Cheese week (Shrovetide)

Myasopust, Zvonchaty, Wedding with a pine, Carnival - all this is the name of one holiday for different peoples. We used to call him just Maslenitsa. This is the boundary between winter and spring. After the Carnival, Lent begins. The main task of which is to prepare people for the Easter holiday.

A bit of history

Maslenitsa is a familiar folk name, which we usually use, but in reality this period is called Cheese Week. The origins of this celebration are rooted in the depths of pagan times. In pre-Christian Russia this holiday was timed to the day of the Vernal Equinox. The fun lasted as long as 14 days. In those days Maslenitsa was distinguished by a special expanse: booths were arranged, together the villagers gathered to greet each other and to spend time noisily. Women, children, teenagers chose high slides and organized sledging, all accompanied by a merry laugh. Men preferred to measure their strength with their relatives and neighbors, organized sports competitions and fights on the kulaks.

Each housewife considered it her duty to cook as much as possible delicious food. Particular attention was paid to pancakes, they were prepared with different fillings. It was not for nothing that this dish was chosen as the symbol of the holiday.

In anticipation of spring, people wanted to attract as much sunshine as possible. The pancake approaches the role of the heavenly body - the same yellow and hot. With the adoption of Christianity, many pagan holidays were abolished. But they decided to leave Pancake week, although the time for fun was shifted and became smaller. This was done in order not to violate the rules of Lent.

According to the church canons

Answering the question: "Cheese week - what is this?" - we can say that this is a great Christian holiday, which is considered the harbinger of the Great Lent. It is celebrated seven weeks before Easter. In the people this period was called - Meat. All because you could not eat meat products. During this period, the diet consisted of eggs, butter and dairy products. For the faithful and servants of the Church, Cheese Week is especially important, it is the starting point for preparing for the Great Post. Christians, in addition to refusing meat, must observe special rigor in their behavior. You can not give in to fun, entertainment and revelry.

Modern celebration

Today, many do not adhere to church canons. Modern people believe that Sedmitsa cheese (Maslenitsa) - just another reason for fun and relaxation from everyday work.

Carnival Week

It was believed that the Pancake week should be fun and grand. It was believed that this way you can attract luck for the next year. It should be noted that every day of the Cheese Week is assigned its own role. During the week, it was necessary to perform special rituals.

Seven days are divided into a narrow Maslenitsa and wide.

First half

Monday. On this day in the morning all the housewives proceeded to prepare pancakes, and it was also special for young girls preparing to marry. We met matchmakers, discussed the wedding menu and made a list of guests. Women who were married went to their parents, and the next morning the husband came to visit them with relatives.

Pancakes, which were baked first, were distributed to the poor and homeless, and those in turn were to pray for deceased relatives. There were residents of several settlements, they chose especially snowy places, brought pancakes and tea with them. During the festivities, a scarecrow was built, which represented the passing winter. He was dressed in old clothes and sledged. Thus, they paid tribute to the winter months. Toward the night, the scarecrow was installed in a conspicuous place - near the village or in the center of the city. This day is called Meeting.

Tuesday. On this day there were fairs and trips to visit. Among the young people there were show-offs, and after the Great Lent, one could play a wedding. The future husband and wife had to spend all this time together. The guys cheered their girls, rolled on snow slides and sang songs that praised them. The same tried to show their skills in the preparation of different dishes, which treated the future bridegrooms.

Wednesday. This day of the week was dedicated to the family. The hostess laid a large table. If a son-in-law came to visit, he needed to be carefully looked after, to show signs of special attention, so that he felt himself an expensive guest. If there were earlier disagreements, it was the best day to make up. Large tables were laid on the street, it united the inhabitants of the villages and helped to settle the previous quarrels.

The second half of the Carnival

Thursday. It was the most noisy and cheerful day of celebrating Maslenitsa. Mistresses completed all the work around the house. Cheese week was an indicator of how cheerful and friendly the Slavic people were. What are the only games and inventions they did not come up with: dizzying skating with slides, swings, carousels. Competitions in eating pancakes. Men could show their strength of courage and resourcefulness - during comic defenses and taking snow castles. People believed that by jumping over a fire they help the sun gain strength and quickly drive away the cold winter.

On Thursday, they organized fisticuffs and worshiped Veles, a god protecting pets. That's why the first pancakes of this day were fed to horses and cows.

Friday. This day was dedicated to the mother-in-law. Their sons-in-law invited them to visit, treated and showed all their respect. On the eve of Friday, my mother-in-law handed over food and dishes to make pancakes. It was cow oil, buckwheat flour, ladle and frying pan. If one of the parties did not fulfill their part of the duties, it caused hostility and quarrels.

Saturday. This day was called the Zolovkin gathering. The bride collected all her husband's relatives from her place, but special attention was paid to the sister-in-law, her husband's sister. She had to prepare and present the gift to the hostess. A young wife treated the guests to different dishes, once again proving their skills. If the girl was unmarried, she invited friends to visit. Representatives of the fair sex who were engaged, made gifts to their relatives.

The last day of Cheese Week

Sunday. On this day the Cheese Week ended. Approached the end of the celebration and the living room. One of the traditions of this day is a whistle. For this purpose, whistles made in the form of birds were used. Thus, people encouraged the birds to return to their native lands.

At the meeting, people bowed low to each other and asked for forgiveness for all the insults and omissions. They lit fires, chasing the winter and inviting spring. The central event of the day was the burning of a scarecrow. He was left with the remains of a festive meal. After the fire there was only ashes, which people collected and scattered in their fields or rivers. They believed that this would help awaken the sleeping land.

They cleaned the houses and prepared for the main holiday - Easter. For the whole evening, you could go up to the table seven times. And finally, to gather behind him with the whole family to live in harmony next year.

Then it was not cleaned, it covered with a cloth and a sheep's fur. Before sunset it was necessary to visit the cemetery to pay tribute to the deceased. Pancakes were left on the graves. On Sunday we drank very little and went to bed before midnight.

Observance of fasting

Cheese Week: What You Can Eat? In the Christian church this week is also called Meatfowl. For the reason that the presence of meat in the food is completely excluded. The use of pancakes with cheese during this post is welcomed, and therefore it is called Cheese Week. Meals in these days are simple: dairy products, fish, eggs.

Spousal duty during the Maslenitsa

Many couples who observe fasting, the question arises whether the church allowed marital relations in the Cheese Week. The Maslenitsa week itself is not a strict fast. On the one hand, you can not eat meat, but on the other hand you can fish, eggs, milk, cheese, butter. Then it follows that the absence of the wedding of a married couple in the church does not imply the need for abstinence these days. If a man and a woman are Orthodox Christians, then they can make a decision by consulting with a spiritual mentor.

Maslenitsa in 2015

Cheese season in 2015 fell from 16 to 22 February. Preparation for Shrovetide should start in advance. Do the cleaning in all rooms.

If the house has a stove, it must be completely put in order, cleaned, whitewashed. Also, each hostess should for the time of the holiday stock up with flour, butter, eggs and various sweets.