What’s a Maslenitsa (Pancake week)?• It is a carnival, inherited from

pagan times, but then incorporated into the Christian calendar

• Initially – a celebration of the winter coming to the end, a feast of sun, symbols of which – pancakes – are the biggest traditional element of the week

• In the Christian time – the last chance to eat and drink to your full pleasure before the Great Lent comes

• It is a week full of eating, drinking, social gatherings and traditions

Is there any samba or masquerade involved?

• Well, initially some dances were involved, as well as comical shows, masquerades, gypsy songs, bear dancing, etc.

• Actually, every day of the week involved some particular actions – some less fun, like a visit to your mother-in-law, some more fun, like fist fighting or burning a straw man

Burning what?• On the first day of the

week, the dummy of the Winter is triumphantly welcomed, with lots of songs and celebrations

• On the last day of the week it is not less triumphantly burnt in celebration of the spring coming into its rights

• It’s not that we are inhospitable or something)

Anything not for pyromaniacs?• Sure!• First of all, it is lots of food

• LOT of high-fat, high-carb food

• No diets apply!• Yes, that’s why we

love it so much!

As well as lots of ways to burn those calories:

Fooling around

Climbing to get a prize

• The trick is that the pole is covered with soap, so that climbing gets really tough

• But some nice prizes are awaiting for the strong and assertive

• In old times these were usually pairs of boots, today – consumer electronics

• Yep, some people still do it today)

Conquering a snow castle

• Very simple – one team is defending a castle, another is attacking

• The castle was carefully built several weeks, and will be destroyed in hours

• Yep, some people still do it today)

Fist-fighting

• In the times when there were no paintball, American football and War of Warcraft, men still had to do something with their testosterone

• This was considered a safe and fun way to do that (better than starting a war, anyways :-)

• So, two teams, no weapons, limited timing, no offence or lawsuits involved

• If you want to see this in action, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmSXng4zedQ

• Nope, we don’t do that anymore)

Forgiven Sunday

• The last day of the week is marked not only with the burning and extra eating (cause tomorrow you won’t be allowed to eat anything but vegetables!)

• We also try to prepare for the Lent in a more spiritual way – the Sunday is called “Forgiven Sunday”, which means that you have a chance (and almost an obligation) to say “I’m sorry” to all the people that you could have hurt or offended in the previous year, but never had the chance to clear up your conscience

• The usual answer to the request for forgiveness would be “God forgives and I forgive”