MASLENITSA FESTIVAL IN RUSSIA

The traditional Maslenitsa week for Russia in 2024 will begin on March 11.Russia’s Maslenitsa festival rings in the passing of winter. Also known as ‘pancake week’, the traditional Russian festivity is famous for its blini (pancakes)
Maslenitsa contains both pagan and Christian traditions and is celebrated in the last week before Great Lent, or the seventh week before Eastern Orthodox Easter. The most characteristic part of the festival is the pancakes – Russians feast on ‘blini,’ which are round and golden pancakes made up of rich foods still allowed by the Orthodox tradition, mainly butter, eggs and milk.
The blini, made every day of the week, symbolise the sun and its warmth and Russians are known to eat as many of them as possible during Maslenitsa since the seven days of festivities are followed by seven somber weeks of the Great Lent.
In Moscow alone, more than 500 events are planned every year to celebrate the Slavic folk holiday. The main events are set in the city’s parks, museum clusters and estates, as well as along pedestrian streets in Russian cities.
Sunday is the final day, day of forgiving – when people forgive the wrongs done against them and burn the Maslenitsa mascot, a straw doll dressed in a female costume with a pancake in her hand. This practice has become an almost iconic symbol of the festival, and the imminent end of winter.