Hi mates!
Today I want to tell you about Maslenitsa!
Maslenitsa is an East Slavic traditional holiday celebrated during the week before Lent, retaining a number of elements of Slavic mythology in its ritual.
In the folk calendar of the Eastern Slavs, the holiday symbolizes the border of winter and spring.
The whole week is divided into two periods: Narrow Maslenitsa and Broad Maslenitsa. The narrow Maslenitsa is the first three days: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the Wide Maslenitsa is the last four days: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the first three days it was possible to do chores, and since Thursday all work was stopped, and the Broad Maslenitsa began.
At the same time every day of Maslenitsa had its name.
Monday - Meeting
The beginning of the narrow Maslenitsa. In the morning, the father-in-law with the mother-in-law sent the daughter-in-law to the father and mother for a day, in the evening they themselves visited the matchmakers.
The time and place of the festivities were discussed, the composition of the guests was determined. Snowy mountains, swings, and booths were completed to this day. Started to bake pancakes. The first pancake was given to the poor to mention the dead. On Monday, a scarecrow of Maslenitsa was built from straw, old clothes and other improvised materials, which were put on a stake and carried in a sleigh along the streets.
Tuesday - Tricks(zaigrishi)
On this day the bride looks. All Maslenitsa rituals, in fact, boiled down to matchmaking, so that after Lent, on the occasion of the Red Hill, a wedding.
In the morning, young people were invited to ride from the mountains, eat pancakes. They called relatives and friends. For the celebration of Maslenitsa, the words were pronounced: “We have mountains of snow ready and pancakes are baked - please favor!
Wednesday - Gourmet
Another name: rus. Gourmand woods.
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On this day, the son-in-law came to her mother-in-law for pancakes, which she herself was preparing. On this day, mother-in-law showed affection for her daughter's husband. Besides the son-in-law, the mother-in-law invited other guests.
Thursday - Rampant
Other names: rus. Razgulay, Fracture, Wide Thursday, Kolyada Maslenaya.
From this day the Broad Maslenitsa began, the chores ceased, the celebrations unfolded to the full. The people indulged in all sorts of fun, horseback riding, fistfights, various competitions, which culminated in noisy feasts. The main action on Thursday - the assault and the further capture of the snow town.
Maslenitsa festivities everywhere were accompanied by fires and ritual jumping through the fire. A distinctive feature of the festivities were Maslenitsa songs.
Friday - Mother-in-law evening
On this day, with a return visit, the mother-in-law came to visit his son-in-law. Pancakes this day baked a daughter - the wife of a son Mother-in-law came to visit with their relatives and friends. The son-in-law had to demonstrate his disposition to his mother-in-law and her relatives.
Saturday - Zolovka gatherings
Young daughters-in-law invited sisters] and other relatives of the husband. If the sister-in-law was not married, then the sister-in-law invited her unmarried girlfriends, if her husband's sisters were already married, then the sister-in-law called her married relatives. The newlywed was supposed to give any gifts to the sister-in-laws.
The Orthodox Church on Saturday celebrates the Cathedral of all the Reverend Fathers.
Sunday - Farewell
The culmination of the whole Maslenitsa week. On Sunday, there was a blast before the beginning of Lent. All close people asked each other for forgiveness for all the troubles and offenses caused during the year. On the evening of the Sunday, they remembered the dead, went to the cemetery to say goodbye to their relatives. On this day, went to the bathhouse. The remnants of the festive food were burned, the dishes were thoroughly washed. At the end of the holiday, the effigy of Maslenitsa was solemnly burned, and the resulting ashes were scattered across the fields.
In the temples of the evening worship, the order of forgiveness is performed (the abbot asks for forgiveness from other clerics and parishioners). Then all the believers, bowing to each other, ask for forgiveness and, in response to the request, say “God will forgive”. Begin to make Lenten services.
Seeing Carnival
On the last day of the Maslenitchnaya Week, a wire ritual of the Maslenitsa Week took place, which consisted in burning the effigy of Maslenitsa . A traditional memorial food (pancakes, eggs, tortillas) was thrown into a bonfire with a burning stuffed animal.
It was believed that the fires burned the hardships and misfortunes of people, all the negative accumulated during the winter.
This day it turned into fun and entertainment, and then seeing the winter was a sacred ritual in which all the people took part.
So tommorow as you know will be the last day of Maslenichnaya week. And it should be great. Hope I'll go away from my work early enought to take part in this closing part.
Thank you for reading! Sincerely yours @travoved!