Maslenitsa is a national-Christian holiday celebrated on the eve of Lent. It symbolizes the farewell to the winter and the meeting of spring. Spring with its sun incarnate pancakes, so the whole week it is recommended to bake them in huge quantities, treat friends and relatives, eat yourself. There is a mass of Pancake ceremonies, which the ancient Russian ancestors strictly observed.
Shrovetide Rituals and Customs
The Shrovetide week began on Monday and lasted all week. In this case, for each day was provided for their rite:
- In the morning the daughter-in-law left her father-in-law and her mother-in-law to her parents, and in the evening the relatives of her husband came to visit themselves to discuss the place and time of the festivities, the composition of the guests and other moments. On that day pancakes started to be cooked, but the first was given to the beggars to remember the deceased.
- On Tuesday, bride-groomes were arranged to play a wedding at the end of Lent . In fact, all the festive rites for the Pancake Day of this day were reduced to matchmaking.
- On Wednesday, the mother-in-law called the son-in-law to the pancakes, demonstrating their disposition towards him.
- Since Thursday, people's festive rites for Shrove Tuesday have received a wider scope. Inhabitants of villages and villages rides on horses, arranged fisticuffs, stormed a snow town. Everywhere they planted bonfires and ritual jumps through it.
- On Friday, with a return visit, mother-in-law, along with relatives and friends, came to the house of the son-in-law. She was treated to her by her own daughter.
- On Saturday, the sister-in-law and other relatives of her husband came to the daughter-in-law. One of the Maslenitsa ceremonies in Russia was and such - presenting a gift to his sister-in-law.
- The culmination of the holiday. The purpose of this day was to reconcile and consolidate with each other a good relationship, so it was accepted to ask forgiveness from all. At the end of the festivities, the stuffed Carnival was burned, and the ashes scattered over the fields for a good harvest.
On the last day of the week, it was also decided to go to the graves to the deceased relatives and leave them pancakes. In various regions and areas, Maslenitsa leprosy may differ slightly from each other. So, some were more like caroling with the same songs, dances and frightening passers-by. Single men in a special way "punished" by hanging them around the neck pads with a log. The latter symbolized his wife sitting on his neck. With such a burden, the guys went around the village all day. In some villages the rite of Maslenitsa's wiring was erotic and involved exposing intimate places.