Carnival when celebrated? Shrovetide: traditions, holiday history

When this cheerful holiday comes, Maslenitsa, it is always accompanied by fun, festivities and tasty pancakes. That's why Pancake week is so loved by the Russian people.

Favorite holiday

Pancake week in Russia and in Russia has always accompanied it and is accompanied to this day by a cheerful mood and joy, celebrated with a flourish and an abundance of various delicacies, including pancakes, pies and cheese cakes. Maslenitsa is celebrated everywhere: in villages and cities. It was believed that non-participation in it threatened by the fact that a person can bring trouble on himself. In Shrovetide it is customary to eat a lot of oily and harmful food, it is allowed to indulge in intoxicating drinks and go to visit. Probably, that's why it was and remains a favorite Russian holiday.

History of Carnival

The history of the holiday goes far into antiquity. Maslenitsa is an ancient Slavic holiday, which has firmly taken root in the daily life of people after the adoption of Christianity. Strangely enough, but the Slavs greeted the New Year with Pancake week, because until the 16th century the year did not start from January, but from March. Pancakes in the Slavs associated with the sun: round, ruddy and hot. In the life of Russian people, the Carnival week was the brightest, most cheerful and carefree. The whole Russian people were amusing themselves with dances, sleigh rides, various fairs, admired the mobile theaters, felt in fisticuffs and celebrated the newlyweds. Over time, new holidays began to appear, but Shrovetide continued to celebrate with a swing, not stinting on treats.

During the reign of Alexei Mikhailovich, many measures were taken to calm the disheartened subjects, but all attempts were in vain.

Peter I, a great lover of fun, tried to connect this holiday with European traditions: Italian carnival processions, jesters' views, noisy feasts. Only in one year (1724th) Maslenitsa failed due to severe frosts and snowstorms: the carnival procession could not be organized, as the guests in suits and masks were too cold on the streets of Petersburg.

During the reign of Catherine II during Maslenitsa, a masquerade was held, the participants marched through the villages and ridiculed the vices of people.

Days of Carnival

On Shrove Tuesday, every day of the week is accompanied by a special rite.

So, on Monday it is customary to greet Pancake week: dress up a straw dummy and dress in women's clothes.

On Tuesday, on Maslenitsa - festivities, sledging with icy hills. Large crowds of people went to the fairs, laughed at the performances of puppet theaters and wandered about the guests.

On Wednesday - gourmet. Each house was covered with a table with all kinds of treats: pancakes, pies, beer. At the fairs you could treat yourself to nuts, gingerbread, honey.

Thursday falls on the middle of the fun. It was on this day that the most spectacular fisticuffs took place, with their strict rules and restrictions. By the way, Ivan the Terrible loved such entertainments and this day was especially solemn and merry.

On Friday, they tried to speed up the wedding and find a lonely couple. Also on this day my mother-in-law invited his sons-in-law to pancakes and pies.

On Saturday, the sister-in-law and the young daughter-in-law preferred to gather and sit around at the table.

On Sunday of that week, Shrove Tuesday when celebrated, it is accepted to ask forgiveness of all for committed acts or occasional insults. That is why the last day of the week is called "forgiven Sunday."

Carnival when celebrated?

There are no clear dates for the celebration: they are mobile and every year are different. Therefore, when we say that when Maslenitsa is celebrated, we can not name a specific number, but we will give the landmarks: this is the eighth week before the great Lent. The whole week is accompanied by delicious food and drinks, thereby preparing the faithful for fasting.

Festivities

Pancake week was always accompanied by cheerful and carefree festivities. In Russia it was considered a rampant, ruinous week. Villagers from small to large preferred to rest this week, to ride on sledges, from slides, to dress up a straw woman in clothes, to carry her on a sleigh. Also there were fairs, where everyone considered it their duty to buy necessary and unnecessary trinkets. In the squares were sold treats - pancakes with all kinds of fillings: sour cream, honey and caviar. You could have a beer or a hot tea. Famous fist fights, masquerades, and mummers went around. Shrovetide when celebrated, everyone has a good and cheerful mood.

Signs and customs

Maslenitsa (when it is celebrated, we have already found out) is a time when all customs and signs are associated with pancakes.

• It is believed that if pancakes do not work, then expect misfortunes and misfortunes; if the dish is hot and ruddy, luck and happiness will accompany the family.
• Many pancakes - to enrichment and prosperity, a little - a year will be lean and heavy.
• All year there will be no quarrels between son-in-law and mother-in-law if she feeds him with delicious pancakes. Otherwise, quarrels can not be avoided. But they often forget about his father-in-law, because he should invite his son-in-law on Sunday to "eat up a ram", that is, a meat dinner.
• Pancakes are accepted to treat all friends and acquaintances, as well as to commemorate the deceased, eating the first pancake in their honor.
• One of the most favorite entertainments on Shrovetide was a swing. It is generally accepted that the higher the swing, the richer the harvest will be. Did not ignore the signs and slides: the longer you pass, the longer flax grows in the fields.
• It was also thought that if, when Maslenitsa is celebrated, festivities accompany rain, then we can expect a rich harvest of mushrooms in the forests. And if the Carnival is frosty and cold, then the summer will be warm.
• It was customary to celebrate the days of Maslenitsa in a big way, not stinting on treats. If you meet Maslenitsa with sadness, not having fun from the heart, then the rest of the year will be boring and dreary.

Attribute

The invariable attribute of Maslenitsa is Kostroma. This is a fictional character, which became the embodiment of spring and fertility. They created it with the help of straw, most often the effigy had the girl's face. "Funeral" stuffed in parody. He was placed on boards or stretchers. Were carried around the village, brought to the church, then to the river and into the forest. The girls covered their heads with white kerchiefs and "mourned the deceased". At the head of the procession were the boys, dressed up as priests, in bast shoes and with a censer. Often such "funerals" ended in the drowning or burning of a scarecrow at the stake. This entire rite is related to the idea of the spring revival of nature. It was believed that without this ceremony nature will be unfriendly to the inhabitants of villages, summer will be damp or arid, which will result in a crop failure and, accordingly, poverty and devastation.

The days of the Carnival in the Russian people were considered days of celebration, unrestrained fun, parties. Maslenitsa was a favorite holiday for many villagers, associated with the arrival of spring, the revival of the forces of nature. Residents eagerly awaited this week to have plenty to eat delicious and fatty food before a strict fast. Also in Shrovetide it was customary to have fun, ride a sleigh, celebrate old men and newlyweds, and, of course, weave hot and ruddy pancakes. Today Pancake week has lost some of its importance, but, nevertheless, in the soul of the Russian people remains a cheerful, wild and "delicious" holiday.