Rus: Festivals, Feasts and Events
it is on the last day of the Maslenitsa that the feasting & drinking ends with the burning of the scarecrow symbolizing winter thus saying goodbye to winter till the next year.
For the Russians, Maslenitsa is like a carnival for the Italians, especially since the primary sense of festivals is the same: the Italian word "carnival" "farewell to the beef!" & Maslenitsa also precedes t
he Lent. In old times it was called "Myasopust" because it was forbidden to eat meat during this week.
The last day of Maslenitsa is called the Forgiveness Day. Everybody ask one another for forgiveness in order to redeem themselves from their sins before the Great Lent. They bow to one another and say, "God will forgive you!". Maslenitsa is over & so is winter giving way to spring.
Everybody knows what the Russian Soul is! This is prowess, dare-devilry & of course, the famous Russian hospitality. Everybody is welcome to come to Moscow or anywhere else in Russia to see the Russian winter depart!
Maslenitsa is not only a week's celebration, but also the period of preparation for Lent, which includes 2 more weeks. During the 1st. week the ferial & maigre days change each other in succession. The 3rd. week, which was called "butter", or "cheese" week, it was prohibited to eat meat except for dairy products.
Maslenitsa week in itself is not homogenous. During the first 3 days of Maslenitsa, peasants still continued to do their domestic chores, whereas on Thursday it was prohibited to work since on this day Generous Maslenitsa began. Thus, Maslenitsa consisted of 2 parts, which were "Maigre" & "Generous" Maslenitsas.
Each & every day of Maslenitsa has its own name:
Tuesday - Popular Games
Wednesday - The Sweet Tooth's Day
Thursday - The Lavish Day
Friday - Good Mothers' Evenings
Saturday - Good Daughters' Parties
Sunday - Forgiveness Sunday
Maslenitsa is not simply a holiday. This is the end of a very important stage of life of both men & nature. This is the day
Latest Articles