the whole year.


Peter Gruzinsky - Maslenitsa. 1889 year

In fact, Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday, which was eventually changed to the "format" of the Orthodox Church. In pre-Christian Russia, the celebration was called "Farewell to Winter".

Our ancestors revered the sun as God, and therefore the tradition appeared to bake round, shaped like the sun, flat cakes. It was believed that having eaten such a food, a person will receive a particle of sunlight and heat. Over time, pancakes were replaced by pancakes.

The history of Shrovetide is rooted deep in antiquity. Shrovetide - ancient slavic holiday, inherited from the pagan culture, preserved 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.

In ancient times, the New Year (agricultural) began with the spring equinox - the night of March 21-22. It was to this time that the rituals of Maslenitsa were timed - "the only major pre-Christian holiday that was not timed to coincide with a Christian holiday and did not receive a new interpretation." The antiquity of the Maslenitsa rites is confirmed by the fact that this holiday (in one form or another) has survived among many Indo-European peoples.

So, in Switzerland Maslenitsa is associated with dressing up. These are, first of all, terrifying masks, the origin of which was associated with ancient beliefs. These include "smoke", "motley", "shaggy", or "coming out of the chimney" (in beliefs, perfume penetrated through the chimney). For the holiday, painted wooden masks were made with bared teeth and scraps of wool and fur, which made an eerie impression. The appearance of the mummers on the street was preceded by the ringing of bells hanging from their belts. The mummers were holding long sticks with attached bags of ash and soot. The sounds they made were like roars, growls, or grunts. According to the Swiss ethnographers R. Weiss, K. Hansemann and K. Meili, these masks served in ancient times as the embodiment of the dead, were associated with the cult of ancestors and belonged to male unions. The mummers smeared the oncoming ones with soot or doused them with water - actions associated in the past with the magic of fertility.

In Poland, the mummers dressed in inverted casings, and took "turonya" and "goat" around the courtyards. They also smeared soot on their faces.

Maslenitsa processions of mummers were common in Czechoslovakia. In Slovakia, this procession was led by the Turon. The mummers smeared the passers-by with soot and sprinkled them with ashes.

In Yugoslavia, mummers dressed in sheepskin clothes, with fur outside, "decorated" with thorny branches, animal tails, bells. Masks were made of leather, wood, and even metal. Among zoomorphic masks, masks with horns are especially widespread. Moreover, masks and bells were inherited from father to son.

In the Netherlands, on Shrovetide, farmers collect unbroken horses. They are carefully cleaned, and bright paper flowers are woven into their manes and tails. Then the participants of the holiday get on the horses and gallop to the seashore, and the horse must soak his feet.

In Germany, mummers and girls harnessed to the plow and walked with him through all the alleys of the city. In Munich, when transferring butchers' apprentices to apprentices on Oil Monday, the apprentices were dressed in sheep's fur trimmed with calf tails. They tried to spray everyone around with water from the fountain. The former meaning of these actions is a fertility spell. The number of oil mummers often included married couple or the groom and the bride, and earlier the elements were included wedding ceremony... (Celibacy among the people was often perceived as a vice that could affect the fertility of the soil). In the oil dances of the Luzhich people, it was believed that one must dance briskly, jump high, so that the flax was born high. In Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia, after an oil supper, when the whole family got together, they hung a boiled egg on a string above the table and swayed it in a circle: each of those present tried to touch it with their lips or teeth. It was believed that this "custom promoted good harvest, an increase in the number of livestock and poultry. In Slovenia, on Shrovetide, everyone, both old and young, had to dance and jump in order for the turnip to grow well, and the higher the dancers jump, the more abundant the harvest was. For the same purpose, the mummers danced and jumped. It was believed that swinging on a swing, on ropes woven from plants, or directly on the branches of trees, also contributes to the fertility of the earth, the health of people and the fight against evil forces.

In a number of places in Slovenia, dishes that were in use on the last day of Maslenitsa were not washed, but during sowing they sown from them - they believed that this would bring a rich harvest. And, finally, in Bulgaria during the cheese week they swayed on a swing, which, according to belief, brought health. Throughout the whole cheesy week, the boys and girls went out of the village in the dark, sat down on some level place, facing the east, and sang songs. Then they had a round dance and continued to sing songs of love content. The folk explanation for the custom is "for fertility and health."

All these facts indicate that Maslenitsa, as a holiday of the beginning of the year - spring, took shape back in the common Indo-European period, no later than the turn of the 4th - 3rd millennium BC. This is evidenced not only by the traditions of European peoples, preserved up to the present day, but also by the traditions of India, which came from ancient times.

In ancient Indian rituals, many elements of Shrovetide (and subsequent Easter) are traced in one of the most bright holidays the borderline between winter and spring - Holi, which was celebrated in February-March (the end of the cold season). NR Guseva emphasizes that "all ritual actions of the holiday are inseparable from the magic of fertility and historically go back to the pre-Indian period of the life of the Aryans. passed into the Easter rituals of the Slavic peoples. " As an example of such common rituals of Easter and Holi, N.R. Guseva cites the custom of painting eggs in the red color of the Slavs and pouring paint over each other from the Indians. Moreover: "for both those and others, red is necessarily used as the color of reproduction of people and animals, and this serves as one of the clearest remnants of the magic of fertility." Apart from Easter elements, in Indian holiday Holi are present in a large number of ritual actions characteristic of the East Slavic Maslenitsa. This is a whole series of behavioral manifestations, which, apparently, developed in ancient times: singing obscene songs of erotic content, performing fertility dances, drinking alcoholic beverages, preparing ritual food from dough and cottage cheese. In India, during the Holi holiday, the Kholiki effigy, which is made of straw, is necessarily burned. For the fire, they collect brushwood, straw, old things, cow dung. The bonfire is set on fire with the fire that everyone brings from home, and everyone dances around it.

But, according to Russian tradition, on Shrovetide it was allowed to sing obscene songs full of erotic allusions. VK Sokolova writes: "On the farewell to Maslenitsa on the Tavda River, the main managers stripped naked and pretended to wash in a bath. In the Ishim district 60 years ago there was a" Maslenitsa king "who made" speeches in Adam's costume. " that they were exposed even in severe frosts, and this was done not by boys, not inveterate mischievous people, but elderly respected people. " In the Russian North, on Shrovetide, as in India during the Holi holiday, bonfires were burned. Moreover, the material for the fire was hay, straw, old things. In the Belozersk district of the Novgorod province, the girls tried to get hay and straw secretly, stealing from their neighbors. Here they did not add cow dung to the fire, but they smeared it on the bottom of the baskets and the lower part of the wooden blocks, on which they rolled down the icy mountains. The Maslenitsa effigy, like Holiki, was made of straw and burned. In the Vologda province, such a rite was common in the Kadnikovsky, Vologda, Kubensky and Nikolsky districts. On Maslenitsa, mummers in the Vologda province often poured ashes and ashes on the floor of the hut and danced on them, and also smeared with soot and sprinkled ashes and ashes on all participants in the ceremony. V Indian tradition there is a custom during Holi to take a handful of ash from a fire, sprinkle it on the floor in the house and throw pinches of ash at each other.

Ritual actions on Maslenitsa in the Russian North were varied. So V.K.Sokolova, in connection with the wires of Maslenitsa, notes the following main points:

Lighting bonfires;
Seeing off - funeral;
Customs associated with newlyweds;
Horseback riding and from ice mountains;
Festive meal- pancakes;
Remembrance of departed parents.

1. Lighting fires. Some reports say that the material for the fire had to be stolen. It is possible that this is a very ancient relic - to collect everything for the sacred fires in secret (this custom was observed when collecting materials for the Kupala bonfires of Ukrainians and Belarusians). The material for the fires was taken to a fallow field, to a hill, and a fire was lit at dusk. Under the influence of the custom of stealing material for a fire, they also began to steal logs for an ice slide - "coils". This was done in the village of Kokshenga, Nikolsky district, Vologda province.

2. Seeing off - funeral. Shrovetide is a holiday associated with the commemoration of the dead. The fistfights that are held on Shrovetide are also one of the elements of the memorial rite. Bonfires that are burned on Shrovetide (made of straw and old things) were also in ancient times associated with the cult of ancestors, since it was believed that ritually a person had to die on straw. Among the characters of Shrovetide (as well as Christmastide) were necessarily: ancestors ("elders", "deceased"), strangers ("beggars"). They were the ones who "buried the dead", who was portrayed by one of the men. All the girls were forced to kiss him on the lips. This funeral service was very often expressed in the most sophisticated "square" swearing, which was ritual and, it was believed, contributed to fertility. The mummers dressed in tattered clothes, rags, in tattered fur coats, attached humps ("elders"), covered themselves with a canopy ("horse"), smeared with coal and soot. Arriving at the hut, they danced in silence or imitated the howl and the sound of musical instruments with their voice. The mummers could ride around the village on a broomstick, on grips.

3. Customs associated with newlyweds. DK Zelenin believed that some elements of the Maslenitsa rituals "testify to the fact that once this holiday coincided with the end of the wedding period. punishment for those who failed to take advantage of the just ended wedding period". He noted that Vyunishnik, that is, singing songs with congratulations to the newlyweds, in some places also falls on Maslenitsa. One of the common customs in the 19th - early 20th centuries is the ride of newlyweds down the mountain on a sled" rolling. " from the icy mountains survived in the Russian North (Arkhangelsk, Vologda, Olonets provinces). special meaning... The young woman, as a rule, having climbed the mountain, bowed low three times and, sitting on her husband's lap, kissed him. Rolling down the mountain, the young woman once again kissed her husband. It was believed that for the fertility of the young, it was necessary to plant directly on the snow, everyone who rolled down the mountain piled on them, they were buried in a snowdrift. In this ceremony, the newlyweds were clearly demonstrated the truth: "To live life is not a field to cross." Skiing from the mountains in ancient times was attributed magical meaning... Until the beginning of the 20th century, in many regions of Russia, people continued to ride from the mountains on spinning wheels (or the bottoms of spinning wheels) "on a long flax." So in the Kubensky district, married women rode from the mountains.

4. This circle of rituals also includes horse riding, which was decorated with ribbons, painted arcs, and expensive bells. Sleds were traditionally covered with sheepskin fur outside, which were also considered to stimulate fertility.

5. Festive meal - pancakes. VK Sokolova writes: “Some researchers saw in pancakes an echo of a solar cult - a sign of the reviving sun. But this opinion has no serious basis. Pancakes are indeed ritual food in origin, but they were not directly related to Maslenitsa and the sun, but with the cult of ancestors, which was part of the Shrovetide rite. " The Saturday before Maslenitsa was celebrated as parental. On this day, pancakes were baked (they began to bake). In some villages, the first pancake was put on the goddess - "to parents", this pancake was smeared with honey, cow butter and sprinkled granulated sugar... Sometimes the first pancake was carried to the churchyard and laid on the grave. It must be remembered that pancakes are an obligatory meal at funerals and at the commemoration of the souls of the dead. Moreover, pancakes became a sign of Maslenitsa only among Russians, Ukrainians and Belarusians did not have such a thing. In connection with ritual pancakes, it is worth paying attention to the fact that the inhabitants of the mountains of Afghanistan - Kalash, who are considered the heirs of "the most ancient pre-Vedic ideology of the first Indo-European immigrants on the subcontinent", bake three cakes during the holiday "chaumos" (an analogue of the Russian Maslenitsa), intended for the souls of the dead. And here it is worth remembering the text of the Mahabharata, which tells the ancient myth of how the sacrifice to the ancestors appeared and why the ancestors are called "pinda", that is, cakes. This myth says that when "the land surrounded by the ocean once disappeared," the Creator raised it, taking the form of a boar-boar. (Recall that one of the Christian saints who replaced ancient god Veles-Troyan, was named Vasily and was the patron saint of pig breeding). So, having raised the primordial matter from the depths of the cosmic ocean, the Creator saw that three clods of earth had adhered to his fangs. Of these, he made three cakes and uttered the following words:

"I am the creator of the world, I raised myself to produce ancestors.
Thinking about the supreme law of the sacrifice ritual, to the ancestors,
Taking out the ground, I dropped these cakes from my fangs to the south side,
Ancestors arose from them.
These three cakes are formless, may the eternal ancestors created by me in the world be formless.
Let them know me as a father, grandfather and great-grandfather,
Staying here in three cakes. Singer, such is his charter that ancestors are known as flat cakes.
And according to the word of the Creator, they constantly receive worship. "

6. Remembrance of departed parents. The preparation of ritual food - pancakes is directly related to the commemoration of deceased parents. Even P.V. In the 19th century, Shane emphasized that peasants believed that "the custom of baking pancakes is a reliable way of communication with the other world." This is an obligatory meal for funerals, commemorations, weddings, Christmastide and Shrovetide, that is, days, in one way or another, associated with the worship of ancestors. VC. Sokolova notes that: "In the first half of the 19th century, the custom of giving the first pancake to deceased parents or remembering them with pancakes, apparently, was widespread." Probably, here we have an echo of the ancient myth cited above, according to which the first ancestors arose from three lumps of earth, turned by the Creator into cakes. Thus, the first pancake, apparently, is a symbol of a lump of earth and great-grandfather, that is, the Creator or Santa Claus.

Therefore, ritual feeding with pancakes is the prerogative of Santa Claus and the days associated with his ritual worship. Since Maslenitsa was associated with the commemoration of deceased relatives and was characterized by the ritual atrocities of mummers, there is nothing surprising in the fact that up to the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. some archaic elements of the behavior of the mummers were preserved in domestic rituals. It has already been noted that mummers "sorcerers" could ride naked on a stick, broom, poker. But at the turn of the century in the Totem district there was a custom in which naked women, before sunrise, went around the house on a hook three times (to survive bugs and cockroaches). And in the Cherepovets district, every owner of the house was obliged to "go around the hut on a broomstick in the morning so that no one could see, and in the house whole year will be all good. "

As a holiday associated with the cult of ancestors, givers of fertility, Maslenitsa in ancient times lasted not 8 days, but 14, that is, it marked the day of the ancestors (the day of the ancestors - 28 days or the lunar month), who returned to the living world to help their descendants. The fact that Maslenitsa lasted 14 days is evidenced by the message of one of the foreigners who visited Russia in 1698. He wrote that "Shrovetide reminds me of the Italian carnival, which at the same time and in the same way is sent." Coming to the world of the living for just a day from their own world, the "parents", led by Troyan, not only increase life-giving force Earth, but also acquire new powers themselves. After all, pancakes, oatmeal jelly, honey, colored eggs, milk, cottage cheese, cereals are food not only for the living, but also for the ancestors who came to visit them on Shrovetide. Tasting the ritual meal, Santa Claus turns from the lord of cold and night into the Lord of spring and morning of the year - Troyan. He has yet to show again all three of his faces: youth - spring - creation; summer - maturity - conservation; winter - old age - destruction, and hence the possibility of new creation.

Based on the foregoing, all Shrovetide events should not go beyond the tradition, these are:
Ritual evening or night bonfires made of straw on hills, fields or poles (bonfires in the form of "Segner's wheel" are possible);
Swinging on Russian swings, throwing boards, fistfights;
Horseback riding and sleigh rides;
Riding from icy mountains on the bottoms of spinning wheels, on spinning wheels, in baskets, on wooden dies, swinging on a Russian swing;
Treats: pancakes, oatmeal jelly, beer, honey, cottage cheese, milk, cereals (oatmeal, barley, wheat);
Ritual rounds of mummers.

Characters of Maslenitsa dressing up:

Ancestors - "elders", "deceased", "tall old women".
Strangers - "beggars", "hunter", "devil" (all black with horns).
Young - "bride and groom", "pregnant woman".
Animals - "Bull", "Cow", "Horse", "Goat", "Elk", "Bear", "Dogs", "Wolves".
Birds - "Goose", "Goose", "Crane", "Duck", "Chicken".

The mummers "baked pancakes," "churned butter," "threshed peas," "ground flour," "measured straw." They "married the young", "buried the dead". The "grandfathers" put the girls on the laps of the guys, "married them". Those girls who did not obey them, the "grandfathers" beat with brooms, forced to kiss themselves. They poured water over everyone.

This is the ancient Maslenitsa holiday.

According to its custom, the church "appointed" to the place pagan holiday his own, specially shifting the boundaries of Lent for this. After that, Maslenitsa was perceived by the Christian church as actually religious holiday and received the name Cheese, or Cheese week, but this did not change it inner essence... The 19th century ethnographer I.M.Snegirev believed that Maslenitsa in pagan times accompanied the celebrations in honor of the pagan god Veles, the patron saint of cattle breeding and agriculture, which fell on February 24 according to the new style.

For the Slavs, this holiday has long been a meeting of the new year! Indeed, until the XIV century, the year in Russia began in March. And according to old beliefs, it was believed: how a person meets a year, so he will be. Therefore, the Russians did not skimp on this holiday for a generous feast and unrestrained fun. And the people called Maslenitsa "honest", "broad", "gluttonous", and even "ruinous". And the name "Maslenitsa" itself appeared only in the 16th century. It arose because this week in Orthodox custom meat is already excluded from food, and dairy products can still be consumed - so butter pancakes are baked.

Maslyanitsa is a holiday not only for the Slavs, but also for almost all of Europe. The tradition of celebrating the arrival of spring has been preserved in different cities and countries from Siberia to Spain. In countries Western Europe Shrovetide smoothly turns into a nationwide carnival, where quarrels and disputes cease during the celebration, unrestrained fun, laughter and humor reign everywhere.

In Scotland, on Shrovetide, it was customary to bake "lean cakes". A handful was poured into the palms folded together oat flour, then the flour was firmly squeezed in the palms and immersed in cold water, and the resulting ball was baked in the hearth right in the hot ash. The Scots consider baking pancakes to be an important act in which all family members try to take part: one greases the pan with butter, another pours dough on it, the third turns the pancake over ...

In one of the cities of England, for many years, a women's pancake race has been held. At 11.45, the "pancake bell" is ringing. Every woman runs with a hot frying pan and a pancake. Competition rules dictate that competitors must be at least 18 years old; each must have an apron and a kerchief; while running, you need to toss the pancake in the pan at least three times and catch it. The first woman to give a pancake to the bell ringer becomes the champion of the pancake race for a year and is rewarded with ... the kiss of the bell ringer.

Theatrical performances and concerts are held in schools in Denmark these days. Schoolchildren exchange signs of friendship, send comic letters to their friends through acquaintances without specifying a return address. If a boy receives such a letter from a girl and guesses her name, then on Easter she will give him chocolate.

If the main characters of the Russian Maslenitsa were newlyweds, then in Eastern Europe they were bachelors. Beware, bachelors, Maslenitsa. Especially if you happen to find yourself in Poland at this time. Proud Polish women, having lulled your vigilance with pancakes, donuts, brushwood and vodka, will certainly drag you by the hair for dessert. On the last day of Maslenitsa, you can go to the tavern, where the violinist will "sell" unmarried girls.

And in the Czech Republic these fun days young guys with faces smeared with soot go around the whole village to music, carrying a painted wooden block - "klatik". It is hung on each girl's neck or tied to an arm or leg. If you want to pay off, pay.

In Yugoslavia, you will certainly be put in a pig's trough and dragged around the village. And on the roof of your own house, you can find the figure of a straw grandfather.

Catherine II was very fond of skiing from the mountain, merry-go-rounds, swings, they were arranged in Moscow at the Pokrovsky Palace, where the empress loved to go to Shrovetide with the whole court. And on the occasion of her coronation, imitating Peter I, she organized a grandiose masquerade procession called "Triumphant Minerva" in Moscow at Masleni 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. The procession consisted of four thousand characters and two hundred chariots.

And when Catherine II awaited the birth of her grandson Alexander, to whom she secretly intended to transfer the throne, bypassing her unloved son Paul, the Empress, to celebrate, arranged a truly "diamond" carnival for her entourage. Those who were the winners in the games started after supper were presented with a diamond by the empress. During the evening, she presented her associates with about 150 diamonds, striking in their price and rare beauty.

Shrovetide falls on the week preceding Great Lent. Therefore, at this time, a person takes away his soul on the eve of a difficult and long Great Lent. Shrovetide is, first of all, plentiful and satisfying food. Therefore, there is nothing shameful in eating at this time, trying a wide variety of dishes and not deny yourself anything. In traditional life, it was always believed that a person who spent the Maslenitsa week badly and boredom would be unlucky throughout the year. Unbridled Shrovetide gluttony and fun are seen as a magical harbinger of future well-being, prosperity and success in all business, household and economic endeavors. The beginning of Shrovetide ranges from February 3 (i.e. January 21, old style) to March 14 (March 1, old style).

Shrovetide is a cheerful farewell to winter, illuminated by the joyful expectation of close warmth, spring renewal of nature. Even pancakes, an indispensable attribute of Shrovetide, had ritual meaning: round, ruddy, hot, they were a symbol of the sun, which flared up more and more, lengthening the days. Centuries passed, life changed, with the adoption of Christianity in Russia new, church holidays appeared, but the wide Shrovetide continued to live. She was greeted and escorted with the same irrepressible prowess as in pagan times. Shrovetide has always been popularly loved by the people and affectionately called "katochka", "sugar mouth", "kissing lady", "honest carnival", "merry", "pepepelochka", "perebuha", "obeduha", "yasochka".

Shrovetide is a week-long holiday, a ritual holiday with round dances, songs, dances, games, and most importantly - with the rite of praise, feeding and burning of the self-made effigy of Winter. Children are told about the ritual significance of Shrovetide calls and merrymaking, they explain why they need to burn Shrovetide, lure the Sun with pancakes, praise Spring, and ask for a good harvest.

Shrovetide week was literally full of festive affairs; ritual and non-ritual actions, traditional games and undertakings, duties and actions filled up all the days to failure. There was enough strength, energy, enthusiasm for everything, since the atmosphere of utmost emancipation, general joy and fun reigned. Each day of Shrovetide had its own name, each was assigned certain actions, rules of conduct, etc.:

Monday - "meeting"
Tuesday - "flirt",
Wednesday - "gourmet", "revelry", "break",
Thursday - "walk-four", "wide",
Friday - "mother-in-law of the evening", "mother-in-law of the evening",
Saturday - "sister-in-law gatherings", "farewell",
Sunday is "forgiven day".

The whole week was called "honest, wide, cheerful, boyarynya-Shrovetide, Mrs. Shrovetide."

Monday - meeting
On this day, a stuffed animal of Maslenitsa was made from straw, they put on an old women's clothing, put this scarecrow on a pole and, singing, drove it on a sleigh through the village. Then Shrovetide was set on a snowy mountain, where sleigh rides began. The songs that are sung on the day of "meeting" are very cheerful.

Tuesday is a play
From that day, various kinds of entertainment began: sleigh rides, festivities, representation. In large wooden booths (premises for folk theatrical performances with clown and comic scenes), performances were performed led by Petrushka and Maslenitsa grandfather. On the streets came across large groups mummers, in masks, drove to familiar houses, where impromptu home concerts were arranged. Large companies rode around the city, on triplets and on simple sleds. Another simple entertainment was held in high esteem - skiing from the icy mountains.

Wednesday is a gourmet
She opened treats in all houses with pancakes and other dishes. In each family, tables were laid with delicious food, pancakes were baked, and beer was made in the villages in a club. Theaters and stalls appeared everywhere. They sold hot sbitni (drinks made from water, honey and spices), roasted nuts, honey gingerbread. Here, right under the open sky, one could drink tea from a boiling samovar.

Thursday - revelry (fracture, wide Thursday)
This day was the middle of games and fun. Perhaps it was then that hot Maslenitsa fist fights took place, fists, leading their origin from Ancient Russia. They also had their own strict rules. It was impossible, for example, to beat a lying person (“they don’t beat a person while lying down”), two of them could not attack one (two were fighting - the third one didn’t climb), beat below the belt or hit on the back of the head. For violation of these rules, punishment was threatened. It was possible to fight “wall to wall” or “one on one”. There were also "hunting" battles for connoisseurs, fans of such fights. Ivan the Terrible himself watched such battles with pleasure. For such an occasion, this amusement was prepared especially magnificently and solemnly. And yet it was a game, a holiday, which, of course, corresponded to the clothes. If you also want to follow 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, there will be relaxation (maybe there was some secret meaning fist 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 Shrovetide customs were aimed at speeding up weddings, helping young people to find a mate. And how much attention and honors were given to the newlyweds at Shrovetide! Tradition requires them to go out in a smart way "on people" in painted sleighs, pay visits to everyone who walked at their wedding, so that they solemnly roll down the icy mountain with 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 (if, of course, the son-in-law was to her liking). In some places, "mother-in-law pancakes" took place for gourmets, that is, on Wednesday during Shrovetide week, but could coincide with Friday. If on Wednesday the sons-in-law were visiting their mother-in-law, then on Friday the sons-in-law organized “mother-in-law evenings” and invited them to pancakes. An ex-boyfriend usually showed up, playing the same role as at the wedding, and receiving a gift for his troubles. The invited mother-in-law (there was 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 groats and cow butter. The son-in-law's disrespect for this event was considered dishonor and insult, and was the reason for eternal enmity between him and his mother-in-law.

Saturday - sister-in-law gatherings
The sister-in-law is the husband's sister. So, on this Saturday, the young daughters-in-law received their relatives. As you can see, on this "fatty carnival" every day of this generous week was accompanied by a special feast.

Sunday - farewell, kissing man, forgiven day.
Last day Maslenitsa week was called “Forgiveness Sunday”: relatives and friends did not go to celebrate each other, but with “obedience”, asked for forgiveness for intentional and accidental offenses and griefs caused in the current year. When meeting (sometimes even with by a stranger) was supposed to stop and with three bows and "tearful words" ask for mutual forgiveness: "Forgive me for what I am guilty of or have sinned in front of you." “May God forgive you, and I forgive,” the interlocutor answered, after which it was necessary to kiss as a sign of reconciliation.

Farewell to Shrovetide 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 the soft drink from their mouths; in some places, fistfights, etc. were organized to “shake out the pancakes”. On Clean Monday, they always washed in the bathhouse, and the women washed the dishes and "steamed" the dairy utensils, cleaning them of fat and remnants of meat.

Pancake week. Referring to this very beloved national holiday, one cannot but note one very strange, at first glance, circumstance - after all, the original name of this holiday is completely unknown to most of us. "Pancake week". "Generous Shrovetide". "Fat Shrovetide". Etc. But all these names are just a statement of the presence of ritual food - pancakes and butter. And no more?

V the oldest tradition of our ancestors, the most important calendar points of the year: winter (December 22) and summer (June 22) solstices, spring (March 22) and autumn (September 22) equinoxes were combined into the symbolic "Cross of the Year". This conclusion is confirmed by the data of the "Vlesovaya Kniga", which speaks of the four most important holidays of the year: Kolyada, Yaro, Krasnaya Gora and Ovseni (Small and Great).

Carols, of course, are our Winter Christmastide with ritual songs - "carols" and mummers performing them - "carols", "carols". The very term "Kolyada" ("pounding", that is, giving a circle "is directly related to the completion of the circle of divine days, when the Night of the Gods, which ends on the night of December 21-22, is replaced by the New Day of the Gods, beginning on December 22nd. The entire period of Winter Christmas (December 19 - January 19) is dedicated to the worship of the Divine Light - the Creator of the Universe, whom our ancestors called the Immutable Law or Grandfather. ie, those who have joined the Absolute Truth of the Cosmic Law. Thus, Winter Christmas is a period of worshiping the Wisdom of the Creator, summing up the results annual circle and the meeting of the new Colo-Sun.

Yaro or Yarilin day (Kupalo) - June 22 - summer solstice and the beginning of the Night of the Gods. We have yet to talk about him. We only note that this is a holiday of young people, those who had to find a mate and pass the test by the Divine Fire for the right to marry with their chosen one or chosen one. And, having entered into marriage, fulfill the cosmic law of reincarnation, giving life to new people - children.

The next most important holiday in the list of the "Forest Book" is Krasnaya Gora, followed by Ovsen (Avsen, Usen, Tausen), i.e. holiday autumn equinox... But here we stop at a paradox - today's Red Mountain has nothing to do with the vernal equinox. A holiday close to this calendar date - March 22, we do not have at all. However, it is known from historical sources that earlier such ritual cycle like Maslenitsa (or Maslenitsa) lasted not a week, but a whole lunar month, starting on February 21 and ending on the night of March 21 to 22. Krasnaya Gora today is a holiday of the Easter forty days. In most cases, Red Mountain is called either Fomin's Sunday (the next after Easter), or the first three days of Fomin's week (including Sunday), or the entire Fomin's week. Ethnographer I.P. Sakharov wrote in 1848 that “Red Mountain in Russia is the first spring holiday... Great Russians greet spring here, marry their betrothed, play round dances ”.

Turning to Shrovetide, we can note a strange circumstance that ancient name This holiday was unknown to us until recently. "Generous Shrovetide, fatty Shrovetide" etc. just stated the presence of ritual food - pancakes and butter. And no more. "Vlesova Kniga" put everything in its place. And today we can confidently assert that the ancient sacred Red Mountain and our Shrovetide are one and the same. This is evidenced by the fact that it was during Oil Week that the newlyweds went to their “mother-in-law for pancakes”. The mother-in-law, in the archaic tradition, is not only the wife's mother, but also the oldest woman in the house. A ritual play song (Vologda Oblast) speaks of an oak tree on which "an owl sits, she is my mother-in-law, she grazed horses." Archaeologist E.V. Kuzmina notes that "the horse played an important role in the cult of the mother goddess." In the Indo-European tradition, the image of the goddess - the mistress of horses was widespread. "She was represented standing between two horsemen", personifying the opposite elements - life and death, over which the Goddess - Mother is in control. Sometimes, instead of horsemen, simply two horses were depicted - black and white. Note that one of the most important and colorful rituals of Maslenitsa was the rite of riding around on horseback and in a sleigh.

It is worth remembering that in the ancient Greek tradition, in its most archaic part, Zeus (Dyaus), the head of the pantheon of gods, was personified in the image of an oak by the water (Zeus of Dodonsky). And his daughter, the embodiment of wisdom and sacred knowledge Athena, came out of the head of Zeus and was called the Owl, since her zoomorphic incarnation was an owl. The image of an owl in the Vologda ritual song is much more archaic than the ancient Greek one, since here she is not a maiden - a warrior, but a foremother - a mother-in-law. Note that the owl is a nocturnal bird associated with the most ancient lunar cult, and the Foremother is the one who embodies divine thought in the manifested world. In the Russian North, in the archaeological sites of the Mesolithic (10-7 thousand BC), figures of women made of stone and bone, ending with an owl's head, are often found.

And, finally, in the ritual text related to the preparation for the wedding, the orphan bride addresses her deceased mother, calling her "My Red KrasiGora".

Shrovetide is not only a festive cycle associated with the cult of the Foremother - Red Mountain, it is also a celebration of the glorification of newlyweds who got married last year. It was for them, first of all, that the ice mountains were built, from which every young couple, after a three-time kiss, had to slide down.

Thus, Shrovetide - Red Mountain of the Vlesova Kniga is a ritual cycle dedicated to the cult of the Foremother - the maternal principle of the Universe, as well as to those who serve the manifestation of this principle on Earth - young married couples.

From year to year, we observe the same picture: both on city and on traditional Shrovetide, when the scarecrow is killed, the same words are heard about the "burning" of Winter. Such an explanation is quite natural at civil events seeking to smooth out the "sharp corners" of a pagan holiday, but for native believers, I consider it unacceptable to ignore the essence of the rite.

It makes no sense to burn Winter or its symbol, as it is indestructible. You can rush her to leave, chase her away, but she will return in due time, whether you like it or not. It is absurd to remember a dying and reborn deity in the situation with Winter, since myths of this type refer to the Gods of fertility, to which Winter does not belong. In some places, the remains of the burnt effigy were scattered across the fields. It looks very strange if you stand in the position of the burning of Winter.

Modern Rodnovers call the scarecrow of Winter "Mara", "Morena", and on this basis declare its connection with Winter. And indeed, cold, darkness, death belong to Mara, White color etc. However, in Slavic traditions the stuffed animals burned at the spring equinox were called differently, moreover, they could be male!

What should we do with the Belarusian Maslenitsa Grandfather, maybe it's Frost? Then why was he portrayed with pronounced sexual characteristics (carrots and beetroot), the same as in Yarila. It is clear that the character with such "personal belongings" has nothing to do with frost and winter, he has to do with fertility. This Grandfather is called differently in Belarus. In one of the villages - "Sidorom". Collectors of folklore guessed to ask the old-timers why Sidor? And they received the answer: “A very respected long-liver lived in our village, and when he died, a burnt effigy was named after him” (T. Kuharonok. “Gulni, fun, games.” Minsk. In Belarusian). We see that the burning of an effigy here is a symbolic funeral. respected fellow countryman on ancient rite cremation.

Let's take another example. The West Slavic song accompanying the burning of the Kupala effigy says:

Morena, Morena, for whom did she die?
... for the old grandfather, whose teeth are rare.

Burning effigies during the moments of the Solar phases is the sending of "messengers" to the Gods with our wishes, in particular, with a request for an early end of Winter. This is not an imitation of human sacrifice, but the memory of the solemn cremation of the most respected members of the family.

The question is, where did so many dead people come from in ancient times precisely during the period of solar phases, because fires were burned in every village? There is written evidence that among the Prussian tribe, the noble deceased, as they say, “waited” for their time, that is, they were not burned immediately after death, but were kept in special places until the next solar phase. We can assume the same among the Eastern Slavs. Let me remind you that Pancakes are not only a "symbol of the Sun", but also the main memorial food.

Winter on Shrovetide was driven away in the following way... Did a great Snow Woman and shot her with snowballs. The rite of "Hook of Spring" also played a great magical role in this matter.

Of course, information about such things is currently on for known reasons not advertised, although they are not closed to the curious.

Who else, if not us, is interested in such things?

Russian Shrovetide can be called one of the few ancient holidays that has retained most of its traditions even after the adoption of Christianity. Maslenitsa celebrations take a whole week, after which Great Lent begins, that is, exactly seven weeks before another beloved holiday - Easter. In 2014, Maslenitsa is celebrated from February 24 to March 2.

According to Christian traditions, Maslenitsa is a purely religious holiday. Pancake Week is also called Cheese Week. But among ordinary people, folk Maslenitsa- a holiday when we say goodbye to winter and meet spring. Since ancient times, people have compared the celebration of Maslenitsa with the beginning of a new bright period in life, since on this holiday they revered the Sun, which gives life to all living things.

Chances are high that it was from here that the tradition of baking pancakes on Shrovetide began. Our ancestors believed that a pancake is a reflection of the Sun, therefore, the more pancakes a person eats during Pancake Week, the happier his life will be this year. It was believed that along with each pancake, people ate a particle of the Sun, its energy and power. Traditionally, pancakes for Russian Maslenitsa should be baked every day throughout the week. Lunches from Thursday to Sunday were especially abundant.

Maslenitsa celebration

Monday, the first day of Maslenitsa, was popularly called "meeting". In the morning of this day, according to the traditions of the Russian Maslenitsa, people made a huge doll out of straw and dressed it up in every possible way. The hostesses started baking pancakes from the very morning, and after lunch everyone went to ride the hills, singing Shrovetide songs.

Tuesday, also known as "flirting", was considered Valentine's Day. On this day, all newlyweds were invited to Maslenitsa festivities... It was believed that the further a married couple rolled down the hill, the longer they would last. family life... Also at this time, they invited relatives to visit and treated them to pancakes.

Wednesday is a gourmet. On this day, mother-in-law had to invite sons-in-law to their pancakes. It is thanks to this tradition of celebrating Maslenitsa that the popular saying "to the mother-in-law for pancakes" appeared. The newlyweds had to dress that day as they were at the wedding, and the young, who had not yet had time to get married, “bought off” the crowd with pancakes and gingerbread.

Thursday - "take a walk". On this day, the famous Shrovetide games were held. These included fistfights, storming snow fortresses, and so on. Also, the Shrovetide games were accompanied by small puppet shows. A scarecrow made of straw, which was made on the first day of the celebration of Maslenitsa, was lifted up a high mountain.

Friday - "mother-in-law's evening". This day of Maslenitsa week was considered the complete opposite of Wednesday. Now it was no longer the son-in-law, but the mother-in-law was invited to visit for pancakes. Remarkable is the fact that it was the son-in-law who had to personally invite the mother-in-law, who, in response to the invitation, had to bring flour and butter for pancakes to his house. This was to symbolize honor for the wife's relatives in the house.

Saturday - “sister-in-law's gatherings”. On this day of Maslenitsa, according to tradition, a stuffed animal made of straw was taken from the mountain and carried through the streets to the end of the village, where it was demonstratively burned at the stake. Thus, people said goodbye to Maslenitsa, and at the same time to winter. Towards evening, young married women invited all their relatives to their house and fed them pancakes.

Sunday is forgiven. It was on this day of Maslenitsa that everyone remembered that Great Lent would soon come, and, therefore, people had to cleanse themselves of their sins and bad deeds committed for the whole year. According to the tradition of celebrating Maslenitsa on this day, people had to ask each other for forgiveness. In response to such a request, one should have said: "God will forgive." Also at this time they went to the cemetery to honor the memory of the deceased. Pancakes were always left on the graves.

Shrovetide week is also popularly known as wide Shrovetide... This is the time when you should pamper your body with a delicious treat and have a lot of fun. We wish you a great time during the holidays, and you, in turn, do not forget to press and

28.02.2014 11:57

Shrovetide is one of the favorite national holidays. The walks at this time stretch for a long time, and this ...

Pancake week

Pancake week is called differently, and all these names mean the same thing. Due to the abstinence from meat, the name of meat-and-mouth came about; from eating cheese - cheese week; from the widespread use of oil - Shrovetide, which lasts a whole week before Lent. In the 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 everyone. The well-known name of this week throughout Russia is Pancake week.

Pancake week- a holiday of farewell to winter, the eighth week before Easter. Shrovetide took place before Great Lent, in the damp week of the Orthodox calendar, and ended with Forgiveness Sunday.
According to the canons Orthodox Church the cheese-growing 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. Shrovetide was called honest, wide, drunk, gluttonous, ruinous. They said that she "sang and danced for a whole week, ate and drank, went to visit each other, rolled in pancakes, bathed in oil." Shrovetide was celebrated throughout Russia in villages and cities. Its celebration was considered compulsory for all Russian people: "At least lay yourself down, but spend Shrovetide."
In the villages, all residents took part in it, regardless of age and social status except for the sick and infirm. Failure to participate in Shrovetide fun could lead to, according to legend, "life in bitter trouble." The festivities began with the celebration of Shrovetide on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday. However, this rite was not widespread. Where he was known, Shrovetide was greeted with pancakes, which were laid out on elevated places with calls: "Come to visit me, Shrovetide, wide in the yard: ride on the mountains, lie in pancakes, laugh with your heart!", As well as singing songs : Shrovetide annual, our dear Guest! She does not walk to us on foot, Everyone comes on horseback. Her horses are black, Servants are young. The first three days of the Shrovetide week were preparing for the holiday: they brought firewood for Shrovetide fires, and cleaned the huts. The main festivities fell on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday - the days of the wide Shrovetide. All Shrovetide entertainment usually took place on the street.
They entered the houses only to warm up a little, if it was frosty, and to treat themselves to festive dishes. Smartly dressed people - girls, boys, married couples, children, old men and old women - all poured out into the street, took part in a festive walk, congratulated each other, went to the fair, where they bought necessary and unnecessary things, marveled at the wonders that they showed in the booths - traveling theaters, enjoyed puppet shows and "bear fun" - performances of the leader with a bear.
The Pancake Week complex included such entertainments as skiing from the mountains, sleigh rides, various ceremonies of honoring newlyweds, fist fights, processions of mummers, war games such as "Taking the Snow Town", etc. Characteristic feature Shrovetide was a use a large number 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, cheese cakes, cheesecakes, brushwood, flat cakes. The predominance of dairy food was due to the church ban on eating meat in the week preceding Great Lent.
On Shrovetide, many songs, jokes, sentences sounded, most of which did not have ritual significance, these were funny songs dedicated to Shrovetide and Shrovetide festivities:
Oh you, dear butter dish,
Darling, cherish, dear. She came to visit us,
She came, cherished, came. Yes, I brought cheese and butter,
Brought, cherished, brought. And we rolled the butter dish,
We drove it, we drove it, we drove it. They rode on a black horse,
We rode, lazy, rode.

The history of Shrovetide is rooted deep in antiquity. Maslenitsa is an ancient Slavic holiday that we inherited from pagan culture, preserved 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 Shrovetide. For the Slavs, for a long time it was also a New Year's Eve! Indeed, until the XIV century, the year in Russia began in March. Even pancakes, an indispensable attribute of Shrovetide, had ritual significance: round, ruddy, hot, they were a symbol of the sun, which flared up brighter and brighter, lengthening the days. And according to old beliefs, it was believed: how a person meets a year, so he will be. Therefore, our ancestors did not skimp on this holiday for a generous feast and unrestrained fun. And people called Shrovetide among the people "honest", "wide", "gluttonous", and even "ruinous".
Centuries passed, life changed, with the adoption of Christianity new church holidays appeared, but the wide Maslenitsa continued to live. Nothing could force Russians to abandon their favorite holiday - hospitable and riotous fun. By the way, at one time Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich tried to calm down his daring subjects with the most stringent measures. The governors sent out tsarist decrees throughout the cities and villages, either prohibiting private distilling, or demanding that the Russians in gambling did not play, did not carry out fist fights. But neither the formidable royal decrees, nor the instructions of the patriarch were able to cope with the overflowing joy.
But in 1724 in St. Petersburg Maslenitsa failed. Peter, a well-known lover of all kinds of amusements, intended to new capital arrange a funny toboggan procession, but all the festive week there was a snowstorm and there was a severe frost. For several days, the participants in the procession in costumes and masks gathered at the gathering place, but, stiffened along the way, they went to warm up to someone on a visit. Alas, the element won, the fun failed.
On the occasion of her coronation, Catherine II, imitating Peter I, staged a grandiose masquerade procession in Moscow at Masleni week called "Triumphant Minerva". 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 has improved. Wooden slides with elegant pavilions began to be erected on the ice of the river or in squares. The hills were decorated colorful flags, spruce and pine branches, even wooden sculptures. Petersburg in early XIX The mountains of the merchant Podoznikov were famous for centuries. They were built on the Neva opposite 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 sbitn, tea made from steaming samovars, sweets, nuts, pies and pancakes was unfolding near the icy mountains. The audience in large booths was amused by buffoons and the beloved folk hero Petrushka.
In villages where booths were never born, the inhabitants themselves became actors an unusual battle - the capture of a snow town. Having gathered, they together erected a fortress out of 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 merrymaking were divided into two parties. Horse daredevils 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, faced a test: he was forced to swim in an ice hole.
But the most beloved and beautiful carnival rite there was sledding. Everyone who had a horse rode out, and assorted teams were racing through the streets: the rich flaunted sleek trotters and painted sleds covered with a carpet, and after them galloped peasant horses, cleaned to a shine, decorated with colored ribbons.
Of course, pancakes were the main treat at Maslenitsa. They were baked and eaten in myriad quantities.

For each day of the oil week, there were certain rituals. On Monday - Maslenitsa meeting, on Tuesday - flirting. For gourmets, that is, on Wednesday of Oily week, mother-in-law invited sons-in-law and wives to pancakes. This custom was especially observed in relation to young, recently married. Surely this is where the expression "to the mother-in-law for pancakes" came from. The busiest tobogganing took place on wide Thursday. On Friday - mother-in-law's evening - the sons-in-law called the mother-in-law for a treat. Saturday was allotted to the sister-in-law's 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 offended by words or deeds. The whole week was called "honest, wide, cheerful, boyarynya-Shrovetide, Mrs. Shrovetide."
Monday - meeting
On this day, a stuffed animal of Maslenitsa was made from straw, they put on old women's clothes, put this stuffed animal on a pole and, singing, drove it on a sleigh through the village. Then Shrovetide was set on a snowy mountain, where sleigh rides began. The songs that are sung on the day of "meeting" are very cheerful.
Tuesday is a play
From that day, various kinds of entertainment began: sleigh rides, folk festivals, performances. In large wooden booths (premises for folk theatrical performances with clown and comic scenes), performances were performed led by Petrushka and Maslenitsa grandfather. On the streets there were large groups of mummers, in masks, driving around familiar houses, where impromptu home concerts were arranged. Large companies rode around the city, on triplets and on simple sleds. Another simple entertainment was held in high esteem - skiing from the icy mountains.
Wednesday is a gourmet
She opened treats in all houses with pancakes and other dishes. In each family, tables were laid with delicious food, pancakes were baked, and beer was made in the villages in a club. Theaters and stalls appeared everywhere. They sold hot sbitni (drinks made from water, honey and spices), roasted nuts, honey gingerbread. Here, right under the open sky, one could drink tea from a boiling samovar.
Thursday - revelry(fracture, wide Thursday)
This day was the middle of games and fun. Perhaps it was then that hot Maslenitsa fist fights took place, fists, leading their origin from Ancient Russia. They also had their own strict rules. It was impossible, for example, to beat a lying person (“they don’t beat a person while lying down”), two of them could not attack one (two were fighting - the third one didn’t climb), beat below the belt or hit on the back of the head. For violation of these rules, punishment was threatened. It was possible to fight “wall to wall” or “one on one”. There were also "hunting" battles for connoisseurs, fans of such fights. Ivan the Terrible himself watched such battles with pleasure. For such an occasion, this amusement was prepared especially magnificently and solemnly. And yet it was a game, a holiday, which, of course, corresponded to the clothes. If you also want to follow 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, there will be relaxation (maybe this was some secret meaning of fist 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 Shrovetide customs were aimed at speeding up weddings, helping young people to find a mate. And how much attention and honors were given to the newlyweds at Shrovetide! Tradition requires them to go out in a smart way "on people" in painted sleighs, pay visits to everyone who walked at their wedding, so that they solemnly roll down the icy mountain with 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 (if, of course, the son-in-law was to her liking). In some places, "mother-in-law pancakes" took place for gourmets, that is, on Wednesday during Shrovetide week, but could coincide with Friday. If on Wednesday the sons-in-law were visiting their mother-in-law, then on Friday the sons-in-law organized “mother-in-law evenings” and invited them to pancakes. An ex-boyfriend usually showed up, playing the same role as at the wedding, and receiving a gift for his troubles. The invited mother-in-law (there was 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 groats and cow butter. The son-in-law's disrespect for this event was considered dishonor and insult, and was the reason for eternal enmity between him and his mother-in-law.
Saturday - sister-in-law gatherings
The sister-in-law is the husband's sister. So, on this Saturday, the young daughters-in-law received their relatives. As you can see, on this "fatty carnival" every day of this generous week was accompanied by a special feast.
Sunday - farewell, kissing man, forgiven day.
The last day of Shrovetide week was called "Forgiveness Sunday": relatives and friends did not go to celebrate each other, but with "obedience", asked for forgiveness for intentional and accidental offenses and griefs caused in the current year. When meeting (sometimes even with a stranger) it was necessary to stop and with three bows and "tearful words" ask for mutual forgiveness: "Forgive me for what I am guilty of or have sinned in front of you." “May God forgive you, and I forgive,” the interlocutor answered, after which it was necessary to kiss as a sign of reconciliation.

We said goodbye to Shrovetide on Sunday. On this day in the northern and central regions Bonfires were burned in European Russia, and a straw effigy of Maslenitsa was buried in southern Russia. Shrovetide is a complex and ambiguous phenomenon. This holiday dates back to the spring agrarian 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 line separating winter from spring. The ritual actions were aimed at making the winter hardships end and spring coming, followed by a warm summer with abundant bread. In the XIX-early XX century. in the celebration of Shrovetide, entertainment elements came to the fore.
Farewell to Shrovetide 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 the soft drink from their mouths; in some places, fistfights, etc. were organized to “shake out the pancakes”. On Clean Monday, they always washed in the bathhouse, and the women washed the dishes and "steamed" the dairy utensils, cleaning them of fat and remnants of meat.

Shrovetide is a favorite folk holiday... The traditions and customs of Maslenitsa week came to us from ancient times and remain unchanged to this day. the last week before Great Lent - the time of festivities and fun, hearty days before long abstinence.

Folk traditions and customs accompany many holidays, but Maslenitsa is a special time that meant a lot for our ancestors. it turning point when winter meets spring. The onset of the long-awaited fine days and farewell to the annoying winter cold is one of the key traditions.

The time before Lent is called Meat Week or Cheese Week. This is the period when there are no Orthodox Christians on the tables meat products, but cheese products, pancakes and other tasty foods abound. Also Shrovetide week precedes a long spiritual and physical abstinence from earthly temptations, so people widely celebrated Shrovetide and tried to walk up and eat for the future.

Folk traditions and customs for Shrovetide

One of the most exciting and spectacular actions, perhaps, can be called the burning of a scarecrow of winter. The straw figure, symbolizing the receding cold weather, was dressed up in old clothes. Burning the stuffed animal reminded of the imminent warming, and also made it possible to get rid of the negativity in the houses. Unnecessary broken things and old utensils were thrown into the fire. Everywhere people lit fires, which drowned the remnants of snow with their warmth.

Pancakes are an attribute without which there would be no Maslenitsa. They symbolize the hot, bright Sun, urging him to quickly gain full strength. Each housewife had her own secret recipe for pancakes, which was carefully kept in the family and passed down from generation to generation. Everyone was treated to pancakes, knowing that generosity and friendliness bestows happiness in life and increases the wealth and well-being of the family. Flour products were sacredly revered in Russia, and in the pre-Christian era they were one of the ways to respect the god Perun.

Festive festivities on the street gave people the opportunity to unite and have fun, because very soon it was coming springtime- it's time when sowing and agricultural work began. Also during the festivities the older generation agreed on fast weddings, the grooms looked after the brides, and the girls secretly wondered about the betrothed. Folk beliefs say that those who do not have fun during the Shrovetide week will live in trouble and grief.

Every day of Maslenitsa has its own name. People honored traditions and tried to do everything that was due in these days. Mother-in-law invited sons-in-law, they, in turn, sent invitations in return. Young wives presented gifts to their sister-in-law and tried in every possible way to show their favor to her husband's relatives. The festivities on the street were accompanied by comic fist fights, wall-to-wall games, demonstrations of dexterity, sleigh rides from the mountains, and also in carts with horses accompanied by funny songs and ditties. The fun of climbing on a smooth pole for prizes was also traditional. Relatives visited each house and presented each other with small souvenirs and gifts.

For children, adults made wooden and clay whistles. In a merry crowd, the kids ran through the streets and whistled, imitating the trills of birds. This tradition also refers to the invocation of the earth's spring awakening. The older children walked and caroling with merry songs, begging for tasty treats. The adults answered them with low bows, gave them sweets and asked them to convey their wishes for health and happiness to their parents.

The last day of festivities is named Forgiveness Sunday... People visited each other, asked for forgiveness for all intentionally or unintentionally inflicted offenses. Children bowed at the feet of their parents, asking them to excuse them, and the parents, in turn, went to the cemetery to pay tribute to their ancestors. Pancakes were also left on the graves and asked the deceased relatives for help and protection of the whole family for its prosperity.

One more interesting tradition there was a sleigh ride for the newlyweds. Couples toured everyone who was at their wedding, said words of gratitude for happy marriage... It was believed that the energy of love also charges the earth with fertility, and pleases with good seedlings and a rich harvest. They also arranged a general kissing day, when the young were forced to kiss in front of everyone. On this day, guys could go into houses and kiss the girls they liked.

Our ancestors sacredly revered traditions. Honoring your roots was the key to the success and prosperity of families. Now Maslenitsa week still proclaims the inviolability of traditions. Despite the pagan roots, she organically entered our life. We wish you merry Shrovetide and happiness in your personal life. May good luck not leave you, and do not forget to press the buttons and

14.02.2017 04:03

Shrovetide is the last prep week before Great Lent. This holiday has pagan roots, ...