Being a preparatory week, the cheese week excludes any immoderation in food. Its meaning is contrary to overeating and drunkenness. On the threshold of quiet Great Lenten days, the soul experiences a joyful upsurge, in order to experience a more repentant mood later. On the cheese week, the sacraments of the wedding are no longer performed. Liturgy is not served on Wednesday and Friday, and there is no fast on these days. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian with kneeling. On the Sunday of this week, the Church remembers the expulsion of the forefathers from paradise for disobedience and intemperance. “The world with the ancestors will weep bitterly: sweet food fallen with the fallen” ().
On Sunday evening, the rite of forgiveness is performed in order to enter the saving days of fasting, being with everyone in peace. This custom was born among the ancient Egyptian hermits, who gathered on the last day before fasting for joint prayer. Having asked forgiveness from each other, they dispersed to secluded places in the vast desert and saw off St. Fortecost in great ascetic feats. The gates of the monastery were locked until the week of Vaii.
The custom that has developed in Rus' to celebrate Shrove Week with pancakes is quite consistent with the peculiarities of national piety. These days, class, property, and official distinctions were weakening. Ignoble people, wanderers, beggars could be invited to the table. “Now the holidays have faded, and people seem to have cooled off. And then ... everyone and everyone was connected with me, and I was connected with everyone, from a poor old man in the kitchen, who went to the "poor pancake", to an unfamiliar troika, who rushed off into the darkness with a ringing. And God in the sky, beyond the stars, looked kindly at everyone, carnival, walk! In this broad word, bright joy is still alive for me ”(). Going to each other for pancakes of relatives brought them closer, gave a convenient reason to forget the grievances and discontent that had accumulated over the year.
Cheese week ends forgiveness resurrection. In the evening - a conspiracy for Great Lent.
Shrovetide is one of the most fun and long-awaited holidays of the year, the celebration of which lasts for seven days. At this time, people have fun, go to visit, arrange festivities 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 the meeting of spring. Before entering Great 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:
- the meat-empty Maslenitsa is called due to the fact that during the celebration they refrain from eating meat;
- cheese - because this week they eat a lot of cheese;
- Shrovetide - because they use a large amount of oil.
Many people are anxiously awaiting the onset of Maslenitsa, the traditions of celebrating which are rooted 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 amusements that used to be arranged in the villages were:
- fist fights;
- eating pancakes for a while;
- sledding;
- climbing a pole for a prize;
- bear games;
- effigy burning;
- bathing in holes.
The main treat both before and now are pancakes, which can have various 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 bleakly.
Maslenitsa: what can and cannot be done?
- On Maslenitsa you can not eat meat food. It is allowed to eat fish and dairy products. As a main dish, pancakes should be on the table in every house.
- You need to eat on Maslenitsa often and a lot. Therefore, it is customary to invite guests and not skimp on treats, as well as to go on a visit.
Maslenitsa: the history of the holiday
In fact, Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday, which was eventually changed to the "format" of the Orthodox Church. In pre-Christian Rus', the celebration was called "Seeing off the winter."
Our ancestors revered the sun as a god. And with the onset of the first spring days, they were glad that the sun was starting to warm the earth. Therefore, a tradition appeared to bake round cakes resembling the sun in shape. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece of sunlight and heat. Over time, flat cakes were replaced with pancakes.
Maslenitsa: traditions of celebration
In the first three days of the holiday, there was an active preparation for the celebration:
- brought firewood for the fire;
- decorated the huts;
- built mountains.
The main celebration took place from Thursday to Sunday. They came into the house in order to treat themselves to pancakes and drink hot tea.
In some villages, young people went from house to house with tambourines, horns, balalaikas, singing carols. City residents participated in the festivities:
- dressed in the best clothes;
- went to theatrical performances;
- visited booths to look at buffoons and have fun with a bear.
The main entertainment was the ride of children and youth from the 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 snow town with gates, they planted guards there, and then went on the attack: they broke into the gates and climbed onto the walls. The besieged defended themselves as best they could: snowballs, brooms and whips were used.
On Maslenitsa, guys and young men showed their agility in fisticuffs. The inhabitants of two villages, landlord and monastic peasants, residents of a large village living in opposite ends could participate in the battles.
Seriously prepared for the battle:
- soared in the baths;
- ate well;
- turned to the sorcerers with a request to give a special conspiracy to win.
Features of the rite of burning an effigy of winter on Maslenitsa
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 stuffed animal, which is sacrificed, they made a large funny and at the same time scary doll, personifying Shrovetide. They made a doll out of rags and straw. After that, she was dressed up in women's clothes and left on the main street of the village during the Maslenitsa week. And on Sunday they were solemnly carried outside the village. There, the scarecrow was burned, drowned in the hole, or torn to pieces, and the straw left from it was scattered across the field.
The ritual burning of the doll had a deep meaning: it is necessary to destroy the symbol of winter in order to resurrect its power in the spring.
Maslenitsa: the meaning of every day
The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. On Shrove Week, it is customary to spend every day in its own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors:
- Monday called "Meeting 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 put it on the main street of the village. It was on public display until Sunday.
- Tuesday nicknamed "The Gamble". It was dedicated to the youth. On this day, folk festivals were organized: they rode sledges, ice slides, carousels.
- Wednesday- "Gourmet". On this day, guests (friends, relatives, neighbors) were invited to the house. They were treated to pancakes, honey cakes and pies. Also on Wednesday it was customary to treat your sons-in-law with pancakes, hence the expression: “ My son-in-law came, where can I get sour cream?". Horse racing and fist fights were also held on this day.
- Thursday people called it "Razgulyay". From this day begins the Wide Shrovetide, which is accompanied by snowball fights, sledding, cheerful round dances and chants.
- Friday They were nicknamed "Teschin's Evenings", because on this day the sons-in-law invited the mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.
- Saturday- "Zolovkin gatherings." The daughter-in-law invited her husband's sisters to their house, talked with them, treated them to pancakes and gave gifts.
- Sunday- the apotheosis of Maslenitsa. This day was called "Forgiveness Sunday". On Sunday they said goodbye to winter, saw off Maslenitsa and symbolically burned its effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and relatives for forgiveness for the grievances that have accumulated over the year.
Proverbs and sayings for Maslenitsa
Video: the history and traditions of the Maslenitsa holiday
Maslenitsa is one of the oldest Russian holidays. Pagan in origin, Maslenitsa peacefully "got along" with the religious traditions of Christianity. From a week of farewell to winter, the holiday turned into a week before Lent - 7 days of rest, fun and hearty food.
Each of the days of Maslenitsa, which this year will last from March 4 to March 10, has its own name and purpose. "First Regional" tells what and where to do from Monday to Sunday on Maslenitsa week.
Monday opens the so-called "Narrow Maslenitsa" - the first half of the week. Household work is allowed on these days.
The first day of Maslenitsa is called the Meeting. According to custom, matchmakers meet, everything happens on the territory of the daughter-in-law's house. She is sent to her parents in the morning, and in the evening her father-in-law and mother-in-law come for her, at the same time agreeing on a place for a common festivities.
On Monday, the construction of snowy cities, swings and booths for a mass holiday is being completed. An effigy of Maslenitsa is made from straw and old clothes, which is carried through the streets on a sleigh.
On the same day they start baking pancakes. The first is supposed to be handed over to poor neighbors so that they, not being able to cook pancakes, commemorate the dead.
Tuesday is called Gamble. Guys and girls on this day get to know each other, ride the slides, go to each other for pancakes. Parents actively encourage this: it is customary to marry the young during Shrovetide week, because the church forbids weddings during Lent. The wedding, if successful, is played on Krasnaya Gorka - the first Sunday after Easter (in 2019 Krasnaya Gorka falls on May 5).
Lakomki is the third day of Shrovetide Week and the last day of the Narrow Shrovetide. On this day, the mother-in-law meets her son-in-law and his friends with a rich treat, and she herself watches the passing feast. By the taste preferences of the son-in-law, one can determine his character. It is believed that if a man reaches for pancakes with salty filling, his character is not easy. Sweet lovers are soft and affectionate.
On Wednesday you can eat plenty of pancakes.
Thursday, or Razgulyay, is the first day of the "Wide Maslenitsa". On this day, it's time to stop chores and start festivities.
Both young and old go out into the street to ride a sleigh, watch fistfights, battles for snowy cities, or become participants in them, sing. On this day ritual bonfires are burned and people jump over them.
Friday is called Mother-in-law evenings. On this day, a man meets his wife's mother. She should be formally invited. The mother-in-law comes to his house with her friends. At the table - songs, fun, good advice about family life.
True, the wife prepares treats for all those gathered.
The day of the sister-in-law, the husband's sister, falls on Saturday. It's called Zolovkin's gatherings. On this day, a woman should call her husband's relatives to her, the main of which is her sister. If she is unmarried, then it is supposed to invite unmarried friends to the house, but if she is married in the church, family people should be next to her. All guests are treated to pancakes, and the sister-in-law is given a nice gift.
The last day of Maslenitsa Week is the Seeing Off. On Sunday, the effigy of Maslenitsa is taken on a sleigh to the field. This is called the "Shrovetide train". Then the effigy is burned - this is the "funeral". The ashes are scattered over the fields so that the year is fertile. From now on, winter should leave, giving way to the sunny and warm spring.
With the advent of Christianity, the Shrove Tuesday became known as Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, it is customary to perform the rite of forgiveness in temples, to ask each other for forgiveness for all the offenses of the past year. In the evening, as on Monday, the dead are commemorated, if possible they visit the cemetery.
Keeping all the traditions of pancake week is fun and delicious. But in order for Maslenitsa to be a joy, and not a burden, you need to eat in moderation and choose only the right pancakes. How to do it, read
Myasopust, Zvonchaty, Wedding with a pine, Carnival - all this is the name of one holiday among different peoples. We used to call it simply Maslenitsa. This is the border between winter and spring. At the end of Maslenitsa, Lent begins. The main task of which is to prepare people for the Easter holiday.
A bit of history
Maslenitsa is a familiar folk name that we usually use, but in reality this period is called Cheese Week. The origins of this celebration are rooted in the depths of pagan times. In pre-Christian Rus', this holiday was timed to coincide with the day. Fun lasted for 14 days. In those days, Maslenitsa was distinguished by a special expanse: booths were arranged, villagers gathered together to greet each other and have a noisy time. Women, children, teenagers chose high slides and organized sledding, all this was accompanied by cheerful laughter. Men, on the other hand, preferred to measure their strength with their relatives and neighbors, organized sports competitions and fist fights.
Each housewife considered it her duty to prepare as much delicious food as possible. Particular attention was paid to pancakes, they were prepared with different fillings. It is not in vain that this dish was chosen as a symbol of the holiday.
In anticipation of spring, people wanted to attract as much sunlight as possible. Pancake fits the role of a heavenly body - the same yellow and hot. With the adoption of Christianity, many pagan holidays were cancelled. But they still decided to leave Maslenitsa, although the time for fun has shifted and become less. This was done in order not to violate the rules of Great Lent.
According to church canons
Answering the question: "Cheese week - what is it?" - we can say that this is a great Christian holiday, which is considered a harbinger of Lent. It is celebrated seven weeks before Easter. The people called this period - Myasopust. All because it was impossible to eat meat products. During this period, the diet consisted of eggs, butter and dairy products. For believers and ministers of the church, Cheese Week is especially important; it is the starting point for preparing for Great Lent. Christians, in addition to abstaining from meat, must be especially strict in their conduct. You can not succumb to fun, entertainment and revelry.
modern celebration
Today, many do not adhere to church canons. believe that Cheese Week (Maslenitsa) is just another occasion for fun and relaxation from working days.
Maslenitsa Week
It was believed that Maslenitsa should be held cheerfully and on a grand scale. It was believed that in this way you can attract good luck for the next year. It is worth noting that each day of the Cheese Week is assigned a role. During the week, special rituals had to be performed.
Seven days are divided into a narrow Maslenitsa and a wide one.
First half
Monday. On this day, in the morning, all the housewives began to work. It was also special for young girls who were preparing to get married. We met matchmakers, discussed the wedding menu and made a list of guests. Married women went to their parents, and the next morning the husband came to visit them with his relatives.
The pancakes that were baked first were distributed to the poor and homeless, who, in turn, had to pray for their dead relatives. Residents of several settlements met, chose especially snowy places, brought pancakes and tea with them. During the festivities, a scarecrow was built, which personified the outgoing winter. He was dressed up in old clothes and rolled on a sleigh. Thus paid tribute to the winter months. Closer to the night, the scarecrow was installed in a conspicuous place - near the village or in the city center. This day is called the Meeting.
Tuesday. Fairs and visits were organized on this day. Brides were held among the youth, and after Lent it was possible to play a wedding. The future husband and wife had to spend all this time together. The guys entertained their girls, rolled on the snow slides and sang praising songs. The same tried to show their skills in cooking various dishes, which they treated the future suitors.
Wednesday. This day of the week was devoted to the family. The hostesses laid a large table. If a son-in-law came to visit, he had to be carefully looked after, to show signs of special attention, so that he felt like an honored guest. If there were disagreements before, this was the best day to make up. Large tables were also laid on the street, this united the inhabitants of the villages and helped to settle the previous quarrels.
Second half of Maslenitsa
Thursday. It was the most noisy and cheerful Maslenitsa. The housewives completed all the housework. The cheese week was an indicator of how cheerful and friendly the Slavic people were. What kind of games and undertakings they did not come up with: dizzying rides from the hill, swings, carousels. Pancake eating competition. Men could show their strength, courage and resourcefulness - during comic defenses and captures of snow castles. People believed that by jumping over the fire, they help the sun gain strength and quickly drive away the cold winter.
On Thursday, fisticuffs were arranged and Veles was revered - this is the god who protects domestic animals. That is why the first pancakes of this day were fed to horses and cows.
Friday. This day was dedicated to my mother-in-law. The sons-in-law invited them to visit them, treated them and showed all their respect. On the eve of Friday, the mother-in-law handed over food and utensils so that pancakes could be cooked. It was cow's butter, a ladle and a frying pan. If one of the parties did not fulfill its part of the duties, this caused enmity and quarrels.
Saturday. This day was called Zolovkin's gatherings. The bride gathered all her husband's relatives, but special attention was paid to the sister-in-law, the husband's sister. She had to prepare and present a gift to the hostess. The young wife treated the guests with various dishes, once again proving her skills. If the girl was unmarried, she invited her friends to visit. The fair sex, who were engaged, made gifts to their relatives.
Last day of cheese week
Sunday. On this day, Cheese Week ended. The celebrations were coming to an end. One of the traditions of this day is whistling. For this, whistles made in the form of birds were used. Thus, people called on the birds to return to their native lands.
At a meeting, people bowed low to each other and for all insults and omissions. Fires were kindled, driving away winter and inviting spring. The central event of the day was the burning of an effigy. The rest of the festive food was thrown to him. After the fire, only ashes remained, which people collected and scattered in their fields or rivers. They believed that this would help awaken the sleeping earth.
They cleaned the houses and prepared for the main holiday - Easter. During the whole evening it was possible to come to the table seven times. And finally, gather the whole family behind him in order to live in harmony next year.
Then it was not cleaned, it was covered with a tablecloth and sheep's fur. Before sunset, one had to visit the cemetery to pay tribute to the dead. Pancakes were left on the graves. On Sunday they drank very little and went to bed before midnight.
Fasting
Cheese week: what can you eat? In the Christian church, this week is also called Meat-Feast. For the reason that the presence of meat in food is completely excluded. Eating pancakes with cheese during this fast is encouraged, and therefore it is called Cheese Week. Food these days is simple: dairy products, fish, eggs.
Marital duty during Maslenitsa
For many couples who observe fasting, the question arises as to whether the church is allowed on Cheese Week. The Maslenitsa week itself is not a strict fast. On the one hand, meat is not allowed, but on the other hand, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, butter are allowed. It follows, then, that the absence of a married couple being married in a church does not imply the need for abstinence these days. If a man and a woman are Orthodox Christians, then they can make a decision after consulting with a spiritual mentor.
Maslenitsa in 2015
Cheese week in 2015 fell from 16 to 22 February. Preparations for Maslenitsa must begin in advance. They clean all rooms.
If the house has a stove, it must be completely put in order, cleaned, whitewashed. Also, each housewife should stock up on flour, butter, eggs and various sweets during the holiday.
Maslenitsa is a favorite and long-awaited holiday in many families. It has long been customary that Maslenitsa is celebrated for seven whole days. This period is called "Shrovetide Week". Moreover, from year to year, the date of the beginning and end of the Maslenitsa week varies.
In 2018 Maslenitsa will last from 12 to 18 February. Each of the seven days of Shrove Tuesday has its own name and its own traditions of celebration.
In the old days, Maslenitsa week was completely devoted to folk festivals. However, in the realities of the modern world, we cannot arrange a week of vacation for ourselves.
And yet it is very important to know: what is possible and what is categorically not to be done on Maslenitsa. The Church dictates its own rules, which should be especially taken into account if you are preparing for Great Lent.
Maslenitsa
Here is some useful information about what is allowed and what is strictly prohibited do on Shrove Tuesday. Eating pastries is far from the only way to pay tribute to traditions and have fun!
Maslenitsa, like many other customs, appeared long before the baptism of Rus'. In ancient times, farmers tried to appease the higher powers in order to get a good harvest. Maslenitsa, which is also called Maslenitsa and pancake, used to fall on the spring equinox, that moment in the year when warming was about to begin. Therefore, the ancient Slavs laid several meanings on the holiday at once.
Firstly, it is the boundary separating winter from spring, frost from heat. And since future harvests depended on the weather, the second meaning of the celebration follows from here. Maslenitsa was identified with mother earth. The rituals were accompanied by generous offerings, so that in return the gifts would return a hundredfold.
In the modern Orthodox calendar, Maslenitsa is mentioned in the context of a continuous cheese week (the last week before the long Great Lent), the holiday is considered a national church holiday.
Do's and Don'ts on Maslenitsa
Each day of the Maslenitsa week has its own rituals and signs.