Maslenitsa week. Maslenitsa week

What date is Maslenitsa in 2017?

Maslenitsa is one of the most beloved holidays of the entire Russian people. Previously, this holiday was highly respected and carefully prepared for its occurrence.

Today Maslenitsa is known only for the tradition of baking pancakes with butter, although the essence of the celebration is completely different. In addition, the day of this holiday changes every year, so many are wondering when Maslenitsa will occur in 2017.

history of the holiday

Initially, the holiday was called Maslyanitsa. Only after the introduction of modern spelling rules began to be called the more euphonious word Maslenitsa. Contrary to erroneous and widespread belief, this holiday was celebrated long before the adoption of Christianity in Rus'. Slavs by all possible ways They tried to drive away the winter as quickly as possible and attract the warmth of spring. This holiday was founded to lure or “cajole” spring, which is slowly coming into its own. It was believed that just as butter melts on warm pancakes, so the snowdrifts will melt with the arrival of a warm and long-awaited spring.

At the time of the founding of the holiday, the arrival of spring began to be celebrated 7 days before the spring equinox. The holidays ended only on the 7th day after this important spring day. When Rus' adopted the Christian faith, the celebration of Maslenitsa was reduced to a week.

What date will Maslenitsa be celebrated in 2017?

As they said, the day of Maslenitsa celebration is not tied to any date. It is calculated depending on the day of the beginning of Lent, which lasts for 7 weeks. The end of Great Lent is the holy holiday of Easter. Anyone asking the question: “What date does Maslenitsa start in 2017?” may be surprised, since festive pancakes will need to be prepared on the eve of the World War women's day March 8. Since the holiday is celebrated for 7 days, Maslenitsa week will last from February 20 to February 26 inclusive. It is also noteworthy that each day of Maslenitsa week has its own original name.

Days of Maslenitsa week

The first day that opens Maslenitsa week (Monday) was called “Meeting” by the Slavs. By this day, all festive preparations were supposed to be completed: the construction of ice slides and snow towns. During the holidays, they not only played snowballs and went sleigh rides, but also hosted entire games that made the holiday truly special. The preparation of horses for riding was also completed. The housewives also completed their culinary masterpieces. On Monday it was necessary to put aside all worries and chores around the house and start baking pancakes. The first pancake was necessarily given to the poor, to remember all the deceased loved ones and relatives.

The second day was called “Flirting”. On Tuesday, young people gathered in groups and began fun sledding from the previously provided ice slides. The rides were accompanied by laughter and cheerful shouts from those walking. Also on Tuesday, everyone started treating each other to pancakes.

The third day was affectionately called “Gourmets”, because mothers-in-law invited their sons-in-law to delicious pancakes. Even today the saying remains: “we’re going to our mother-in-law for pancakes,” which was very relevant on Wednesday of Maslenitsa week.

Thursday was also no different from the previous ones. holidays and had the funny name “Wide Revelry”. All the adults and children had fun and had fun in every possible way. Swings and sleds were popular, as were honorary rides on the famous “troika with bells.” There were also very fun snowball and fist fights. People spent the whole day in crowds going from house to house in the village, where they were warmly and joyfully treated to pancakes with a wide variety of fillings. Particularly popular were pancakes with cottage cheese, caviar, mushrooms, meat, fish, berries and other fillings available on the farm. The drinks used were mead, uzvars, teas, wines and other drinks for every taste. The revelry was simply incredible and people sincerely rejoiced at the end of winter.

On Friday we celebrated the so-called mother-in-law evenings. The sons-in-law, fed with mother-in-law pancakes the day before, invited the respected mothers of their wives for a return visit. It is noteworthy that on Thursday evening, mothers-in-law sent all the necessary ingredients for making pancakes to their sons-in-law’s house, so that they could have time to bake the required number of delicacies before the guests arrived. Mothers-in-law gave instructions to the young on raising children, managing the household, and even relationships. If the mother-in-law did not receive an invitation from her son-in-law, she could be seriously offended for many years.

On Maslenitsa Friday all shops and schools were closed. Children and adults went on a well-deserved rest to celebrate the great holiday of Maslenitsa. Interestingly, Friday was not officially considered a day off.

Saturday was called “sister-in-law’s get-togethers.” So the husbands’ sisters came to their families to make up for lost time and have plenty of time to communicate with their new relatives. Therefore, when you find out what date Maslenitsa will be in 2017, you should think about inviting all your relatives in order to respect old traditions and improve family relationships. All relatives and distant relatives will be glad to have such an invitation and will willingly agree to celebrate Maslenitsa together.

Saturday was considered the most important day of Maslenitsa week, so it was on Saturday that the most fun festivities were held and various entertainment events were attended. Crowds of people gathered in taverns and taverns, drinking copious amounts of vodka and pancakes. It was believed that the brighter a person celebrated Maslenitsa Saturday, the richer and more fun he would live in the coming year.

The resurrection was called the “forgiven resurrection.” All the people, tired of noisy holidays and festivities, burning effigy of Winter and riding on various attractions, gradually calmed down and gathered in churches. On this day, it was customary to ask for forgiveness from all loved ones and relatives; the answer to such a request for forgiveness was “God will forgive!” People also went to the graves of their deceased relatives to receive their forgiveness.

Traditions of Maslenitsa

As already mentioned, the main tradition of Maslenitsa was a noisy and cheerful celebration, in which almost all the people took part. It was customary to bake an incredible amount of pancakes. It was believed that a good housewife should bake as many pancakes as she wanted for her family to enjoy in the coming year. Since making pancakes often took a lot of food, Maslenitsa week was often called wasteful.

On Maslenitsa one should have fun noisily and uncontrollably. If a person refused to celebrate this event noisily and cheerfully, he was promised poverty, as well as bitter tears. Therefore, superstitious people rode horses and slides all week, playfully fought in fist fights, played snowballs, held competitions to eat pancakes against the clock, swam in ice holes and much more.

Burnt or ruptured pancakes were a very bad sign for the housewife. It was believed that this was a sure sign of future failures and misfortunes. Taking this into account, each housewife carefully selected the pancake recipe in order to exclude as much as possible the possibility of marriage.

Attention was also paid to the weather during Maslenitsa week. If it was cold, it was believed that the harvest would be good, which means that all families would have prosperity and wealth. If it quickly warmed up on Maslenitsa, there was a great threat to early seedlings, which could die due to frost.

The Maslenitsa holidays also included solemn maiden fortune-telling. All unmarried girls on Maslenitsa went out into the streets and gave water to all the men they met. This promised them a speedy and very successful marriage. If a drunk man met along the way, the girl could be incredibly happy - this was a sure sign of an early and successful marriage.

How to celebrate Maslenitsa?

Since the answer to the question “What date is Maslenitsa in 2017?” found, you can start planning this holiday in advance. You can arrange many fun entertainment, but you shouldn’t forget about traditional pancake baking either. Ancestors believed that a pancake, so similar in shape and color to the warm sun, could quickly attract warmth and wealth into the house. That is why you can respect Maslenitsa and please your household with different delicious pancakes with different fillings. Children are especially happy about this holiday, they love to have fun and eat various sweet pancakes.

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Published 20.02.17 11:32

Maslenitsa 2017: what date, when, history, traditions and customs of the holiday, and much more, read in the TopNews review.

When is Maslenitsa in 2017: what date?

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In 2017, on February 20, one of the most traditionally riotous and popular holidays starts - Wide Maslenitsa. It ends on the 26th, and on February 27, Orthodox believers enter Great Lent.

Maslenitsa in 2017 coincides with the long weekend on the occasion of the celebration of February 23, so many people will celebrate their beloved holidays on a grand scale.

Maslenitsa 2017: history and traditions of the holiday

According to one version, the word “Maslenitsa” itself comes from the Russian custom of baking intkbbach butter pancakes, which were traditionally considered a symbol of the sun. In addition to this round and much-loved dish, pancakes and pies with various fillings are served on Maslenitsa. Treats are prepared throughout the Maslenitsa week and treated to friends, relatives and guests.

Also on Maslenitsa it is customary to have fun and organize festivities. slides, you can not deny yourself the pleasure of singing and dancing, and another tradition of Maslenitsa is the burning of a scarecrow on a fire, which symbolizes the departure of winter and the arrival of the long-awaited spring.

Before the adoption of Christianity, Maslenitsa was celebrated for 14 days, but today it lasts a week.

Maslenitsa 2017: what you can and cannot do

On Maslenitsa you should definitely visit relatives, invite and visit friends. Under no circumstances should you be sad or give in to despondency. It is believed that if you spend Maslenitsa fun and well-fed, then the year will pass in abundance and with a rich harvest. In addition, on the eve of Lent, you should eat to your heart’s content and take a walk, have fun until you drop in the company of dear people.

Maslenitsa 2017 by day of the week

Traditionally, each day of the Maslenitsa week has its own name and meaning.

So, Monday- this is a Meeting. On the first day of the week they started baking pancakes and the first pancake was always given to the poor. On this day, booths, ice slides, wooden swings and carousels were completed, a stuffed animal was made from straw and carried in a sleigh along the street.

Tuesday called Zaigryshi. People went to fairs, had fun at performances by artists, and young people rode roller coasters, built ice fortresses, and fought in fist fights.

Wednesday- Gourmand. On Wednesday, mothers-in-law baked pancakes for their sons-in-law.

On Thursday- Take a walk - the wide Maslenitsa began. On this day, celebrations and festivities gained strength and prowess.

On Friday On Mother-in-law's evening, the mother-in-law already came to her son-in-law for pancakes.

Saturday- Sister-in-law's gatherings. On this day, young daughters-in-law were supposed to invite their sisters-in-law and other husband's relatives to visit them. On this day, the daughter-in-law should give something to her sister-in-law.

Sunday is considered Forgiven. On this day they say goodbye to Maslenitsa, kiss three times and ask each other for forgiveness. In response they say: “God will forgive, and I forgive.” Also on Sunday, an effigy is burned and the ashes are scattered across the fields.

Traditionally, Maslenitsa is considered in Russia one of the most fun and long-awaited holidays of the year. As you know, the beginning of the celebration of this holiday changes every year, but at the same time, this holiday always lasts a whole week, during which it is customary to organize festivities, visit guests and have fun.

Date and beginning of Maslenitsa 2017

What date does Maslenitsa begin in 2017 is a question that interests many. In 2017, Maslenitsa week will last from February 20 to February 26, foreshadowing the future Lent.

Originally, this holiday was pagan, containing three components: celebrating the arrival of spring in the hope of a fertile year, meeting young people to start families and continue the family line, and tribute to ancestors who, after death, ended up not only in the afterlife, but also in the body of the earth , have become part of nature, which means they also influence the harvest, and therefore life.

Traditions of Maslenitsa

They began to celebrate Maslenitsa and prepare for it two days in advance - they baked pancakes (and the first pancake was always given to the poor), children collected bast shoes from around the yards. The guys with them ran up to passers-by and asked if they were bringing Maslenitsa. If the answer was negative, then the children beat the poor fellow with bast shoes.

Maslenitsa week began with Little Maslenitsa, which lasted three days. These days they continued to work, prepared a lot of foods (pancakes, pies, flatbreads, dumplings, cheesecakes), and began to build a snow town. In the first three days, the groom's family came to visit the bride's family for acquaintance and matchmaking.

Wide Maslenitsa in 2017- These are the last four days of the holiday. It began with Razgul - Maslenitsa Thursday, all household work was completed, general fun began: fist fights, sleigh rides, competitions, common tables were set up, where food was brought and everyone who did it was treated. The favorite pastime of the Slavs was jumping over a fire. Maslenitsa songs were heard everywhere, accompanied by caroling.

Maslenitsa ended with the honoring of ancestors. Women went to the cemetery, brought pancakes and vodka to the graves, and begged for forgiveness. At home they continued to eat holiday dishes, however, they did not clean up the dishes after themselves; on the contrary, they took out all the leftover food and left it on the table, so that when everyone fell asleep at night, the ancestors could come out from behind the stove and eat too.

Last day of Maslenitsa

On the very last day of Maslenitsa (February 26), a straw effigy was burned, personifying winter and last year’s dried-up harvest. The ashes from Maslenitsa were scattered across the fields. Maslenitsa ended with cleaning: they cleaned all the dishes, burned the leftover food, and left nothing for the next day. For believers, the time of Great Lent has come.

The tradition of celebrating Maslenitsa dates back to the ancient times of paganism, when our ancestors associated the beginning of the new year with the agricultural calendar and joyfully welcomed the long-awaited spring days. This holiday is inextricably linked with the tradition of baking pancakes, which, due to their color and shape, are identified by people with the gentle sun. Maslenitsa rituals are designed to drive away the winter cold, invite spring, awaken nature from hibernation and return the warmth of the sun to people. The second component of the holiday is the remembrance of ancestors who can intercede for the fate of the living in the world of the dead, giving them protection from evil forces and illnesses. That is why the housewife must give the first of the baked pancakes to the poor - with a request to pray for the departed.

Features of the holiday

According to church requirements, it is not recommended to eat meat dishes on the days of celebration. The table may include fish-based food, dairy dishes and, of course, pancakes with a variety of fillings - cottage cheese, berries and mushrooms are allowed. It has long been customary to organize Maslenitsa festivities with competitions, sleigh rides, round dances and songs. At fairs, booths with performances are set up, carnival processions are organized, and folk artisans sell their goods.

Each day of Maslenitsa week has its own name, which defines its traditions and rituals.

• Monday- “Meetings.” On this day, married women went to visit their parents, and in the evening their father-in-law and mother-in-law joined them. On the same day, the whole village made a stuffed animal of winter, which they dressed up in old clothes and carried through the streets.
• Tuesday- “Flirting.” This day, on which brides were traditionally looked at, wooed and became acquainted with future relatives, is called “Zigryshi”.
• Wednesday- “Gourmand.” It is on Wednesday that the son-in-law must go to his mother-in-law for pancakes.
• Thursday- “Revelry.” The most fun day of Maslenitsa, which bears this name for a reason - it was on Thursday that Wide Maslenitsa began, folk festivities began and any work stopped.
• Friday- the day when the son-in-law had to show hospitality and invite his mother-in-law for pancakes.
• Saturday- “Sister-in-law’s gatherings.” For married women on this day it was time to invite sisters-in-law and husband's relatives to visit.
• Sunday- “Seeing off.” The culmination of the celebration came on Sunday, which is also called “ Forgiveness Sunday" The obligatory traditions of this day are the custom of asking for forgiveness for possible grievances, commemorating the dead and the ceremonial burning of an effigy of winter. The ashes left over from the ritual fire were scattered in the fields, calling for a fruitful year.

Traditions and rituals of Maslenitsa celebration are associated with the arrival of spring

This holiday does not have a clear date that changes from year to year - Maslenitsa is celebrated seven days before the start of Lent, that is, 7 weeks before the onset of Lent. In 2017, Maslenitsa celebrations will take place from February 20 to 26.

roots go back to pagan times. Initially, the holiday was associated with the day spring equinox, but with the adoption of Christianity it began to precede Lent and depend on its timing. The Christian Church actually added Maslenitsa to its calendar, calling it Cheese Week, so church and folk traditions are closely intertwined in the holiday.

Proto-Slavic Maslenitsa is associated with the cult of fertility. The rituals were designed to sanctify the land and fill it with strength so that it would produce a good harvest. In the popular consciousness, the fertility of the land was inextricably linked with the fertility of people and livestock. These days, boys and girls were looking for a mate for the purpose of procreation. The funeral essence of Maslenitsa was also closely connected with fertility. The departed ancestors, according to the peasants, were simultaneously in another world and in the earth, which means they could influence its fertility. Therefore, on Maslenitsa, departed ancestors were cajoled in every possible way, including pancakes. They were considered funeral food.

Today, the sacred meaning of Maslenitsa has been practically lost, and we perceive it primarily as a holiday of pancakes. However, until now, each of the seven days of the holiday has its own name, which tells us what needs to be done. But this only applies folk tradition holiday.

Maslenitsa folk schedule

Monday - Maslenitsa meeting

On this day, they made a stuffed animal out of straw and put an old one on it. women's clothing, they put this scarecrow on a pole and, singing, drove it on a sleigh around the village. Then Maslenitsa was staged on a snowy mountain, where sleigh rides began.

Tuesday - flirt

On this day, brides' viewings took place. The girls invited young people to ride from the mountains and invited them over to eat pancakes.

Wednesday - gourmet, mother-in-law pancakes

On this day, mothers-in-law invited their beloved sons-in-law for pancakes.

Thursday - revelry, wide Thursday

Day of fist fights. The blood shed during such battles was perceived as a sacrifice to the spirits of the dead or to the gods themselves.

Friday - mother-in-law evenings

If on Wednesday sons-in-law visited their mothers-in-law, then on Friday it was the other way around. At the same time, in the evening, the mother-in-law had to give her son-in-law all the necessary ingredients for making pancakes.

Saturday - sister-in-law's get-togethers

On this day, the young daughter-in-law invited her relatives to her place and treated them to guess what? That's right - pancakes.

Forgiveness Sunday

On the last day of Maslenitsa, it is customary to ask for forgiveness from all relatives and friends, to which they usually answered “God will forgive!”

Sayings for every day of Maslenitsa:

Monday: Maslenitsa is coming, damn it, it’s bringing honey!

Tuesday: Damn is not a sheaf - you can’t prick it with a pitchfork

Wednesday: They don't like pancakes and kisses!

Thursday: Have fun at Maslenaya and treat yourself to a pancake!

Friday: Shrovetide doesn’t last forever!

Saturday: Pancakes are like the sun!

Sunday: Not everything is Maslenitsa, there will be Lent too!