Shrovetide is one of the most fun and long-awaited holidays of the year, the celebration of which lasts for seven days. At this time, people have fun, go to visit, arrange festivities and eat pancakes. Maslenitsa in 2018 will begin on February 12, and its end date will be February 18.

Pancake week is a national celebration dedicated to the meeting of spring. Before entering Great Lent, people say goodbye to winter, enjoy the warm spring days, and, of course, bake delicious pancakes.

Maslenitsa: traditions and customs

There are several names for this holiday:

• the meat-empty Maslenitsa is called due to the fact that during the celebration they refrain from eating meat;
• cheese - because this week they eat a lot of cheese;
• Shrovetide - because they use a large amount of oil.

Many people are anxiously awaiting the onset of Maslenitsa, the traditions of celebrating which are rooted deep into our history. Today, as in the old days, this holiday is celebrated on a grand scale, with chants, dances and competitions.

The most popular amusements that used to be arranged in the villages were:

• fist fights;
• eating pancakes for a while;
• sledding;
• climbing a pole for a prize;
• bear games;
• effigy burning;
• bathing in holes.

The main treat both before and now are pancakes, which can have various fillings. They are baked every day in large quantities.

Our ancestors believed that those who do not have fun on Maslenitsa will live the coming year poorly and bleakly.

Maslenitsa: what can and cannot be done?

1. On Maslenitsa you can not eat meat food. It is allowed to eat fish and dairy products. As a main dish, pancakes should be on the table in every house.
2. You need to eat on Maslenitsa often and a lot. Therefore, it is customary to invite guests and not skimp on treats, as well as to go on a visit.

Maslenitsa: the history of the holiday

In fact, Maslenitsa is a pagan holiday, which was eventually changed to the "format" of the Orthodox Church. In pre-Christian Russia, the celebration was called "Seeing off the winter."

Our ancestors revered the sun as a god. And with the onset of the first spring days, they were glad that the sun was starting to warm the earth. Therefore, a tradition appeared to bake round cakes resembling the sun in shape. It was believed that by eating such a dish, a person would receive a piece of sunlight and heat. Over time, flat cakes were replaced with pancakes.

Maslenitsa: traditions of celebration

In the first three days of the holiday, there was an active preparation for the celebration:

• brought firewood for the fire;
• decorated the huts;
• built mountains.

The main celebration took place from Thursday to Sunday. They came into the house in order to treat themselves to pancakes and drink hot tea.

In some villages, young people went from house to house with tambourines, horns, balalaikas, singing carols. City residents participated in the festivities:

• dressed in the best clothes;
• went to theatrical performances;
• visited booths to look at buffoons and have fun with a bear.

The main entertainment was the ride of children and youth from the ice slides, which they tried to decorate with lanterns and flags. Used for riding:

• matting;
• sled;
• skates;
• skins;
• ice cubes;
• wooden troughs.

Another fun event was the capture of the ice fortress. The guys built a snow town with gates, they planted guards there, and then went on the attack: they broke into the gates and climbed onto the walls. The besieged defended themselves as best they could: snowballs, brooms and whips were used.

On Maslenitsa, guys and young men showed their agility in fisticuffs. The inhabitants of two villages, landlord and monastic peasants, residents of a large village living in opposite ends could participate in the battles.

Seriously prepared for the battle:

• soared in the baths;
• ate well;
• turned to the sorcerers with a request to give a special conspiracy to win.

Features of the rite of burning an effigy of winter on Maslenitsa

As many years ago, today the culmination of Maslenitsa is considered to be the burning of an effigy. This action symbolizes the onset of spring and the end of winter. The burning is preceded by games, round dances, songs and dances, accompanied by refreshments.

As a stuffed animal, which is sacrificed, they made a large funny and at the same time scary doll, personifying Shrovetide. They made a doll out of rags and straw. After that, she was dressed up in women's clothes and left on the main street of the village during the Maslenitsa week. And on Sunday they were solemnly carried outside the village. There, the scarecrow was burned, drowned in the hole, or torn to pieces, and the straw left from it was scattered across the field.

The ritual burning of the doll had a deep meaning: it is necessary to destroy the symbol of winter in order to resurrect its power in the spring.

Maslenitsa: the meaning of every day

The holiday is celebrated from Monday to Sunday. On Shrove Week, it is customary to spend every day in its own way, observing the traditions of our ancestors:

1. Monday called "Meeting Maslenitsa". On this day they start baking pancakes. It is customary to give the first pancake to the poor and needy people. On Monday, our ancestors prepared a scarecrow, dressed it in rags and put it on the main street of the village. It was on public display until Sunday.
2. Tuesday nicknamed "The Gamble". It was dedicated to the youth. On this day, folk festivals were organized: they rode sledges, ice slides, carousels.
3. Wednesday- "Gourmet". On this day, guests (friends, relatives, neighbors) were invited to the house. They were treated to pancakes, honey cakes and pies. Also on Wednesday it was customary to treat your sons-in-law with pancakes, hence the expression: “ My son-in-law came, where can I get sour cream?". Horse racing and fist fights were also held on this day.
4. Thursday people called it "Razgulyay". From this day begins the Wide Shrovetide, which is accompanied by snowball fights, sledding, cheerful round dances and chants.
5. Friday They were nicknamed "Teschin's Evenings", because on this day the sons-in-law invited the mother-in-law to their house and treated them to delicious pancakes.
6. Saturday- "Zolovkin gatherings." The daughter-in-law invited her husband's sisters to their house, talked with them, treated them to pancakes and gave gifts.
7. Sunday- the apotheosis of Maslenitsa. This day was called "Forgiveness Sunday". On Sunday, they said goodbye to winter, saw off Maslenitsa and symbolically burned its effigy. On this day, it is customary to ask friends and relatives for forgiveness for the grievances that have accumulated over the year.

Proverbs and sayings for Maslenitsa

Video: the history and traditions of the Maslenitsa holiday

Are there any regulations governing work, work on fasting days, and if so, what are they connected with? Can I do household chores, etc.? The question concerns both long-term and one-day fasts.

The rules of Christian piety presuppose a reverent attitude towards honored holidays, which is expressed, among other things, in the rejection of everyday work. The very word "holiday" comes from the adjective "idle", that is, free from any care. However, such reverence should not be excessive and should not be extended to matters that cannot be dispensed with. The Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly pointed out to the Jews, in whom the veneration of the Sabbath meant the rejection of even such innocent activities as plucking ears of corn or walking a considerable distance, that such an attitude towards the holiday is not pleasing to God.

An Orthodox person, honoring the holiday, should only give up those things that he can do on another day, but not those that need to be done today. Household chores that are not sinful to do on holidays include, for example, cooking, caring for the sick, feeding pets, and repairing emergencies. But washing clothes, repairs, cleaning the home, punishing children should be postponed to another day. At the same time, the time freed from work should not be spent on activities that are not useful for the soul: drunkenness, card games, gossip and watching television series, but, on the contrary, should be used for prayer, spiritual communication, reading books.

Fasting days, with the exception of those that are festive (Exaltation, Palm Sunday, sometimes the Annunciation, the Beheading of John the Baptist, etc.), on the contrary, should be filled with work, which at the same time acquires a special ascetic value.

Can I Eat Soy Products During Lent?

Answers priest Mikhail Vorobyov, rector of the temple in honor of the Exaltation of the Honest
and the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord of the city of Volsk:

Since soy is a leguminous plant, then, of course, there is no reason to refuse to eat on fast days those products where it is present in its natural form. However, the taste characteristics of soy allow it to be used to imitate animal products, from soy mayonnaise and "milk" to soy cutlets and "sausages". As you know, the meaning of fasting is not the formal exclusion from the diet of animal products, but the rejection of sensual pleasures. Therefore, eating goulash from soybeans in fasting means not understanding the meaning of fasting or, even worse, trying, like the ancient Pharisees, to deceive yourself and God.

I always thought that Maslenitsa is when they eat pancakes and have fun. And what is Maslenitsa from the point of view of Orthodoxy?

Answers priest Mikhail Vorobyov, rector of the temple in honor of the Exaltation of the Honest
and the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord of the city of Volsk:

Shrovetide week, Shrovetide - the colloquial name of the Cheese Week - the last week before Lent. In its continuation, they do not eat meat, but you can eat fish and dairy products. This week is solid, the fast on Wednesday and Friday is cancelled.

This preparatory week for Great Lent is dedicated in the Christian sense to one goal - reconciliation with neighbors, forgiveness of offenses, preparation for the repentant path to God - this is the Christian component of Maslenitsa. Maslenitsa is a time that you need to devote to good communication with your neighbors, relatives, friends.

The Church calls to remember that at no time should you have fun, losing your head and conscience.

“Of course, Maslenitsa is a time when, according to tradition, people go to visit, communicate over a meal. But you should not destroy yourself with drunkenness or dangerous games at any time, especially in this week of repentance, which prepares a person for Great Lent, ”said Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.

Lenten services begin in churches. On Wednesday and Friday, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated, the Lenten prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read: “Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of idleness, despondency, lust and idle talk, do not give me! But grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, your servant. Yes, Lord the King, let me see my sins and do not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen". This prayer is repeated many times during all Lenten services.

The last Sunday before the start of Lent is called the Church of Cheesefare Week (since it is on this day that the consumption of dairy products ends), or Forgiveness Sunday.

On this day, after the evening service in the temples, a special rite of forgiveness is performed, when the clergy and parishioners mutually ask forgiveness from each other in order to enter Great Lent with a pure soul, having reconciled with all their neighbors.

Why do we, when we fast, do not eat, for example, meat, eggs, milk, etc.? Did the Lord command to abstain from these products, or did the holy fathers establish?

Protodeacon Mikhail Belikov, cleric of the Holy Spirit Cathedral, answers:

Lent is a time of spiritual purification and sanctification, a time of abstinence from passions and sins and exercise in virtues, changing oneself for the better, a time of spiritual improvement. One of the important means to achieve these goals from ancient times is abstinence in food. Fasting was established in Eden: the Lord forbids the first people to eat certain fruits. There are many indications of fasting in the Old Testament: Moses fasted on Sinai for 40 days, Elijah, the prophets, David, the mother of the prophet Samuel, fasted. The Israelites fasted during the days of national disasters. Christian fasts are established primarily in imitation of Jesus Christ, who fasted for 40 days, and the holy apostles (Acts. 10 , 9, 30; Rome. 13 , fourteen; 1 Cor. 9 .27; 2 Cor. 6 , 4-5; Qty. 3 , 5).

Regarding the prohibition of eating meat during fasting, there are no direct instructions in Holy Scripture, but the fact that in the Old Testament abstained from meat during fasting is evident from indirect indications: Moses, for example, during his fast I didn't eat bread and I didn't drink water.(Ex. 34 , 28), not to mention the meat. Among the ancient agricultural peoples, meat was rarely eaten, mainly on holidays, therefore, naturally, eating meat could not be allowed during fasting. The first Christians adopted Jewish fasting customs. Until about the 4th-5th centuries, the main criterion for fasting was not so much the type of food as the frequency and time of eating. During Lent, food was eaten once a day in the evening, and on some days they did not eat at all and did not even drink water.

The command not to eat meat, eggs and milk during fasting is based on the ancient tradition of the Church and is formalized as a law in the rules of the holy apostles, holy fathers and in the decisions of the Ecumenical and Local Councils.

Through fasting, we strive to achieve a state of bliss and perfection in which our forefathers lived in Eden, and the Creator originally blessed Adam and Eve in Eden to eat tree fruits and plants (Gen. 1 , 29). Meat food is inappropriate in fasting, because it is heavy, leads to fever and satiety, which contributes to the excitation of sinful passions.

In fasting, we mourn and try to overcome our sins and realize that it was human sins that brought the Lord to Golgotha, where he, like the Lamb of God, accepted the slaughter on the Cross, and therefore, in a symbolic sense, we refuse to eat the food of the “slaughtered”, that is, animals that have suffered a violent death, and we also do not eat the derivative of the “hardened” - eggs and milk.

We read that on Athos they are blessed to eat seafood (squid, shrimp, etc.) during Lent, since they are neither meat nor fish. Can they really be eaten while fasting?

Hieromonk Bartholomew (Denisov), cleric of the Bishops' Metochion-temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "Satisfy my Sorrows" answers:

It is true that in most Athos monasteries on Saturdays and Sundays it is allowed to eat the seafood you listed during Lent. A similar tradition exists in some of our Russian monasteries. I think that even more so this permission can be extended to the laity. However, you should always remember that the first and Holy Weeks of Great Lent, as well as Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, are days of extreme abstinence, on which it is not allowed to eat not only seafood, but even vegetable oil.

http://www.eparhia-saratov.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6172&Itemid=80

To the Glory of the True Orthodox Lord!
Chapter:
Russian Orthodox cuisine
Traditions, prayers, recipes
8th page

Russian Orthodox
Shrovetide-2019
from 4 to 10 March
Cheese or meat-fat week

KEY INFO SUMMARY:

Maslenitsa is NOT a pagan holiday and does NOT have any pagan roots - this holiday was introduced by the church in the 16th century to oust the pagan meeting of spring from the popular consciousness, which marked (the beginning of astronomical spring).

“Cheese” or “meat-fare” week (its popular name is Shrovetide), introduced by the church to replace the hitherto traditional pagan celebration of Komoyeditsa, is one of the elements of the holy struggle of Christianity with paganism (with religious competitors).
The fact that some people during the celebration of the church Maslenitsa do not observe strict church regulations and indulge in drunken revelry does not in any way make this holiday pagan, i.e. relating to the original ancient religion of the Slavs.

Maslenitsa (Shrovetide Week) - Christian Lenten holiday preparations for, in which after the Sunday of the "meat conspiracy" it is forbidden to eat meat, but fish, dairy products and butter are still allowed;

from here in the 16th century, shortly after the introduction of the “cheese week” (“meat-fat week”) by the church, its popular name appeared - Shrovetide.

The dates of the Maslenitsa celebration are "movable", because rigidly connected with the "mobile" determined by the lunar calendar and the 7-week preceding it - this is the last week before Lent.

Ancient pagan edible symbols of the sun, which are certainly used in the celebration of Maslenitsa, are pancakes and cheesecakes, as well as round bagels.

On the last day of Maslenitsa, "Forgiveness Sunday", they burn a straw effigy of the bored Winter (Marena), and not Maslenitsa, as many mistakenly believe.

In Catholicism, the church holiday of Maslenitsa is called.

The pagan holiday of the spring equinox has been preserved in Islam - this is a holiday.

, the great pagan of our ancient Slavic ancestors, always remains in its place (this) and can be merrily celebrated every year by everyone who wants to honor the traditions of their ancient ancestors; in some countries it is a public holiday and a day off.

About the history of ancient Komoyeditsa and Maslenitsa in Russia, details about the Maslenitsa week, the traditions and games of the Russian folk Maslenitsa, Maslenitsa carnivals of the peoples of Europe, as well as a great many recipes for pancakes, pancake pies, pancakes and various Maslenitsa dishes and drinks, see the section:
.
About dishes, history, traditions of Russian cuisine, feast customs, see the section:
- p., etc.

Church Maslenitsa begins 8 weeks before and lasts 1 week from Monday to Sunday (Forgiveness Sunday).

Folk Maslenitsa begins a day earlier - on Sunday, for the so-called "meat zagovene", when the Orthodox are allowed to eat meat for the last time (that is, it lasts 8 days).

After Maslenitsa, the holiday begins, lasting until Sunday. More precisely, Great Lent lasts 7 weeks without one day (48 days), from Clean Monday, which is after Forgiveness Sunday, until the pre-Easter Great Saturday inclusive.

According to the definition of the First Ecumenical Council, Easter is always and everywhere celebrated between March 22 and April 25, old style (between April 4 and May 8, O.S.)- on the first Sunday after the Easter full moon (the first full moon after the vernal equinox), or a week later that the Christian Easter should be celebrated after the Jewish one (but not coincide with the Jewish one).

Exact dates of Catholic and Orthodox Easter:

In 356, for the first time, a single date for the celebration of Easter was established for all Christians.

Since 1582, Catholics and Orthodox begin to use different algorithms to calculate the date of Easter.

Year 4099 AD - this is just the limiting number included in this calculation program.

The principle of calculating the date of Easter has never been something static, unchanged.

It is likely that one day another reform of church calendars will take place, and all Christians on Earth will again celebrate Easter on the same day.

Orthodox Easter and passing holidays:

Enter year since 1583(the first year of the separate celebration of Easter by Catholics and Orthodox)

In the right column - a constant number of days from the date of Easter

Year	Orthodox Easter	Catholic Easter
2006	23 Apr	16 Apr
2007	08 Apr
2008	27 Apr	23 Mar
2009	19 Apr	12 Apr
2010	04 Apr
2011	24 Apr
2012	15 Apr	08 Apr
2013	May 05	31 Mar
2014	20 Apr
2015	12 Apr	05 Apr
2016	May 01	27 Mar
2017	16 Apr
2018	08 Apr	01 Apr
2019	28 Apr	21 Apr
2020	19 Apr	12 Apr
2021	May 02	04 Apr
2022	24 Apr	17 Apr
2023	16 Apr	09 Apr
2024	May 05	31 Mar
2025	20 Apr
2026	12 Apr	05 Apr
2027	May 02	28 Mar
2028	16 Apr
2029	08 Apr	01 Apr
2030	28 Apr	21 Apr
2031	13 Apr
2032	May 02	28 Mar
2033	24 Apr	17 Apr
2034	09 Apr
2035	29 Apr	25 Mar
2036	20 Apr	13 Apr
2037	05 Apr
2038	25 Apr
2039	17 Apr	10 Apr
2040	May 06	01 Apr
2041	21 Apr
2042	13 Apr	06 Apr
2043	May 03	29 Mar
2044	24 Apr	17 Apr
2045	09 Apr
2046	29 Apr	25 Mar
2047	21 Apr	14 Apr
2048	05 Apr
2049	25 Apr	18 Apr

Dates of Russian Maslenitsa (and Catholic Fat Tuesday) for the coming years:
2014: February 24 to March 2 (Fat Tuesday March 4)
2015: Feb 16 to Feb 22 (Fat Tuesday Feb 17)
2016: March 7 to 13 (Fat Tuesday February 9)
2017: 20 to 26 February (Fat Tuesday 28 February)

Easter Day in any year (the date will be obtained according to the new style) can be determined by the formula:
(4+c+d) April or, if the sum is greater than 30, then [(4 + c + d) - 30] May.
Calculating the number c for a formula
To get a number from, it is necessary to divide the number of the year with the remainder by 19 , then multiply the resulting remainder by 19 , add 15 and divide the resulting amount with the remainder by 30 .
Number from will be equal to the remainder of this division.
Calculating the number d for a formula
Number d equal to the remainder of dividing the number (2a + 4b + 6c + 6) per number 7 ,
where:
a- equal to the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 4;
b- equal to the remainder of dividing the number of the year by 7;
from- calculated earlier.

To check your calculations, enter the resulting date of Easter in the form below and make sure that it is Sunday.

Calculation of the day of the week for a given date (according to the new style): To determine the start date of Maslenitsa it remains only to count from the day of Easter eight weeks ago - until Monday the beginning of the church Maslenitsa or until Sunday ("meat conspiracy") the beginning of the folk Maslenitsa.

Calendar of "mobile" Orthodox holidays
for 2009-2019 (dates are given according to the new style)
Forgiveness Sunday - the last day of the Maslenitsa week

Year	Start triodi	Forgiven Sunday	Entrance to Jerusalem	EASTER	Ascension Lord's	Saint's day Trinity	Petrov post
2010	January 24	The 14th of February	March 28	April, 4	may 13	May, 23rd	42 days
2011	February 13	March, 6	April 17	April 24	2 June	12 June	22 days
2012	February 5th	February 26	April 8	April 15	May 24	June 3	31 days
2013	24 February	March 17	April 28	5 May	June 13	June 23	11 days
2014	February 9th	2nd of March	April 13	20 April	May 29	June 8	26 days
2015	1st of February	February 22	April 5	April 12th	May 21st	May 31	34 days
2016	February 21	March 13	April 24	1st of May	the 9th of June	June 19	15 days
2017	February 5th	February 26	April 9	April 16	May 25	June 4	30 days
2018	28 January	February 18	April 1	April 8	May 17	May 27	38 days
2019	February 17	10th of March	April 21	April 28	June 6	June 16	18 days

PRAYERS BEFORE AND AFTER TASTING FOOD

BEFORE TASTING
Our Father, Who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth. Give us our daily bread today; and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. The eyes of all in Thee, O Lord, trust, and You give them food in good time, You open Your generous hand and fulfill every animal goodwill.

AFTER TASTING
We thank Thee, Christ our God, for Thou hast satisfied us with Thy earthly blessings; do not deprive us of Your Kingdom of Heaven, but as if in the midst of Your disciples, Thou hast come, Savior, give them peace, come to us and save us.

SECRET PRAYER BEFORE EATING FOOD FOR THE UNTEMPTABLE IN DIET
(prayer for weight loss)
I also pray to You, Lord, deliver me from satiety, voluptuousness and grant me in the peace of my soul with reverence to accept Your generous gifts, so that by eating them I will receive strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength to serve You, Lord, in the little rest of my life on Earth.

Traditional thank you phrase:
"Angel to you for the meal!"

• Monday - Meeting
• Tuesday - "Tricks"
• Wednesday - "Gourmet"
• Thursday - "Razguly", "Wide Shrovetide"
• Friday - Mother-in-law evening
• Saturday - "Zolovkin gatherings"
• Sunday - "Seeing Off", "Forgiveness Day", "Forgiveness Sunday"

Shrovetide has a church name cheese week. This is the last week before Lent, when they no longer eat meat, but throughout the week, not excluding Wednesdays and Fridays, they eat fish, eggs, and dairy products.

This week, the Church commemorates the expulsion of the forefathers from paradise for disobedience and intemperance to believers in order to more clearly present the importance of the upcoming feat of fasting. Unfortunately, the depth of the spiritual meaning of this preparatory week was not comprehended by everyone. Therefore, on Maslenitsa, people indulged in fun fun - riding troikas, skiing from the mountains, street festivities and dancing, valiant fun, home feasts with beer and pancakes, etc.

Pancakes are supposed to be served during the whole Maslenitsa week. Therefore, they were baked in the old days in different ways - either from different types of flour, then from yeast or unleavened dough, or even in different shapes (round, rectangular, etc.). On Maslenitsa, brushwood, cakes, cookies were always baked, various curd mixtures were prepared. In the southern regions of Russia and Ukraine, dumplings were invariably prepared for the festive table, and Ukrainians baked verguns instead of brushwood. Not the last place on the festive table was occupied by fish.

Maslenitsa ended with Forgiveness Sunday. Fasting should begin by forgiving people of their sins. From this came the custom of Orthodox Christians to ask for forgiveness from each other and go to the graves of the dead for the same purpose.

On this day, a solemn ceremony of mutual forgiveness is performed in monasteries, cathedrals and temples. In monasteries, it takes place after the farewell meal. With humility of heart, Orthodox Christians bow to the ground before each other, asking for forgiveness for the offenses they have caused. “Forgive me,” asks one. "God forgives and I forgive," replies another.

Even in the 19th century before last, ancient customs were observed in our fatherland, when on the day of Forgiveness Sunday, pious people went to monasteries, ancient cathedrals to bow to holy relics and especially revered shrines; they went to receive a blessing to the bishops, rectors of churches, venerable monks; visited the homes of relatives and acquaintances, everywhere and from everyone asking for forgiveness and blessings.

As a sign of mutual peace, forgiveness and consolation, people sent each other special bread - ukruh, specially prepared for that day. It was rye bread with a crispy crust, sprinkled with sugar, raisins and prunes.

This day is also called Syropust, because on this Sunday the eating of cheese, eggs and fish ends.

SHIRT CONVERSATION

Maslenitsa is one of the brightest and widely celebrated holidays. Everywhere they look forward to it with great impatience. Various amusements are arranged on the streets: riding from icy mountains, in troikas, snowball fights, fist fights, festivities with songs, dances, mummers. On Maslenitsa, it was customary to "eat until you hiccup, drink until you get dandruff, sing until you enjoy it, dance until you drop."

Maslenitsa, which in Orthodox Christianity is called cheese or meat-fare week, is celebrated just before Great Lent, seven weeks before Easter. Each day of the Maslenitsa week had its own name, according to established traditions. In accordance with these days, customs and entertainments have changed.

On Monday from early morning, the housewives began to bake pancakes - "without a pancake, there is no Maslyana." This day was called "Meeting". Residents of neighboring villages met on snow and ice slides, where laughter and fun reigned. They dressed up a straw effigy of Maslenitsa in a sheepskin coat, a hat and a sash, drove it for a long time in a sledge through the streets and by the evening set it up on a high place outside the village.

On Tuesday they walked around the yards with ritual songs in goat masks and straw hats with a naked broom on a long pole. For a small fee (usually pancakes), it was possible to tie a ribbon to the rods of this broom with a slander from ailments and other adversities: the mummers would leave and take away all sorrows with the broom. On this day, the youth gathered in a spacious hut for new acquaintances, so Tuesday was called "Fun". On the same day, in the morning, the girls and fellows went to ride on the hills. In rich houses, mountains were arranged in the middle of the yard, and the mother sent relatives and friends to call "daughters" and "sons" with the order: "we have the mountains ready and the pancakes are baked - please welcome."

On Wednesday the mother-in-law invited her son-in-law and other relatives to pancakes at her house. The name of the third day of Maslenitsa is "Gourmet". The housewives showed their culinary skills on this day. Each housewife had her own secret of making pancakes, which she kept in strict confidence. It was believed that no one should even see how the dough was kneaded, otherwise the pancakes would be hopelessly spoiled. On Wednesday, pancakes were taken outside and treated to all neighbors and those who wished.

Thursday It was called “Rampant” or “Wide Shrovetide”, because the revelry of fun unfolded in full breadth and all the Orthodox people indulged in the most varied amusements and noisy feasts. On this day, beer and mash, as well as wine, were put on the table. Old things were carried and stacked to a straw effigy outside the outskirts. They also brought a broom with slander and stuck it nearby. With laughter and songs, young people rode on a sleigh pulled by dashing troikas until the morning.

On Friday- "Teschiny evenings." The sons-in-law treated their mother-in-laws with pancakes, inviting them the day before, and tried to show them as much respect as possible. The dressed-up son-in-law on a smartly decorated sleigh drove up to the mother-in-law's house and personally invited her to his place for pancakes.

Saturday called "Zolovkina gatherings", daughters-in-law invited her husband's relatives. It was a real test for young housewives. The best supplies were put on the table. They started the meal with soups, then they served fried and baked dishes of fish, mushrooms and vegetables, and, finally, all kinds of pancakes. The hills were especially crowded that day. The youth, laughing and squealing, rode off in pairs on sledges, overturned benches, and even on ice plates carved from river ice. They also competed in riding troikas with bells. In large villages, where people flocked from the surrounding villages, fairs were held.

Sunday - the last day of Maslenitsa- called "Seeing" or "Forgiveness Sunday". On this day, a note of sadness was added to the fun. During the day they visited the graves of their parents and left pancakes on them. When they met, they bowed to each other and humbly asked for forgiveness. It was necessary to forgive insults and ask for the same yourself. Forgiveness was supposed to be sealed with a kiss.

On the evening of that day, having cleansed the soul of all insults and taking a bundle of straw from the house, everyone gathered outside the village at Maslenitsa and, having said goodbye to it until next winter, solemnly burned it. Together with a straw effigy, old junk was burned, and at the same time a broom with slander. They believed that all troubles would be carried away by millions of sparks from this fire. The youth jumped over the flames with a running start. Gradually the fire burned down, the fun holiday ended.

After the burning of Maslenitsa, no one lit a fire in the house, even a candle was not lit that day. And in the morning, the ashes from the fire were scattered over the fields for a rich harvest. All the remaining bread treats were given to cattle, or even thrown away. Even the poorest person would not eat anything from Shrovetide leftovers.

But Maslenitsa is famous not only for its numerous rituals and amusements. She is no less famous for her rich feast. Shrovetide is the days of plentiful treats, when the traditional Slavic hospitality and hospitality manifested itself in all its breadth.

We will also use some old recipes for cooking dishes for the Shrovetide feast.

FISH VINAIGRET

Ingredients :
600 g of fish, 100 g of pickles, 100 g of pickled mushrooms, 10 olives, 1 lemon, 15 g of gelatin, 3 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar, 3 tbsp. tablespoons of vegetable oil, pepper and salt to taste.

Cooking

Clean the fish from skin and bones, fry and cool.
Boil broth from fish heads, bones and skin, strain, add salt, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vinegar, gelatin. Boil, pour half and cool in the cold.
In the meantime, cut pickled or pickled cucumbers, pickled mushrooms, lemon, pitted olives, season this mixture with vegetable oil, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Put part of the prepared mixture on the bottom of a deep dish, pour the remaining warm broth, cool, then put the fried fish fillet on top, pour the broth again, cool - and alternate several times.
Refrigerate the filled dish.
Before serving, tip the vinaigrette in a slide onto another dish, decorate with the remaining frozen broth, cutting it into small cubes.

HERRING WITH APPLES AND BREAD

Ingredients :
300 g herring, 300 g rye bread crumb, 2-3 apples, vegetable oil.

Cooking

Finely chop the boneless herring, mix with the crumb of rye bread and chopped apples.
Pound all this until a homogeneous mass is obtained, add a little vegetable oil and serve on a herring dish, laying in the form of a fish.

PIKE CAVIAR

Turn the caviar in a meat grinder so that the films remain on the knives. Then pour hot, but not boiling brine (cool saline solution in which the egg floats). Hold in it for 10-15 minutes, tasting for salt.
Throw caviar on gauze, decant. Then put it on a dry linen napkin with a thin layer and slightly stir (each caviar, as it were, wipe dry from all sides).
After that, add vegetable oil, a little vinegar - beat everything well and refrigerate for a day.
Before serving, add finely chopped onion.

SNACK DELICATE

Ingredients :
50 g fat cottage cheese, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, 40 g of walnut kernels, garlic, salt, pepper to taste.

Cooking

Chop the peeled walnuts. Grind the garlic with salt.
Sprinkle cottage cheese with pepper, add melted butter, walnuts, garlic to it and mix thoroughly until a homogeneous mass is formed.
Serve with lightly oven-dried slices of white bread.

CABBAGE FESTIVE

Ingredients :
2 kg of white cabbage, 2-3 carrots, 1 beetroot, 1 head of garlic, ground black pepper.
For pouring: 1 liter of water, 1 cup of sugar, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of salt, 1 glass of sunflower oil, 1 glass of vinegar.

Cooking

Chop cabbage, grate carrots and beets on a coarse grater. Add garlic, finely chopped beforehand, and ground black pepper. Dissolve sugar, salt, sunflower oil and vinegar in water (pour it last), combine and boil.
Pour boiling liquid into cabbage with carrots, beets and spices (you can put dill and parsley).
When it cools down, serve it to the table.
The remaining filling is a good addition to borscht, okroshka, to cold borscht. You can even drink instead of kvass.

SOUP WITH COTTAGE CHEESE cold

Ingredients :
1 cup cottage cheese, 2 cups tomato juice, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, 1 egg, salt, black pepper or cumin, citric acid, parsley.

Cooking

Grind cottage cheese with tomato juice. Add vegetable oil, sugar, salt, black pepper or cumin and citric acid to taste.
Sprinkle the soup with finely chopped parsley and a hard-boiled egg cut into cubes.
This soup can also be served warm, with finely chopped croutons.

EAR

Ingredients :
1 kg of fish trifles, 500 g of large fish, 1 onion, 1/2 parsley and celery roots each, 6 black peppercorns, 1-2 bay leaves, 1/2 lemon, salt, herbs.

Cooking

Prepare a spicy broth, add fish fines to it and cook for 1 hour to boil the fish.
Prepare and cut into portions larger, non-boney fish, after freeing it from skin and bones.
Strain the spicy broth, put it back on the fire and, when the broth boils, dip the prepared portions of large fish into it. Boil for 15-20 minutes.
Sprinkle with herbs before serving.
Put a piece of fish and a few slices of lemon without seeds on each plate.

HERRING HOME

Ingredients :
500 g lightly salted herring, 50 g diluted mustard, 150 g vegetable oil, herbs.

Cooking

Peel the herring, remove the fillet from it, grease with mustard on both sides, roll each fillet with a tight roller and put in a glass jar.
Pour the prepared semi-finished product with vegetable oil (olive or sunflower) and refrigerate.
Before serving, put the contents of the jar into a herring box and garnish with sprigs of greens.
Separately, serve hot boiled potatoes sprinkled with parsley or dill.

FISH TRUCK IN UKRAINIAN

Ingredients :
500 g fish fillet, 50 g butter, 100 g bread, 2 eggs, 40 g flour, 1 onion, tomato sauce, salt.

Cooking

Divide the fish fillet into two parts. Beat one part and, in turn, divide it into four parts, and pass the other through a meat grinder with the addition of soaked bread and onions.
In the minced meat, break the egg, add salt and spread it into beaten sirloins.
Roll each in the form of sausages, dip in an egg, roll in flour, fry in butter and stew in tomato sauce.
Serve with boiled hot potatoes.

VOBLA DRIED BOILED

Ingredients :
500 g dried vobla, 1 carrot, 1 parsley root, 1 onion, 1 bay leaf, a bouquet of greens, 1.5 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, chopped parsley.

Cooking

Soak dried vobla in water. After 6 hours it will be ready for cooking. Pour the soaked vobla with cold water, add onions, carrots with parsley, herbs, bay leaf and cook for 15 minutes.
Put the finished fish on a dish, pour with melted butter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and put hot boiled potatoes around.
White sauce can be used in place of melted butter.

Dumplings from pike perch or carp (carp)

Ingredients :
200 g fillet of pike perch or carp (carp), 50 g boiled milk, 1 onion, salt, pepper, dough for dumplings, herbs.

Cooking

Pass the fish fillet through a meat grinder with a large grill, add finely chopped onion, black pepper, salt, mix well, adding milk for juiciness.
Knead the dough as for ordinary dumplings.
Boil prepared dumplings in a broth made from the head, fins and bones of fish, lightening it with herbs or dry fried onions.
Serve ready-made dumplings in broth or with butter (sour cream).

FISH SAUSAGE

Ingredients :
1.5 kg of fish (perch, bream, carp, catfish), 200 g of bread soaked in milk, 100 g of milk, 2 eggs, 2 onions, 1 head of garlic, 50 g of butter, 4 bay leaves, salt, pepper taste.

Cooking

Peel the fish, remove the bones, pass it through a meat grinder with a fine grate along with garlic and 1 onion, add milk, butter, salt, pepper and mix well.
Put minced fish on a damp napkin, chopped boiled eggs mixed with fried onions on it, and use a napkin to form it into a sausage shape, tying the ends with twine.
Boil the sausage in fish broth for 30 minutes, cool without removing it from the broth, then put it on a dish, freeing it from a napkin, cut into portions and serve with mashed potatoes.

VARENIKI HOMEMADE

Ingredients
For the dough: 630 g of wheat flour, 2 eggs, 300 g of kefir, 10 g of salt, 2 g of soda.
For minced meat: 600 g of fresh cabbage, 370 g of potatoes, 180 g of onions, 100 g of fat or vegetable oil, salt, pepper to taste.
For watering: 200 g of bacon, 100 g of onions.

Cooking

Kefir and eggs mix thoroughly, add salt, soda, sifted flour and knead the dough. Leave it to stand for 30-40 minutes, then form rollers, cut into small pieces and roll out cakes 1-1.5 mm thick from them.
Minced meat preparation. To do this, chop fresh peeled and washed cabbage, put a layer of no more than 3 cm in a pan with melted fat and fry until cooked in the oven at a temperature of 180-200 ° C.
Cool cooked cabbage. Boil the peeled potatoes, put them in a colander and rub them through a sieve while still hot. Combine potatoes with cabbage and season with browned onions.
Spread the minced meat on the prepared cakes (it can be replaced with cottage cheese or berries) and pinch the edges. Boil dumplings in salted water until they float (6-7 minutes).
Put the finished dumplings in a deep bowl and top with sliced ​​\u200b\u200band lard fried with onions.

omelette curd

Ingredients :
2 eggs, 50 g low-fat cottage cheese, 2 tbsp. spoons of milk, 1 teaspoon of flour, 1 teaspoon of butter, salt to taste.

Cooking

Mix raw eggs, cottage cheese, milk and flour until a homogeneous mass is formed, salt, pour into a pan with warmed butter and bake in the oven.
Serve hot on a platter.

CHEESE MASS WITH HONEY

Ingredients :
100 g low-fat cottage cheese, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sour cream.

Cooking

Grind raw egg yolk with sugar and honey, combine the mixture with softened butter and beat until a fluffy cream is formed, which is then mixed with mashed cottage cheese.
Serve with sour cream.

WHEESE MASS ORDINARY

Ingredients :
100 g low-fat cottage cheese, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of powdered sugar, vanillin.

Cooking

Beat the softened butter with powdered sugar and vanilla added to it until a fluffy cream is obtained, then, continuing to beat, add grated cottage cheese in small portions.
Put the finished mass into a mold and cool.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pancakes were the main treat for Maslenitsa. Good housewives baked them all week. Breakfast began with pancakes, guests were invited to pancakes, they were generously treated everywhere. This is also indicated by sayings that have come down from ancient times: “Without a pancake - not Maslyana”, “Ride on the mountains, roll in pancakes”, “Pancake is not a wedge, the belly will not split.”

Pancakes were eaten with sour cream, butter, honey, jam, planed meat, salted fish, and caviar. They were baked from rye, buckwheat and wheat flour. Real pancakes were made from yeast dough, and pancakes, pancakes, pancakes were baked from unleavened, with milk and eggs.

It is better to bake pancakes and pancakes in a thin frying pan, and pancakes - only in a cast-iron pan. Before baking, it should be well calcined by pouring coarse salt on the bottom, then wiped with a dry, clean cloth and greased with vegetable oil, otherwise the pancake will turn out to be lumpy.

BUCKWHEAT-WHEAT PANCAKES - THE BEST

Ingredients :
2.5 cups of buckwheat flour, 1.5 cups of wheat flour, 2.5 cups of water, 25 g of yeast, 2 cups of milk, 2-3 eggs, 50-60 g of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and sugar .

Cooking

From warm water, yeast, 1.5 cups of buckwheat and 1.5 cups of wheat flour, put a dough.
When the dough has risen, add the remaining buckwheat flour, knead well and let it rise again.
An hour before baking, brew the dough with hot milk and knead until elastic. When the mass has cooled, put salt and sugar into it, add eggs, butter, stir well and let it come up.
After that, you can start baking.

RED PANCAKES

Ingredients :
4 cups wheat flour, 800 ml milk, 25 g yeast, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 100 g of cream, salt.

Cooking

Prepare a dough from two glasses of wheat flour, warm milk and yeast.
After the dough has risen, beat it, put salt, melted butter, egg yolks, pounded with sugar, and about two glasses of wheat flour to taste.
Beat the mass well, add whipped whites, cream, stir, let the dough come up and bake pancakes.

BUCKWHEAT PANCAKES

Ingredients :
4 cups of buckwheat flour, 2.5 cups of water, 2 cups of milk, 20-25 g of yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar, salt to taste.

Cooking

Pour 2 cups of flour into the pan, pour 2 cups of boiling water, stir well so that there are no lumps. Dilute the yeast in 0.5 cups of warm water and pour it into the brewed flour.
Beat the dough well, cover with a towel and put to approach in a warm place. When it increases in volume by 2-3 times, add flour, milk, sugar, salt to it, beat again and put in a warm place.
Bake pancakes in the usual way.

oat pancakes

Ingredients :
2.5 cups oatmeal 1.5 cups wheat flour 3 cups milk or water 1/2 cup cream 3 eggs 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, 30 g of yeast, salt to taste.

Cooking

Pour a little warm milk into the pan and dilute the yeast in it.
Mix wheat and oatmeal in a bowl, pour it into a saucepan with milk and stir well. Add sugar, butter, salt.
Separately, beat the egg whites, cream, combine them and carefully fold into the dough. Let it come up again.
Bake pancakes in the usual way.

PANCAKES ROYAL

Ingredients :
3 cups of buckwheat flour, 2 cups of wheat flour, 1 cup of cream, 1 liter of warm milk, 200 g of sour cream, 25 g of yeast, 100 g of butter, 5 yolks, 5 proteins, 1 tbsp. spoonful of sugar, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of salt.

Cooking

In two glasses of warm milk, dilute buckwheat flour and yeast.
After 1-1.5 hours, when the dough rises, add the yolks, mashed with butter and sour cream, wheat flour, the remaining milk, salt, sugar.
Knead everything until the dough falls behind the spatula, put in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours.
Separately, beat the whites and cream, combine them with the dough, let stand for 10-15 minutes and bake pancakes.

BISCUIT PANCAKES

Ingredients :
0.5 l of kefir or curdled milk, 3-4 eggs, 1 teaspoon of soda, 3 tbsp. spoons of sugar, salt to taste, wheat flour.

Cooking

Break the eggs into a bowl and beat them with a whisk with sugar and salt. Add kefir and stir. The dough for pancakes must be beaten only with a whisk. Pour in enough flour so that the mass turns out to be the consistency of thick sour cream, the dough should not spread quickly in the pan.
Lubricate the pan with vegetable oil, heat well and, spreading the dough with a spoon, level it over the entire surface of the pan. The thickness of the pancake should be about 5 mm.
Bake, be sure to cover with a lid, browning on both sides.
Put the finished pancakes in a deep bowl, covered with a lid.
Serve with sour cream, honey.

PANCAKES WITHOUT FLOUR

Ingredients :
3 eggs, 0.5 l of kefir or curdled milk, 4-5 tbsp. spoons of starch, 1/2 teaspoon of soda, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vegetable oil, sugar, salt.

Cooking

Knead the dough from eggs, kefir or yogurt, starch, soda, sugar to taste. Add vegetable oil.
Bake without greasing the pan.
Pancakes should be thin, with holes.

PANCAKES LACE

Ingredients :
100 g wheat flour, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of powdered sugar, 3 eggs, 300 g of milk, 75 g of melted butter.

Cooking

Pour flour into a large dish and mix with powdered sugar. Make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Add some milk to the eggs and mix.
Gradually mix with flour from the edges to the center and beat, add enough milk to make the dough the consistency of whipped cream.
Beat well, mix with melted butter and remaining butter and then use as a batter for regular pancakes.

PANCAKES

In the old days they said: a dry pancake tears up the throat. This means that Shrovetide pancakes must be seasoned. As a rule, they were served with sour cream, butter (melted, warm, it was applied with a spoon on a hot pancake), special dressings, the recipes of which are offered below.
Mushroom. Discard pickled mushrooms, finely chop, with onions, season with vegetable oil.
Potato with herring. Boil potatoes, ceiling, cool, mix with chopped salted herring.
Herring caviar. Finely chop the salted herring fillet, grind with butter and melted cheese. Add chopped boiled carrots and mix.
Salted fish. Fish (salmon, chum salmon, notothenia, halibut, silver carp, etc.) cut thinly. In the store, it is sold already cut in vacuum packaging. Spread hot pancake with melted butter, and put fish plastic on top.
Green onions with eggs. Finely chop a bunch of onions and hard-boiled eggs, season with sour cream or mayonnaise, salt, pepper and add sugar.

SCRIED EGGS FOR PANCAKES

crepe maker

Put the baked buckwheat or wheat pancakes in a frying pan in a pile, brushing each pancake with a raw egg, and then bake in the oven.
Cut the finished pancake into pieces, pour over with melted butter or sour cream and serve directly in the pan.

ROLL PANCAKES

Bake a pancake in a frying pan, grease with melted butter and put the filling in layers; a layer of boiled rice or millet with chopped eggs, a layer of cottage cheese.
Roll the pancake into a roll, put in a mold, brush with egg and bake in the oven.

PANCAKE PIE

Bake pancakes. Spread them with melted butter, stack them in a greased and sprinkled with breadcrumbs form, layering each pancake with boiled rice with green onions and boiled eggs (or fried mushroom, minced fish).
You can use several types of minced meat at once.
Grease a stack of pancakes 10 cm high from the sides with a mixture of eggs, flour and milk, and spread sour cream on top. Put in the oven for 30 minutes.
Turn the finished cake onto a plate and cut into portions.

PANCAKES

Ingredients :
6 eggs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 tbsp. tablespoons of butter, 600 g of milk, 1.5 cups of wheat flour, minced meat, pepper, vegetable oil.

Cooking

Grind 2 yolks with salt, sugar and butter. Whisking constantly, gradually pour in the milk.
The resulting mixture is also gradually, with constant stirring, pour into wheat flour, stir until smooth, combine with 2 egg whites, whipped into a strong foam, and bake thin pancakes, browning them on both sides.
Fold the pancakes on a sieve, cool, trim with a knife, giving them a quadrangular shape.
Grease the edges of each pancake with an egg, and put the fried minced meat mixed with chopped eggs and pepper in the middle.
Bend the edges of the pancakes inward, roll them into a tube, bread them in an egg and a grated stale bun, brown in a boiling deep fat, remove with a slotted spoon, put on a dish and serve.

PANCAKES

Ingredients :
3 eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup wheat flour, 2 cups milk, salt.

Cooking

Beat eggs and yolks, add wheat flour, a pinch of salt and pour in milk (to get a dough of the consistency of liquid sour cream).
Fry pancakes in a very hot pan, greasing it each time with fat and pouring the dough so that it covers the bottom. After frying a pancake on one side, it must be turned over and fry on the other.
Serve with sour cream or sprinkle with powdered sugar, pouring syrup from any berries or fruits.

PANCAKES WITH CURD

Rub fresh non-acidic cottage cheese through a sieve, grind with eggs (2 eggs per 600 g of cottage cheese), salt a little, spread pancakes and roll up.
Grease the saucepan with oil, lay out with ordinary pancakes, then lay pancakes with cottage cheese, pour a little oil over each layer, pour sour cream, put in the oven until browned.

UKRAINIAN APPLE SALT JARS

Ingredients :
1.5 cups of wheat flour, 10 eggs, 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 500 g of apples, 2 teaspoons of dry lemon peel.

Cooking

Grind egg yolks, cream, sugar, butter and lemon zest well, combine with flour, mix thoroughly. From the resulting dough, bake 5 pancakes in a large frying pan.
Peel the apples from the skin and seeds, cut into strips, fry in butter with sugar and simmer until tender.
Stuff pancakes with them, roll them into rolls, put in a pan, pour over beaten egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and bake in the oven.

POLTAVA SALTERS

Ingredients :
1.5 cups of wheat flour, 8-10 eggs, 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar, 200 g of jam, 300 g of apples, 2-3 teaspoons of dry lemon peel.

Cooking

From the yolks, cream, sugar, butter, zest and flour, prepare the dough, bake 5 pancakes in a large frying pan.
On pancakes, alternating, put jam and stewed apples.
Pour stacked pancakes with whipped egg whites, sprinkle with sugar and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

Secrets of good pancake baking

If the dough has not fermented enough, the pancakes are bland, heavy, and if fermented - sour and pale.

Yeast must be fresh and not in excess.

The dough at all stages must be beaten and rubbed very carefully.

It will not be necessary to grease the pan every time if you pour 2 tbsp into the dough. tablespoons of vegetable oil.
But before the first pancake, the pan still needs to be lubricated and be sure to heat it up well - you can even until a light haze appears.

When baking pancakes, stir the dough periodically.

So that by the time the last pancake is ready, the first ones have not cooled down yet, you need to fry the pancakes in two pans, and put the third on a slow fire. Put pancakes on it and grease with warmed butter.
Turn the stack of pancakes from time to time.

BUCKWHEAT FLOR PANCHES FOR SHIRT

Ingredients :
2 cups wheat flour, 1 cup buckwheat flour, 2 cups water, 25 g yeast, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, salt.

Cooking

Mix warm water with yeast and wheat flour, mix well with a wooden spoon and put in a warm place.
Add boiling milk, buckwheat flour, eggs, salt to the risen dough, let it rise again and knead again.
Fry small pancakes in a pan.
Serve hot with butter, caviar or sour cream.

LUKOVNIK

Ingredients :
800 g flour, 400 g water, 50 g yeast, 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 2 tbsp. tablespoons butter, 8 onions, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, salt.

Cooking

Prepare yeast dough. Put in a warm place and let rise. Then make as thin cakes as possible from the dough (the size of a small frying pan), put them on top of each other in a form greased with vegetable oil or a metal pan, while sprinkling each cake (except the last one) with onions fried in vegetable oil.
Bake in a well-heated oven.
Put the finished onion on a dish and serve.

POTATO PIE WITH PRUNE

Ingredients :
400 g potatoes, 50 g butter, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup cream or milk, sugar, salt, flour, prunes.

Cooking

Rub the steamed potatoes, rub the butter with the eggs and combine with the potatoes. Add cream or milk, salt, sugar to taste and enough flour to make a not too stiff dough.
Roll it into a layer, cut out cakes with a glass and put steamed, pitted prunes on each.
Make pies, grease them with protein and fry in a pan.
When serving, sprinkle the pies with sugar.

BRUSHWOOD

Ingredients :
I option
3 cups wheat flour, 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 3 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, 3 yolks, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar for sprinkling, 1/3 bag of vanilla sugar, 500 g of frying fat.
II option
3 cups wheat flour, 1/2 cup milk, 50 g butter, 4 egg yolks, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of cognac or vodka, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/3 bag of vanilla sugar, 500 g of frying fat.
III option
3 cups wheat flour, 1/2 cup milk, 25 g butter, 3 egg yolks, 1/3 sachet vanilla sugar, 2 tbsp. spoons of condensed milk, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 500 g of fat for frying, 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

Cooking

From sifted flour and all other products (except powdered sugar and vanilla sugar), knead the dough of a thick consistency, let it rest for 10-15 minutes, then roll it out on the table with a rolling pin into a layer 1.5-2 mm thick and cut it out with a glass or a special cut circles, which are rolled out again before frying in fat.
One circle should be dipped into boiling fat; when immersed and frying, the circles must be held with a slotted spoon.
Fry the slices until pale golden.
Sprinkle ready-made brushwood, the shape of which resembles shells, with powdered sugar mixed with vanilla sugar.

VERGUNS

Ingredients :
1.5 cups wheat flour, 1 egg, 2 tbsp. spoons of sugar, 80 g butter, 4/5 cup sour cream, soda on the tip of a knife, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of vinegar, salt, fat for frying.

Cooking

Mix butter thoroughly with sifted flour and soda. Make a well, pour the beaten egg, sour cream, vinegar, salt into it and knead the dough.
Then roll out thinly, cut into strips 3-4 cm wide, which in turn are cut into strips of 1.5 cm.
In the middle of each strip, make a cut 3 cm long with a knife and pull one end through it, then align and immediately fry in a large amount of fat on both sides. Cooking

Knead a stiff dough from sugar, pounded with butter, egg yolks, flour and wine.
Roll out a thin large cake, cut out different figures of cookies, fry them in boiling oil on both sides.
Serve hot with coffee.

FINGERS

Ingredients :
4 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of butter, 400 g flour, powdered sugar, vegetable oil for frying.

Cooking

Grind sugar with butter, eggs, add flour, knead the dough.
Make thin sausages from the dough (a finger thick), cut them into pieces 4-5 cm long, lower them into boiling deep fat and fry until they are browned.
Take out, put on a sieve to drain excess fat.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

COTTAGE RINGS

Ingredients
For the dough: 1 cup wheat flour, 5 eggs, 25 g butter, 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon salt.
For the filling: 400 g cottage cheese, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 sachet of vanilla sugar.
For sprinkling: 30 g powdered sugar.

Cooking

Pour water into the pan, put oil, salt. When the liquid boils, gradually add flour in a thin stream, stirring constantly, and cook over low heat until boiling, but do not boil.
Remove from heat, cool to 70 ° C, beat the eggs one at a time, kneading thoroughly, into the dough.
Put the finished dough on a baking sheet with rings. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes.
Mix cottage cheese with egg yolks, sugar and vanilla sugar.
Carefully cut the cooled rings into halves without disturbing the shape. Ingredients :
1 loaf of rye bread, 3-4 kg of sugar, 10 liters of water, yeast solution (100 g of yeast per 10 liters of water).

Cooking

Rye bread cut and dry. Then pour hot water and bring to a boil, filter, cool to the temperature of fresh milk.
Pour the yeast solution into the wort and leave to ferment.
When foam appears, add sugar and put on fermentation.
After 8 days the drink is ready.

About Maslenitsa

Cheese week (Maslenitsa), the last preparatory week for, is dedicated in the Christian sense to one goal - reconciliation with others, forgiveness of offenses, preparation for a repentant path to God.
This is the Christian component of Maslenitsa.

Shrovetide Week, Maslenitsa is the colloquial name for Cheese Week, the last week before Lent. During Maslenitsa, meat is no longer eaten, but fish, eggs and dairy products can be consumed. Maslenitsa is a continuous week, fasting is canceled on Wednesday and Friday.

In Russia Maslenitsa was celebrated as a joyful holiday. At the word "Maslenitsa", pictures of cheerful winter days come to mind, filled with din and noise, delicious smells of pancakes, the chime of bells that adorned elegant threes. Domes of churches shining in the sun, copper samovars burning like fire, festivities, booths and ceremonial tea parties under the festive light of the icon lamps.

It is widely believed that Maslenitsa is a pagan rather than an Orthodox holiday. This is not true. Maslenitsa is a church holiday and has no pagan roots. It was introduced by the church in the 16th century as an element of the struggle against the remnants of paganism and is called the Cheese (or Meat-fat) week.

In pre-Christian times, many peoples of Eurasia, who had a common religion for them, the Druids / Magi, incl. Slavs, festively celebrated the Day of the vernal equinox and the beginning of astronomical spring on the planet (in different years it is March 20 or 21). This celebration of the meeting of spring was called komoeditsa and was celebrated for 2 weeks - a week before the Spring Equinox and a week after. On the Day of the vernal equinox, the Slavs also celebrated the Slavic New Year.

Also on this day, the ancient peoples honored the great Honey Beast - the bear, which the ancient Slavs, Greeks and other peoples called "Kom". In the morning, before breakfast, in a cheerful noisy procession, the first baked pancakes were solemnly carried into the forest to the bears waking up at this time and laid out on stumps. Hence the rule - komam first pancake(i.e. bears). In Greece, in pre-antique times, this holiday was called Komoid. And and was accompanied by funny stage performances. Later, these performances, after the name of the ancient holiday, began to be called the word "comedy".

After the introduction of Christianity, the folk festival of the meeting of spring Komoyeditsa, which arose in deep pre-antique times (paleolithic), fell on Great Lent, when festivities and amusements were prohibited by the church.

After a long and not very successful struggle against the pagan Comedition banned by the church, instead of it for the people, the church celebration of the “cheese” (or “meatless”) week was introduced, determined by the church for the last week before Great Lent, i.e. long before the spring equinox. Therefore, the desire of some to interpret the church Cheese Week in the ancient pagan way, as a meeting of spring, is false. At this time, there is no reason to meet spring, and it is too early among the snows, blizzards and winter cold.

Shortly after the introduction of this fasting church holiday, by the name of the butter allowed on the Cheese Week, it acquired the popular name Shrovetide (in the same 16th century).

Maslenitsa is a time that, according to the church, should be devoted to good fellowship with neighbors, relatives, friends, and doing good.

The Church calls to remember that at no time should you have fun, losing your head and conscience.

Let us remember the instruction of St. Tikhon Zadonsky:
“Cheese week is the eve and the beginning of fasting, and therefore the true children of the Church should act in this week in everything much more abstinently than in previous days, although abstinence is always needed.
Do Christians, however, listen to the sweet words of the loving Mother of their Church? She bequeaths these days to be more reverent, and they are more outrageous. She commands abstinence, but they indulge more intemperance. She commands to sanctify the body and soul, and they defile them more. She orders to complain about the sins committed, and they add more iniquity. She inspires to propitiate God, and they more anger the Almighty. She appoints a fast, and they overeat and revel. She offers repentance, and they are more rampant.
I will say again that whoever spends Shrove Tuesday in atrocities becomes a clear disobedient to the Church and shows himself unworthy of the very name of a Christian.

“Of course, Maslenitsa is a time when, according to tradition, people go to visit, communicate over a meal. But you should not destroy yourself with drunkenness or dangerous games at any time, especially in this week of repentance, which prepares a person for Great Lent,” Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin, Deputy Chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, emphasized in an interview.

Lenten services begin in churches. On Wednesday and Friday, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated, the Lenten prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read: “Lord and Master of my life, the spirit of idleness, despondency, lust and idle talk, do not give me! But grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, your servant. Yes, Lord the King, let me see my sins and do not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen". This prayer is repeated many times during all Lenten services.

The last Sunday before the start of Lent is called the Church of Cheesefare Week (it is on this day that the consumption of dairy products ends), or Forgiveness Sunday.

On this day, after the evening service in the temples, a special rite of forgiveness is performed, when the clergy and parishioners mutually ask forgiveness from each other in order to enter Great Lent with a pure soul, having reconciled with all their neighbors.

The next day called Clean Monday, the Russian Orthodox begin Great Lent.

In addition to the Russian Orthodox Church, there are more than 19 different independent autocephalous (headed by patriarchs) and autonomous (headed by metropolitans or bishops) Orthodox churches in the world (the Russian Orthodox Church is listed as the 5th among them), which have their own traditions and their own rules for celebrating Maslenitsa.

For example, in Orthodox Greece Maslenitsa (in Greek. Apokries; Greek "apo kreas" - "without meat" corresponds to the Russian "myasopust") lasts 3 weeks before Lent. The entire Apokries Greek land shudders from mass festivities and processions, and the sky of Greece is illuminated with festive fireworks and salutes. Wise Greeks know how to work little and celebrate a lot.

In the Catholic Church Maslenitsa is called carnival(from lat. carne vale, "farewell, meat") and is celebrated with massive merry festivities.

Of course, the Russian Maslenitsa is still far from the scope of the celebrations of the world-famous Maslenitsa carnivals in Venice, Rome, Nice, Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Cologne, Mainz, Basel, Patra, Xanthi, Tenerife (Canaries); South American in Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), Argentina (Gualegugachu), Bolivia (Oruro), Uruguay (Montevideo), Paraguay; in Jamaica (Kingston), in the USA in New Orleans, in Indian Goa.

These carnivals traditionally attract a lot of tourists from all over the world. Those who have the means to celebrate for a long time and with taste go to the famous Argentine carnival in Gualeguyachu, where fun carnival festivities begin on the dates set by the church, but continue throughout Great Lent and after it.

Many tourists and locals prepare luxurious carnival costumes for the holiday, which makes the famous carnivals amazingly fabulous and colorful.

It is distinguished by a special luxury of carnival costumes and masks. Since the Middle Ages, many Catholic priests from all over Europe have come to this carnival, who, using carnival masks and costumes that hide their appearance, have been pulled off according to the full festive program.

The Vatican has never expressed any particular claims against the Venetian entertainments of its priesthood, reasonably believing that once a year it is quite permissible for the charitable priesthood to violate certain strict Catholic regulations.

Priests have made a significant contribution to the creation of the mysterious and refined sophistication of Venetian carnival costumes and masks. Every entertaining Catholic priest who took the sacred vow of celibacy (celibacy) tried these days to be especially attractive to ladies walking at the carnival, including ladies from the highest classes hiding under masks and wanting entertainment.

Break away my soul
Let's eat pancakes
May God forgive me
I'm ready for Shrovetide!

The most cheerful Russian holiday after the New Year is the Russian Maslenitsa.
This is a truly joyful event of the year, filled with jokes, songs, games.
I will try to tell a little about Maslenitsa, and maybe you will start celebrating it the way you did before, because this holiday is actually in our blood.

Russian Maslenitsa is one of the most beloved folk holidays in our country.
Pancake week begins seven days before Lent.

Maslenitsa dates back to ancient times. This holiday is surprisingly celebrated so far in many European countries.
At first, it was a universal holiday that foreshadowed the arrival of spring, opened the New Year and the beginning of agricultural work.
Over time, the Russian Shrovetide has become just a fun folk holiday.

There is such a thing as Wide Shrovetide - the period from Thursday to Sunday, when the main festive festivities are held.
On the last day of Forgiveness Sunday, people from young to old gather in city and rural squares.
With dancing and games, pancakes are eaten, warmed up with tea and vodka.
It all ends with the burning of the effigy of Winter.

It was forbidden to work and do household chores on the Broad Maslenitsa, because this holiday turned from a pagan into a religious one.

Russian Maslenitsa - What does it mean?

These days, people noisily said goodbye to winter and met the long-awaited spring.

Maslenitsa is included in the religious Orthodox calendar and means preparation for Great Lent. The Church does not prohibit such a pagan tradition as burning an effigy of Winter and welcomes the nationwide revelry and fun before Great Lent.

Pancake is the main attribute of the Russian Maslenitsa.
Hot, fried pancakes were supposed not only to warm everyone, but also to invite the sun, so that heat would come quickly, streams would flow, and spring would give a good harvest, because as you sow, so you reap. Pancakes, as it were, played the role of helpers of the sun and were supposed to help drive away the winter.

Celebrations and trips to visit are also required.

Sign:
If the Russian Maslenitsa is celebrated, as it should be, with pancakes, games and fun, then the year will be successful, rich and joyful.

The name "Shrovetide" comes not only from the word "oil", which is used to grease pancakes. It has a more important meaning and comes from the word "to cajole". The pancake personified the sun and by lubricating it with oil, people cajoled the sun so that it would quickly call spring and warmth. Our ancestors loved spring very much, respected and revered, because spring, as they said, is a nurse. Russian Maslenitsa shows us all this love and joy of the arrival of spring.

Russian Maslenitsa - What can you eat?

Russian Maslenitsa - spring rolls

Everything but meat.

Not many people know one important feature in the choice of food on Shrove Tuesday. And the peculiarity is that you can not eat meat. This is what our church forbids us to do. Yes, they don’t eat meat exactly a week before Lent.
For that, everything else is possible:

fish
caviar
Mushrooms
Dairy products
Butter
Bread
Sugar
Cheese
Eggs
Vegetables and fruits
nuts

Pancakes are the main meal.

Russian Shrovetide is found primarily with pancakes. You can make, for example, thin spring rolls or yeast pancakes.

They ate a lot of pancakes, because meat was forbidden. Meat protein saturates us for a long time, and here, please, you can take your soul on pancakes and eat as much as you can. Everyone loves pancakes with sour cream, jam, honey or condensed milk. And how many pancakes with fillings! Pancakes with mushrooms, fish or cottage cheese are no worse than stuffed pancakes with meat. And pancakes with red caviar are a real delicacy.

There are other dishes for Shrovetide: pies, cheesecakes, pancakes, cakes, cheesecakes, casseroles, muffins. And meat can be replaced with very healthy fish. You can cook delicious baked fish.

Yes, they ate, as they say, for slaughter, for which all the calories evaporated during the post.

Dear hostesses, if you have not yet learned how to make pancakes, then ask your mothers and grandmothers how to fry pancakes. Everyone in the family usually has their own homemade recipe.

Russian Maslenitsa is fun and festivities

Russian Maslenitsa - sleigh rides

Many fun competitions were held in the city squares, sleigh rides with songs and ditties to the accordion, riding from the mountains, fistfights - fun not only for the sake of warming up in cold weather, but also to show your prowess.

Indeed, Russian Maslenitsa is a real holiday for all Orthodox people.
The most interesting thing is that Shrovetide is equally interesting for both children and the older generation. And it is different for every person.
Children can play all winter games: sledding, skiing, skating, capturing snowy towns, playing snowballs. Thus, thank winter for fun winter activities and say goodbye to it.
Young people can not only, like children, have fun riding down the mountains and sculpting snowy towns, but also ride a sleigh, participate in various competitions. Most importantly, you could meet a girl or a guy. I think at Shrove Tuesday you can find yourself a worthy couple, where everyone is smiling, joking and having fun.
The Russian people were very fond of fisticuffs, they were attended not only by young guys, but also by adult men. The tsars were especially fond of watching this, when they could see with their own eyes the strength, patience and character of a real Russian peasant.
Women and men are also not averse, like children, to play snowballs, ride down the mountains. But the main thing for Shrovetide is the sleigh!
Skated with songs to the harmonica.
Russian Maslenitsa did not pass without dancing, sleigh rides, round dances, comic and funny competitions. Everyone laughed, joked, madness and revelry of the soul reigned everywhere.
And all this under pancakes with tea and Russian vodka.

Reminds me of New Years, doesn't it? And not in vain, because before the New Year came in March, when nature came to life again, and people began to prepare for work on the ground, because this was their main occupation. Maslenitsa was the New Year in those days.

Children frolicked, women sang and danced, men fought and drank, and everyone ate pancakes with caviar, kissed and smiled at each other.
This is how the Russian Maslenitsa is - cheerful, wide and real in Russian!

I wish you all the most fun, delicious and joyful Maslenitsa!

Advertising

In the week from February 12 to 18, the Orthodox celebrate Maslenitsa - the last week before the start of Lent. Churchmen call the week Cheese Week, because at this time the most active preparation of believers for Lent begins.

At the same time, the people and the priests have completely different views on Shrovetide week. It is customary for the people at this time to have fun and eat their fill, and the clergy call for silence and tranquility, abstinence and repentance.

Maslenitsa - folk traditions of the holiday

The people associate the Maslenitsa holiday not only with faith, but also with the pagan traditions of seeing off winter. At this time, they try to make a lot of noise and have fun, have fun and eat their fill to wake up and appease spring.

Each day of the week has its own characteristics, but they are all associated with entertainment - people sing and dance, arrange street fights, sports, winter fun.

Pancakes are considered the dish of the week - round and golden, they symbolize the sun and a generous harvest. According to popular belief, pancakes should be eaten as much as possible this week in order to continue to be full of strength and health. At the same time, satiety and fun are considered relevant preparations for fasting, because for the next seven weeks, believers will be forbidden much both in food and in leisure activities.

Maslenitsa ends with a cheerful rite of burning an effigy - the heat of the fire is designed to melt the cold of winter and attract the attention of a warm spring, which is time to drive the fierce from the throne and enter into their legal rights. The effigy is burned to cheerful songs and round dances - pagan rituals and therefore not acceptable to the church.

Cheese Week in the church calendar - what you can eat, what you need to do

The clergy do not approve of festivities on Maslenitsa, because according to the laws of the church, it is necessary first of all to prepare for fasting spiritually. On Maslenitsa, people, forgetting about all the virtues, indulge in the sin of gluttony and, having “nothing sacred,” break away as best they can.

Such behavior is considered wrong for the church - the week before fasting should be spent in the traditions of all Christian virtues.

It is not forbidden to eat pancakes - this week only meat is forbidden to eat, because the period prepares a person for complete abstinence from animal products. Milk and eggs, of which the treat actually consists, are not prohibited, and their combination is very successful in pancakes.

At the same time, according to the church, it is better to avoid excessive fun - time should be devoted to communicating with relatives, realizing the importance of the step that every believer takes when entering a fast.

“Like on any other day, on Cheese Week before Lent, or Maslenitsa, as it is popularly called, one must not be angry, one must not offend one’s neighbors. In a word, to harm other people. There is also fasting, that is, gastronomic abstinence, but during this period it consists only in abstinence from meat and meat products. Eating fish on Cheese Week is allowed.

On the last day of the week, Sunday, Forgiveness Day is celebrated - a time of complete repentance for one's words and deeds. On this day, you need to visit the church and ask heaven for forgiveness for sins. You should also ask for forgiveness from your relatives, acquaintances, friends, neighbors - the day is designed to reconcile people with each other and rally them around faith.

At the same time, noisy festivities around the fire with a burning scarecrow clearly do not fit into the picture of virtues. The churchmen urge to devote time to prayer and repentance, spiritual and physical cleansing, in order to enter the fast with maximum readiness to go through a difficult “test” and a burning desire to go the way to God and realize the importance of faith in the life of every person.