Springtime begins with one of the oldest Slavic holidays – Shrovetide. The festive week has a deep history, traditions and signs. This was told by experts interviewed by Izvestia.
History and traditions of Maslenitsa
According to the expert journalist Goryacheva Ksenia, in the folk calendar of the Eastern Slavs, the holiday marks the border between winter and spring. Maslenitsa is an analogue of carnival in European countries and “Fat Tuesday” among Catholics. In the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church, this period is called Cheese Week.
The date of Maslenitsa changes every year depending on the date of the celebration of Easter. The traditional attributes of the folk celebration of Maslenitsa are the effigy of Maslenitsa, fun, sleigh rides, festivities; Russians have pancakes and tortillas, while Belarusians and Ukrainians have dumplings, syrniki and a block.
The whole week of celebration is divided into two periods: Narrow Maslenitsa and Wide Maslenitsa. Narrow Shrovetide – the first three days: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Wide Shrovetide – these are the last four days: Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the first three days, it was possible to do chores, and from Thursday all work stopped, and the Wide Maslenitsa began.
Today Maslenitsa is a fun holiday, fairs, performances by artists and round dances. Residents of the country with the whole family come for a walk and rejoice. Russia widely celebrates this holiday, there are both mummers and hot delicious pancakes, everything ends with the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa – a kind of transition from winter to spring.
Maslenitsa signs
“Our ancestors knew how to distinguish the signs of fate, according to which they built true predictions for the whole year. Girls in Russia especially watched how pancakes came out for Shrovetide week. It was believed that you can see your future in them, ”Goryaeva notes.
If the pancake easily turned over, then the remaining year will pass safely. In the event that it is difficult to separate from the pan, a difficult period awaits a person.
If an unmarried girl fails to separate a pancake from a pan on Maslenitsa, she will not see another three years of marriage. When an unmarried girl gets pancakes with even edges, this indicates that the marriage (or relationship) will succeed. According to thin pancakes on Maslenitsa, an easy life was predicted, and in thick pancakes, our ancestors saw an omen of severe trials. If you eat peas on Wednesday and pancakes on Thursday, then you will have plenty of money for the rest of the year. The more pancakes you bake for Maslenitsa, the more satisfying and happier the year will be.
Carnival and Church
Despite the fact that Maslenitsa is considered a pagan holiday, Orthodox Russians also celebrate it.
According to Bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Diodor Isaev, when choosing whether to celebrate Maslenitsa, you should listen to yourself.
“In our time, Shrovetide festivities can be called a good holiday – wild amusements and customs like fistfights, in which many people died, have long been in the past. The main thing is to observe moderation – do not overeat, do not indulge in rampant drunkenness. It’s very good these days to go to visit or invite guests to sit at the table and talk, which in our time (when all communication is often online, and close people do not see each other for months) is very important The main thing is that everything happens in kindness and joy, ”he said.
Shrovetide recipes
Pancakes are considered a traditional Shrovetide dish. As culinary historian Anton Prokofiev notes, classic pancakes are wheat pancakes. They are divided into two types – pancakes and pancakes. Pancakes are a yeast product, it insists on dough, which can be made in advance or simply take the leaven used for bread machines. Pancakes are also “red”, with a large addition of muffin – yolks and butter, and if you add whipped cream there, you get “royal pancakes”.
Blini is just flour mixed with eggs, milk, kefir and so on. Buckwheat can be used as flour, but since it has little gluten, it is necessary to mix it with wheat so that they do not fall apart during baking.
Pancakes are also oatmeal, millet, classic Russian pancakes – rye. In general, you can use almost any cereal.
“During cooking, it is best to use 3.2% fat milk, you can also use kefir, in fact this is a game with tastes. The fatter the dough, the deeper the taste of the pancakes, so forget about the diet if you are going to please yourself with them. It makes no sense to save calories on pancakes, ”said Prokofiev.
On February 21, it was reported that Sochi entered the top three Russian cities most popular for traveling to Maslenitsa. The city took second place in this list. Yalta became the leader of the rating. In place after Sochi is the mountain resort of Sheregesh in the Kemerovo region. The cheapest place to relax on Maslenitsa is in Pyatigorsk, and the most expensive is in Suzdal.
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
