History of Maslenitsa in Russia

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Maslenitsa is one of the few folk holidays with a history of many thousands of years, which is still celebrated by Russians today. True, of the dozens of rites invented for seeing off winter on the eve of Great Lent, our contemporaries know at most 5-6. Moreover, many do not know why and when Maslenitsa appeared in Russia. The history of the origin of the holiday is also interesting for children, who are especially attracted by fun games and entertainment, as well as delicious traditional treats. For example, it's hard to find a child who doesn't like pancakes and pancakes!

Pagan Holidays

The rites of meeting spring and seeing off winter existed among many sedentary peoples back in pagan times. In particular, the Slavs from time immemorial celebrated the day of the spring solstice. There is also an alternative opinion that the history of Maslenitsa goes back to the time when there was a cult of the god Veles, who is the patron saint ofcattle breeding and agriculture. His holiday fell on February 24th according to the new style and preceded the meeting of the new year, which until 1492 began in March.

Carnival

Many researchers believe that the history of Maslenitsa dates back to antiquity. Indeed, a holiday similar to the Slavic farewell to winter existed in ancient Rome. After the adoption of Christianity by Emperor Constantine and in the following 1-2 centuries, the question of eradicating paganism was acute for the church. To this end, many holidays of the new religion were moved to dates corresponding to the days when it was customary to glorify the ancient Roman gods. In particular, the boundaries of Great Lent were somewhat shifted, and religious processions began to be held instead of Bacchanalia and Saturnalia. By the way, not many people know that the French word “carnival” is translated as “goodbye meat” and is consonant with the second old name of the Russian Maslenitsa - Myasopustu. For the first time, carnivals in the modern sense in most European cities began to take place in the 9th century. By this time, the church had already strengthened its positions, and the clergy less zealously fought against the remnants of the pagan past, especially since the first half of the holiday week was accompanied by numerous religious ceremonies.

History of Maslenitsa celebration in Russia: origins

As you know, Christianity came to us from the Byzantine Empire, which is the heir to the culture of Ancient Greece. Exactlytherefore, the history of Maslenitsa in Russia is a mixture of Slavic rituals with Orthodox traditions of folk festivals on the eve of Great Lent. The latter, in turn, arose as a continuation of processions in honor of the god Dionysius.

Shrovetide and Lent

Sometimes people tend to idealize the past and forget that Russia until the 18th century was an agrarian country, where most of the population were peasants. Their prosperity directly depended on weather conditions, so that in lean years, many had to deal with such a phenomenon as famine. Thus, a hearty meal for many was one of the few pleasures available, so any holiday turned into a feast. The foregoing is especially obvious when the history of the origin of Shrovetide is considered. In particular, many researchers believe that Great Lent, in addition to religious overtones, had a completely utilitarian meaning. After all, at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the peasants ran out of food supplies, and strict abstinence allowed them to “hold out” until spring, when mushrooms and greens appeared. At the same time, at the beginning of February, the calving of cows began, so there was a lot of milk, from which butter and cheese were made. During Lent, they were harvested for future use, so after Easter, the peasants were provided with high-calorie foods, which was very useful during the sowing season. Before giving up hearty meals for a long time, peasants and representatives of other classes had fun and indulged in gluttony. And how the history of the emergence of Maslenitsa developed depended on the tastes and preferences of princes and kings.

Celebration under Peter the Great

In the first half of the 18th century, some European traditions penetrated Russia. In particular, in 1722, at the end of a protracted war with Sweden, Emperor Peter the Great invited foreign ambassadors to take part in the oil-growing festivities. In order to surprise Europe, an unprecedented spectacle was arranged: the tsar rode through the snow on a ship harnessed by sixteen horses, and after him a gondola “floated” with Empress Catherine dressed as a simple peasant woman. And that is not all! The royal people were followed by other ships, harnessed by various animals, which carried the courtiers. All this was accompanied by loud music and illuminations and made an indelible impression on the audience.

Celebration of Maslenitsa under Catherine II

The history of Maslenitsa also contains several interesting pages related to the name of Catherine II. In particular, she introduced the custom of organizing masquerade processions in Moscow, where she moved with the whole court at the end of winter. For the first time, residents of the city and foreign guests were able to admire such a spectacle on the day of the coronation of the Empress. In total, 4,000 people and 200 chariots took part in the procession.

There is also a story of the celebration of Maslenitsa dating back to the era of the reign of Catherine II: on the occasion of the birth of her grandson Alexander, the Empress arranged festivities on an unprecedented scale. In particular, it is known that the courtiers, who became winners in the games,started after dinner, precious gifts were given. In just one evening, the Empress gave away 150 pieces of jewelry, for which Maslenitsa in 1777 was nicknamed the Diamond.

Traditions

The history of Maslenitsa has preserved to us the description of special rites. At the same time, our ancestors had a Shrovetide week scheduled by day, and each had a special name:

“meeting” - Monday;

“Flirty” -Tuesday;

“Gourmet” - Wednesday;

"Wide-Thursday" - Thursday;

"Mother-in-law's party" - Friday;

“sister-in-law gatherings” - Saturday;

“forgiveness day” - Sunday.

Activities such as ice slides and sleigh rides, newlywed ceremonies, processions of mummers, fisticuffs and team competitions were popular. For example, the participants in the games were divided into two groups and fought on fists or arranged for the capture of a snowy town. And, of course, Maslenitsa was unthinkable without burning an effigy, which looked different in different regions.

Treat

As already mentioned, Maslenitsa was the last opportunity to eat well before a long Lent. The traditional treat consisted of dairy products (sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese) and eggs, as well as all kinds of flour products, such as syrniki, pancakes, spices, cakes and brushwood. As for drinks, beer was preferred.

Shrovetide holiday: a story for children

To preserve the traditions of the Russian people, it is extremely important to introduce children to theirculture from an early age. This also applies to Shrovetide. After all, this holiday is one of the few that have come down to us almost unchanged. Teachers are advised to start introducing kids to Maslenitsa with a story that once upon a time, our ancestors, tired of the long winter, decided to arrange a fun farewell for her. And what fun without children's games and fun?! Therefore, comic competitions were invented, the participants of which could find out which of them was the most daring and clever fellow.

Besides, if you want to arrange a holiday "Shrovetide: a story for children" in the kindergarten, you should learn various jokes and jokes with the kids. Despite the fact that they were invented several centuries ago, today they are a good tool for introducing kids to their national culture.

Now you know how Maslenitsa was celebrated in Russia. The history of the holiday is full of interesting facts that will surely be of interest to both adults and children.