Carnival: description of the holiday in Russia, photo. Shrovetide: day by day

One of the most famous and beloved Russian folk festivals, which has been preserved since the time of paganism, is Maslenitsa. Description of the holiday, a brief content of the rituals and rituals scenarios requires the creation of a separate article. Therefore, I propose to read more in detail the history and traditions of the national celebration.

history of the holiday

The ancient Slavs believed that Carnival symbolizes the strengthening of the pagan deity of the Sun. From a weak baby Kolyada, it turns into a strong young man named Yarilu, who helps in the summer to get a rich crop in the fields. In honor of this, Maslenitsa was arranged. The description of the holiday in Russia is represented as a meeting of spring and cajoling the gods with a request for a successful new crop.

Until the XIV century, every year in Russia began its countdown from March 1. Therefore, the Shrovetide festival also meant the celebration of the New Year. Traditional holiday treats were pancakes, which were a symbol of the solar circle. Hot and ruddy, they are like the sun, which every day flares up more and becomes brighter. An ancient sign said: how will the meeting of the new year, this will be the whole year. Therefore, our ancestors did not spare money for a rich feast and fun games, which are especially generous Shrovetide. The description of the holiday mentions its other names among the people: a broad, gluttonous, honest and even ruiner. The proverb read: "Shrovetide is a vigil, the money of a Priberia."

Cheese Week

Over time, the pagan festival, which lasted fourteen days, turned into a Christian one. He began to precede the beginning of the Great Lent, lasting forty days and ending with Easter - the Bright Christ's Resurrection. Because of this Maslenitsa became a motivated holiday, depending on the Easter terms, and decreased to seven days.

In the time of Peter the Great, a decree was issued, which ordered to celebrate the holiday in the image and likeness of European carnivals. We remembered our ancestors happy and happy, and Carnival has come down to our days. The description of the holiday (photo below) is reminiscent of the Italian carnival, which in the translation sounds like "farewell, beef". Seven days before the Post, also called Meat. These days it was already forbidden to eat meat, although other fast food (butter, milk, eggs, fish) was allowed.

Shrovetide Rites

The traditions and rituals of the Cheese Week are strictly ordered and obey the sacred figure seven. That's how many days Shrovetide lasts. The description of the holiday (burning of stuffed animals, folk festivals, gatherings, etc.) indicates that Measopust begins exactly seven weeks before Easter and is divided into two parts. Narrow Maslenitsa is a short period, which includes the first three days of the week. The second part (from Thursday to Sunday) is called the Shrove Carnival. The description of each day speaks of its special purpose and is associated with the performance of certain rituals.

During the week people go to visit, treat each other a hearty festive meal, have fun, dance and sing. The culminating part of the holiday falls on Sunday. On this day, the effigy of Winter is being burned. Ritual symbolizes the inevitable change of seasons. This solemn event ends Maslenitsa.

The description of the holiday for children and adults contains a deep meaning, based on folk wisdom. He talks about the sacrifice that is necessary for future fertility. The birth of life is preceded by struggle, death and resurrection. Further in the article we will consider the description of Maslenitsa for each day of the holiday. We will also learn what customs of the Meat-Frozen Week has survived to this day.

Day One - Meeting

Narrow Maslenitsa. Description of the day of events, which must occur on a festive week, starts on Monday. From improvised materials (straw, rags, hemp), young people were making a big doll, dressing it in women's clothes. So there was a ritual of creating a scarecrow, which was called "Carnival".

Description of the holiday in ancient cities and villages confirms that this day was filled with important events. Maslenitsa was put on a stake and put on public display in the central square. The children gathered dry branches, the remains of straw, old rags and put it all together, preparing a future fire to burn the scarecrow. Men built snowy cities, in which they then organized merry massacres. For children and adults, they built ice slides, poured ice rinks, installed variegated carousels.

For a whole week the people rejuvenated the Shrovetide. Description of the holiday mentions the large fairs, where there was a brisk trade in various goods and arranged noisy performances with mummers. The people were amused by jesters and buffoons, who sang merry chastushki and made funny jokes. Various competitions were organized for men, where they could measure their strength and show their brave performance. All the events of the first day underscored the special joy of the meeting of an important event called Maslenitsa.

The description of the holiday for children is marked by special care for them. For kids, they prepared sweet tables, where they delighted with candy cockerels on a stick, sugar nuts and other sweets. On the square put on the show booths, where puppet shows were given. The children created for their fun a small straw woman. She was put on a sled and carried around the village.

On the first day of the holiday, people began to walk around the guests. On the table, pancakes with different fillings were always exhibited. Particularly welcome baking round shape: cheesecakes, bagels, kalachi. In addition, the housewives necessarily cooked pancakes, potato pies with mushrooms, cottage cheese, cabbage. Guests were treated to expensive guests with various nuts (cedar, walnut, forest), fried sunflower seeds, candy.

On the first day of Maslenitsa, the mother-in-law came to the newlyweds to teach the children how to cook pancakes properly. According to custom, the first baked pancake was given to beggars or blessed people so that they would remember the deceased.

Day Two - Winning

The name of Tuesday speaks of his special cheerful mood. From the very morning young people were treated to pancakes, rolled on carousels and ice slides. Guys flirted with the girls, looking for a future bride among them. Very popular was horse riding, so the wealthy suitors specially by this time bought painted sledges, on which they drove their chosen ones.

Festive festivities in the Meat-packed week were called Maslenitsa fun. They hosted a wide variety of amusements and fun: snow battles, taking a snow town, fighting, bear ideas, jumping over a fire, riding a slide from a hill.

Day Three - Gourmand

On Wednesday, the narrow Maslenitsa came to an end. The description of the holiday on this day speaks of its special significance in maintaining family relations. Adult children came to visit their parents, gave them gifts and congratulated them on the holiday. Each mother-in-law at Lakomka cooked pancakes according to her special branded recipe and treated them dear son-in-law. In addition, the tables were bursting with all sorts of food, which was also treated to relatives and close friends. Since then, related visits to Pancake week began to be called a visit "to the mother-in-law for pancakes."

With Lakomka there are many comic songs, proverbs and sayings, which talk about the relationship of close relatives: "son-in-law to the yard - pie on the table"; "Son-in-law on the threshold - mother-in-law for eggs"; "Will the son-in-law come, where should we get the sour cream?" Especially costly was a holiday for those families, where many daughters grew up. Hence the proverb was born: "Though with yourself all lay, but Shrovetide spend!"

Day Four - Razgulay

Wide Carnival. Description of the days of the festive week continues on Thursday, in which triple revelry tripled. The people devoted themselves to all sorts of joys with special power. They drove along the streets a stuffed animal on the wheel, sang, made merry, and arranged horseback riding. It was believed that the custom helps the sun to spend the winter more quickly. As a sign of this, young people rode on triples around the village, moving clockwise.

This was Maslenitsa. The description of the holiday with pictures says that the fourth day was a turning point in the Shrovetide week, so the festivities were stormy and lasted until late in the evening. The children went to their homes and caroling. Men on Razguliay organized a battle in a snow town, and also measured their strength in fisticuffs or went "wall to wall." The girls arranged dances, took round dances, sang dirty ditties. On this day for couples in love it was not considered shameful to kiss in the sight of everyone. And especially shy could just throw snowballs. And, of course, they continued to cook countless pancakes and treat them to each other.

Day five - Teschiny evening

On Friday, my mother-in-law came to her daughters and sons-in-law, making a return visit. Guests were met with special respect and respect. The sons-in-law treated the wife's relatives to hot pancakes and provided them with all kinds of honors. On this day there were not just feasts, but spiritual conversations, in which the older generation advised young people, encouraged and encouraged them.

Description Carnival will be incomplete, if you do not talk about how to prepare for the mother-in-law's evening. When his son-in-law forgot to call his mother-in-law to visit, she could be offended for life. The ritual was that after the invitation each mother-in-law sent kitchen utensils: pans, bowls and other dishes for baking pancakes. From the father-in-law came food, from which the son-in-law could knead the dough. On Friday morning in the mother-in-law's house sent a messenger with a reminder that they are waiting for a visit. On the day of the mother-in-law's evening, all the shops and workshops were closed, and classes were canceled at schools.

Day six - Zolovkin gatherings

On Saturday, a young daughter-in-law invited her sister-in-law-her husband's sister. The house was also visited by married friends and young women. The hostess laid a festive table for her friends and gave gifts to the gilded ones. Women's gatherings were a good occasion to exchange news and discuss things.

On the sixth day of Maslenitsa, festive revelry and feasting continued. One of the main fun was the trotting of jogging and riding on painted troikas.

Day Seven - Forgiven Resurrection

On Sunday, they performed the main rite, which was followed by Maslenitsa - burning stuffed animals. The straw woman was first driven through the village, and then taken to the outskirts, where they set fire to. When the doll was burning, the youth began to jump over the fire. In addition to firewood, old things were thrown into the fire, for example, a wooden wheel. It symbolized the sun, which was approaching the early spring.

In some villages Maslenitsa was heated in an ice-hole or torn to pieces, and the remains were scattered around the village. Sometimes, instead of the straw stuffed Pancake week, an elderly woman or an old man was chosen. They were dressed in a festive outfit, carried on a sleigh through the village, and then dumped in the snow.

The ritual annihilation of the straw doll symbolized the farewell to the Carnival and the resurrection of its strength with the onset of spring in the sprouted grains of bread. On the last day of Maslenitsa, it was allowed to drink alcohol and have fun till night. Sunday ended the people's week-long celebration. On the last day of the week before the Great Lent everyone asked for forgiveness from each other, thus freeing their soul from sins. To completely repent, it was decided after burning the stuffed to go to the steam bath.

How do they celebrate Shrovetide today?

The ancient pagan festival preserved its traditions until today. In honor of the holiday in many Russian cities, there are carnival processions with mummers, masquerades and fireworks. For the guests arrange Maslenitsa area with a stage, attractions and places for the sale of souvenirs and festive food.

In the Shrovetide week it is customary to devote more time to his family, to visit relatives and receive guests. On the Forgiven Sunday, all Orthodox people repent of their sins and show mercy to others.

Particularly welcome the participation of children and adolescents in a merry holiday called Maslenitsa. Description for children of the history of the holiday and its traditions, which have survived to this day, gives the younger generation useful knowledge about their people. Popularization of the Cheese Week includes mandatory participation in the city events of families with children. For toddlers in kindergartens and schools set a colorful stuffed Carnival and arrange a collective farewell to the winter. Numerous master classes on the preparation of a variety of pancakes with the indispensable participation of children accustom them to work and narrate about what Maslenitsa is. The description for children of the scenarios for the celebration includes contests for knowledge of traditions, proverbs and sayings associated with Shrovetide. There are also a lot of different contests, games and games with obligatory awards and gifts. All this enriches the children with new knowledge and helps organize cultural leisure.

How do they celebrate Shrovetide in other countries?

Maslenitsa is not only a celebration of the Slavs, it has long been celebrated in many European countries. The festive week marks the arrival of spring and takes place in the form of a carnival. At this time, quarrels and quarrels cease, rejoicing, laughter and good mood reign.

In Scotland on Shrovetide it is customary to bake round lean flat cakes - an analogue of Russian pancakes. To this event in the house were very responsible and attracted to participate in it all members of the family. Each was assigned a separate role: knead the dough, oil the frying pan, turn the flat cakes, and stack them in piles.

Shrovetide is also widely and cheerfully celebrated in England. Description of the holiday in English tells about an interesting tradition to organize competitions for running with pancakes. Participation in them is accepted only by women who, at the signal of the bell, run, holding in their hands a hot pan with pancake. Each of the participants must be over 18 years old and dressed in a kerchief and a kitchen apron. The most difficult thing in the competition is that during the race you need to throw a pancake three times in a frying pan and catch it. The participant, who came to the finish line first, hands her pancake to the bell ringer, getting for it a kiss from him.

In Russia, the main heroes of the holiday were the newlyweds. It was considered very successful to marry at the Shrovetide week. And in some European countries, the main focus is on bachelors. In Poland, young girls are invited to visit the guys, treat them with pancakes. Instead of gratitude, young guys turn their heads, and girls can pull them by the hair.

In the Czech Republic, the holiday begins on January 6, reaching its apogee in the last week before Post. In the villages young guys smear their faces with soot and, singing merry songs, bypass the whole village. With them, they take a motley wooden bar - klatik, which they put on the girls around their neck or tied to their hands. To pay off from the harassment of suitors, the girl must pay them.

In France, the second day of the week is called Bold Tuesday or Mardi Gras. His story is related to the beautiful ancient legend of the beautiful girl Rose, who saved from the hands of the devil brave guy Gabriel. The feast is accompanied by eating pancakes and a fun carnival, which should end exactly at midnight.

In Greece Maslenitsa is called Apocryes, which means "without meat". The celebration lasts for three weeks and includes the obligatory tradition of frying a pig at the stake. An indispensable attribute of the holiday is also a carnival costumed procession with cheerful songs and games.

In Germany, it is customary to prepare pancakes, pancakes and fried sausage for Shrovetide. During carnival processions people dress up in suits of witches, devils, forest spirits, buffoons and various fairy-tale heroes. In Holland and Belgium, the festive carnival lasts three days. These days, people are treated to pancakes with bacon, pancakes and fried donuts.