Why it is necessary to see off the winter. How to spend the winter at Shrovetide. Pancakes for carnival

Alexander Balakin

The custom of celebrating Maslenitsa arose long before the adoption of Christianity in Russia. Initially, this holiday was of a mystical, pagan nature and was celebrated for two weeks. The week before the vernal equinox is the farewell to winter, and the week after is the meeting of spring.

At this time, the most important dish that carries a sacred meaning is pancakes. They are associated with the sun - hot, round, yellow. It was believed that when eating pancakes, a particle of the Sun's power passes into a person, which was not at all superfluous at the end of winter.

After the adoption of Christianity, the holiday, given its popularity, no one began to prohibit, the traditions of ancestors and religious traditions harmoniously intertwined. But the farewell to winter was nevertheless corrected, shortening to one week, tying it to Great Lent and making the last day of Maslenitsa Forgiveness Sunday.

In the Christian interpretation, Maslenitsa is not only the farewell to winter, but also preparation for Great Lent. Forgiveness of others, reconciliation with offenders, communication with neighbors, righteous deeds ... It is no coincidence that the first pancake baked for Shrovetide should be given to the poor in commemoration of the souls of the dead.

In the old days, Maslenitsa was greeted in such a way that one can envy. Every day of Pancake Week was scheduled. In general, the whole week was devoted to close communication with relatives and various fun. So, on the first two days, the young people talked to each other, on Wednesday the sons-in-law came to the mother-in-law for pancakes, and on Thursday the mother-in-law, in turn, had to come to the son-in-law for a treat. From Thursday, the real festivities usually began.

The last three days of Maslenitsa were devoted to sleigh rides. Often new sledges were specially bought for such festivities. Along the streets at this time a continuous line of variously decorated sleighs and smart riders glided. Those sitting in them greeted cheerfully, joked and laughed.

We rode down the hills. Moreover, in lowland areas, the slides were made by themselves, from snow and boards doused with water. We rode on everything we could - wet and frozen skins, in wicker baskets with a low side, similar to basins. We rode in hollowed-out tree trunks and even on frozen benches drenched in water!

Naturally, all this fun was accompanied by shouts, squeals, jokes, laughter and flirting of festively dressed youth. Add here playing the accordion, the flute, with round dances and songs around the fire, and you yourself will want to be there. What is important and noted by many chroniclers, people were good-natured, sincere and polite ...

And of course, each of us, at the word Maslenitsa, will remember a stuffed animal made of straw and rags, which must be burned at the stake, completing the Maslenitsa week: this is the only way, according to the customs of our ancestors, you can spend winter and meet spring! At the same time, after the burning of the effigy, young daredevils competed in jumping over the fire. However, this familiar image is actually not the only one: in the old days the winter was seen off, driven out not only by means of fire. It happened that the whole village took out a dressed-up girl outside the outskirts, and dipped her there in a snowdrift, "seeing her off" ...

Snow battles have long been considered another traditional fun: they built snow fortresses and, having split into two teams, arranged real battles. It happened that the defenders of the fortress were attacked even on horseback.

Shrovetide festivities ceased at the end of Sunday (Forgiveness Sunday) after the ringing of the bell calling for the evening service. People asked for forgiveness from relatives, friends and acquaintances, forgave all insults and opened their hearts to long prayer and abstinence, because the following Monday after Forgiveness Sunday is the first day of Great Lent ...

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Shrovetide traditions

Maslenitsa is a holiday not only for the Slavs, but also for almost all of Europe. The tradition of celebrating the arrival of spring has been preserved in different cities and countries, from Siberia to Spain. In the countries of Western Europe, Maslenitsa smoothly turns into a nationwide carnival, where quarrels and disputes cease during the celebration, unrestrained fun, laughter and humor reign everywhere.

In Scotland in the old days on Shrovetide it was customary to bake "lean cakes". A handful of oatmeal was poured into the palms folded together, then the flour was firmly squeezed in the palms and immersed in cold water, and the resulting ball was baked in the hearth right in the hot ash. The Scots consider baking pancakes to be an important act in which all family members try to take part: one greases the pan with butter, another pours dough on it, the third turns the pancake over ...

In one of the cities of England, for many years, a women's pancake race has been held. At 11.45, the "pancake bell" is ringing. Every woman runs with a hot skillet and a pancake. Competition rules dictate that competitors must be at least 18 years old; each must have an apron and a kerchief; while running, you need to toss the pancake in the pan at least three times and catch it. The first woman to give a pancake to the bell ringer becomes the champion of the pancake race for a year and is rewarded with ... the kiss of the bell ringer.

Theatrical performances and concerts are held in schools in Denmark these days. Schoolchildren exchange signs of friendship, send comic letters to their friends through acquaintances without specifying a return address. If a boy receives such a letter from a girl and guesses her name, then on Easter she will give him chocolate.

If the main characters of the Russian Maslenitsa were newlyweds, then in Eastern Europe they were bachelors. Beware, bachelors, Shrovetide. Especially if you happen to find yourself in Poland at this time. Proud Polish women, having lulled your vigilance with pancakes, donuts, brushwood and vodka, will certainly drag you by the hair for dessert. On the last day of Maslenitsa, you can go to the tavern, where the violinist will “sell” unmarried girls.

And in the Czech Republic, these cheerful days, young guys with faces smeared with soot go around the whole village to music, carrying a painted wooden block - "klatik". It is hung on each girl's neck or tied to an arm or leg. If you want to pay off, pay.

In Yugoslavia, you will certainly be put in a pig's trough and dragged around the village. And on the roof of your own house, you can find the figure of a straw grandfather.

And in the old days we had our own customs of meeting and seeing off this holiday. In 1722, on the occasion of the conclusion of the Nystadt Peace Treaty after almost twenty years of war with Sweden, Peter I invited foreign ambassadors to the Maslenitsa celebration. The emperor opened horseback riding with an unprecedented spectacle. Peter rode through the snowdrifts in a ship harnessed with sixteen horses. Behind him was a gondola, in which sat Tsarina Catherine, dressed as a simple peasant woman. Further, other ships and sledges, harnessed by various animals, moved.

Catherine II was very fond of skiing from the mountain, merry-go-rounds, swings. They were arranged in Moscow at the Pokrovsky Palace, where the Empress loved to go to Shrovetide with the whole court. And on the occasion of her coronation, imitating Peter I, she organized a grandiose masquerade procession called “Triumphant Minerva” in Moscow at Masleni week. For three days a masquerade procession rode around the city, which, according to the empress's plan, was supposed to represent various social vices - bribery, embezzlement, bureaucratic red tape and others, destroyed by the beneficial rule of the wise Catherine. The procession consisted of four thousand characters and two hundred chariots.

And when Catherine II awaited the birth of her grandson Alexander, to whom she secretly intended to transfer the throne, bypassing her unloved son Paul, the Empress, with joy, arranged a truly “diamond” carnival for her entourage. Those who were the winners in the games started after supper were presented with a diamond by the empress. During the evening, she presented her associates with about 150 diamonds, striking in their price and rare beauty.

In traditional life, it was always believed that a person who spent the Maslenitsa week badly and boredom would be unlucky throughout the year. Unbridled Shrovetide gluttony and fun are seen as a magical harbinger of future well-being, prosperity and success in all business, household and economic endeavors.

The beginning of Shrovetide ranges from February 3 (i.e. January 21, old style) to March 14 (March 1, old style).

Shrovetide is a week-long holiday, a ritual holiday with round dances, songs, dances, games, and most importantly - with the rite of praise, feeding and burning of the self-made effigy of Winter. The entire celebration of Maslenitsa is accompanied by ritual Shrovetide calls and songs, ditties, jokes, jokes, cheerful congratulations and wishes.

The main event of the last day was the "farewell to Maslenitsa", which were often accompanied by burning bonfires. In Russia, for this day, they made a stuffed animal of Zima from straw or rags, usually dressed it up in women's clothing, carried it through the whole village, sometimes putting the stuffed animal on a wheel stuck on top of a pole; After leaving the village, the scarecrow was either drowned in an ice-hole or burned. Sometimes, instead of a doll, a live "Maslenitsa" was taken around the village: a smartly dressed girl or woman, an old woman or even an old man - a drunkard in rags. Then, amid screams and hooting, they were taken out of the village and there they were planted or dumped into the snow (“Maslenitsa was held”).

It is curious that the concept of "Maslenitsa Scarecrow" is erroneous, in fact, the "Winter" scarecrow was made, it was rolled, it was escorted and burned, but since this action took place on Maslenitsa (that is, a holiday), very often the scarecrow is mistakenly called Maslenitsa ...

Where no stuffed animals were made, the ceremony of "seeing off Maslenitsa" consisted mainly of lighting communal rural fires on a hill beyond the village or by the river. In addition to firewood, they threw all kinds of junk into the fires - bast shoes, harrows, purses, brooms, barrels and other unnecessary things, previously collected by children throughout the village, and sometimes stolen specially for this. Sometimes a wheel was burned in a fire, a symbol of the sun, associated with the approaching spring; it was more often worn on a pole stuck in the middle of a fire.

Among the western and southern Slavs, the Russian "Maslenitsa" corresponded to Start, Mensopust, Pust and some other characters - stuffed animals, whose "wires" ended the Maslenitsa week.

Shrovetide food is becoming the most important form of life. That is why people used to say that at this time one should eat as many times as the dog wags its tail or how many times the crow crows. As you know, the main dish on Shrovetide is pancakes, which are baked every day from Monday, but especially a lot - from Thursday to Sunday. Shrovetide

This time is called a wide Shrovetide. Pancakes were baked in Russia throughout the year, and since the 19th century they have become the main treat during Maslenitsa week, almost completely replacing the famous Russian honey and nut gingerbread. Pancakes had to be eaten only with your hands. To this day, it is customary to roll up pancakes in envelopes and roll them into tubes.

Each day of Shrovetide week has its own name and its own customs. Monday - "Meet" On this day, pancakes began to bake, and the first pancake was not eaten. but given to the poor or put on the window. On Monday, they made an effigy of Maslenitsa, put on old clothes and drove around the village with singing, then put them on a snowy mountain, where sledding and icy matting began. It was believed that the farther the sled rolled, the louder the laughter and noise, the more productive the year would be.

Wednesday - "Lakomka" The hostesses invited guests into the house: neighbors, relatives, friends, and set the table for the "gourmet". They cooked pancakes, pies, honey cakes, sbitni and nuts in honey. They baked according to their prosperity, some with caviar, red fish, cheese, some with herring, potatoes and onion baking. On Wednesday, they competed in strength and dexterity, carried out fist fights, horse races.

Forgiveness Sunday Sunday is the last day of Shrovetide, they call it “Forgiven Sunday” or “kissing”. On this day, we saw off the winter and welcomed the spring. They burned a scarecrow of winter at the stake and had fun. The final fun of this cheerful day was the youth jumping over the fire. And on this day, it was customary to ask each other for forgiveness for the insults that had accumulated over the whole year. In response, they said: "God will forgive"

March 22, according to the national calendar, is the day of the Lark. According to popular beliefs, the first forty birds arrive on this day and bring spring on their wings.
Spring

In Russia, they have always been very serious about the time preceding the summer - the beautiful Spring. Spring was always expected, met, called out, hooted, so that it would come with warmth, with good weather, with bread, with a rich harvest.

When releasing the birds, they said:
Titmouse sisters,
Tap dance aunts,
Red-throated bullfinches,
Fine fellows,
Thieves sparrows!
Fly at will
You will live on freedom,
Bring the spring to us as soon as possible!

Spring was called several times. Often, the call of Spring was first begun when nature itself showed it: the snow is melting, dripping from the roofs, the birds come and start singing like spring.
The Russian people say that birds bring a real, warm spring on their wings. Forty different birds fly from warm countries, and the first of them is the lark or sandpiper. But, nevertheless, there are dates that are considered the most suitable for the call. One of these dates is March 22nd. The second time Spring was called and called on this very day.

March 22 chants
March 22 - this day coincides with the astronomical day of the vernal equinox - the day when Spring comes, the day when the length of the daytime is equal to the length of the dark time of the day.

Ritual tree
The Spring Festival was held at a ceremonial tree, which was decorated with ribbons, paper flowers, and bells. The ceremonial tree was carried around the village so that everyone could decorate it, and then the decorated tree was brought to where the spring is called.

Baking larks
To bring the arrival of spring closer, the housewives on this day baked from fresh or sour dough birds - "larks", which were called children or brothers of migratory birds, they were seated on thawed patches, roofs, trees and haystacks.

Round dance "Stream"
The round dance game "Stream" is an old ritual game that symbolized the melting of snow. The sun warmed the earth, the snow melted, babbling streams ran everywhere.

The rite of letting birds go
Another holiday associated with birds falls on April 7, when Spring was called for the third (last) time. In Russia, spring was awaited with great impatience and believed that birds could speed up its arrival.

Of course Shrovetide