Rus: Festivals, Feasts and Events

The traditional dish is a big, round, hot, pan-cake, with butter which in Russian means maslo hence the name of the day. Pancakes symbolize the sun. Bliny, Russian form of crepes are also made & consumed by the ton during this festival. The more butter or honey, caviar, other delicious things, which is put on the pancake or bliny, then the hotter the sun was supposed to be in the upcoming summer.

Nowadays, it is celebrated at the end of February, as a merry festival with dances, songs, national costumes, attractions for children, hot tea and pancakes served outdoors.

This day stems from the Pagan tradition of making blini pancakes to honor the coming of spring, blini represents the sun. Each spring, there are festivals in the major cities and towns to celebrate the end of winter.

Maslenitsa has a dual historical base; being both pagan & Christian in origin. On the pagan side, Maslenitsa is a Sun-festival, the sun is shining longer & warmer each day . Winter is on its way out. From the Christian side, Maslenitsa marks the last week before the onset of Lent , the period of fasting that precedes Easter. The last day of Maslenitsa is called Forgiveness Day. All people ask one another for forgiveness.

Maslenitsa is the only purely Russian Holiday that dates back to the pagan times. For 7 days Moscow jingles with bells, sings with garmoshkas & sparkles with gaily-colored dresses. People are letting the long-annoying winter out & the long-awaited spring into their lives once more.

The counters in the towns & cities & even in the villages groan with various delicious dainties. Paunchy samovars with mellow tea, bunches of sweet-scented barankas, nuts & honey pies with different signs: "Whom I love - to those I give!", "A present of the sweet-heart is the dearest!". Salted foods, various fish, caviar smoked meats, fruit preserves......you may choose & eat anything & as much you like!

Necessarily the essential elements, of course, are pancakes & bliny. Pankackes & are a symbol of the sun. It is as round, gold & warm as the sun. Pancakes & bliny are served hot with either butter, or sour cream, or caviar, or mushrooms, or sturgeon to any exquisite taste.

Russia's Great Maslenitsa will reel you round in a dancing fairy-circle & your feet will not be able to keep still to the sprightly chastooshkas & bywords (jokes). Clowns & skomorokhs (jesters) will

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