Maslenitsa
maslenitsa belarusian масленіца russian мaсленица rusyn пущаня ukrainian масляна масниця also known butter lady butter week crepe week cheesefare week eastern slavic religious folk holiday retained number element slavic mythology ritual celebrated last week great lent eighth week eastern orthodox pascha date maslenitsa change every year depending date celebration easter corresponds western christian carnival except orthodox lent begin monday instead wednesday orthodox date easter differ greatly western christian date traditional attribute maslenitsa celebration maslenitsa effigy sleigh ride festivity russian bake bliny flatbread belarusian ukrainian cook pierogi syrniki according archeological evidence nd century ad maslenitsa may oldest surviving slavic holiday christian tradition maslenitsa last week onset great lent week maslenitsa meat already forbidden orthodox christian last week egg milk cheese dairy product permitted leading name cheesefare week crepe week characteristic food maslenitsa bliny – thin pancake crêpes made rich food still allowed orthodox tradition week butter egg milk since lent excludes party secular music dancing distraction spiritual life maslenitsa represents last chance take part social activity appropriate prayerful sober introspective lenten season region day maslenitsa traditional activity monday may welcoming lady maslenitsa community build maslenitsa effigy straw decorated piece rag fixed pole formerly known kostroma paraded around first pancake may made offered poor tuesday young men might search fiancée marry lent wednesday sonsinlaw may visit motherinlaw prepared pancake invited guest party thursday may devoted outdoor activity people may take time work spend day sledding ice skating conducting snowball fight sleigh ride friday sonsinlaw may invite mothersinlaw dinner saturday may gathering young wife sistersinlaw work good relationship last day cheesefare week called forgiveness sunday прощёное воскресенье relative friend ask forgiveness might offer small present culmination celebration people gather strip lady maslenitsa finery burn bonfire leftover pancake may also thrown fire lady maslenitsas ash buried snow fertilize crop vesper sunday evening people may make poklon bow one another ask forgiveness another name forgiveness sunday cheesefare sunday devout orthodox christian last day dairy product may consumed easter fish wine olive oil also forbidden day great lent day following cheesefare sunday called clean monday people confessed sin asked forgiveness begun great lent clean slate due cultural factor russian empire large public celebration maslenitsa longer common turn th century russian revolution following state atheism soviet union public maslenitsa celebration became even less common although maslenitsa continued observed particularly smaller private celebration home village ussr brought back traditional folk holiday maslenitsa observed large public celebration retained holiday secular element additional contemporary socialist element grafted onto start perestroika fall soviet union large outdoor celebration began start much older maslenitsa tradition began revived modern context since moscow staged yearly maslenitsa festival next red square celebration attracting around visitor year increasing secularization many russian abstain meat maslenitsa celebration accompanied shashlik vendor nevertheless meat still play major role festivity many country significant number russian immigrant consider maslenitsa suitable occasion celebrate russian culture although celebration usually reduced one day may coincide date religious celebration russiancanadian composer airat ichmouratov composed overture maslenitsa premiered chicoutimi canada february lorchestre symphonique du saguenay–lacsaintjean baton frenchcanadian conductor jacques clément candlemas slavic carnival fašiangy slovakia rio carnival brazil carnaval netherlands fat thursday poland mardi gras country mărţişor romania moldova marzanna poland meteņi latvia patras carnival greece tsiknopempti shrove tuesday pancake day united kingdom ireland petrushka ballet užgavėnės lithuania farsang hungarian carnival shrovetide life saint orthodox church america undated mark gil encyclopedia jewish food wiley pp – isbn retrieved april isbn