Very soon, on February 20, 2017, Maslenitsa will come - a holiday that can rightfully be called one of the most pancake and sweet days of the year. Pancake week ends with “forgiveness” Sunday, which is called so because since ancient times on this day it was necessary to repent to loved ones and it was supposed to grant forgiveness. In 2017, this day falls on the twenty-sixth.

Maslenitsa traditions originate in the distant past and it is very good that some of them have remained there. For example, in the old days in Rus', fist fights served as entertainment, which sometimes could not be called comic, because they became the cause of tragedies. Nowadays, the only integral companions of Maslenitsa are entertainment events, such as dancing, lively songs, various competitions and, of course, sweet treats. During the first three days, it is customary to bake pancakes, invite guests, and collect everything necessary for fun and entertainment. This period of time is called “small” Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa 2017: what to serve

The first day of the week was called the “meeting” of Maslenitsa. But Tuesday was given the name “flirt”. From this day on, the holiday began to spread a little, young boys and unmarried girls gathered and had fun together. The third day of the week was called “gourmet”, but on Thursday the entertainment was already in full swing, for which it was nicknamed “revelry”. “Mother-in-law’s evening” fell on Friday, and Saturday was reserved for “mother-in-law’s gatherings.” According to the established order, Maslenitsa is celebrated on Sunday. On this day and to this day, people stand in a circle and set a large straw doll on fire in order to drive out winter and invite spring. The pancake was not chosen as a symbol of Maslenitsa by chance, since our ancestors noticed that it looks like the sun. It was customary not only to enjoy pancakes themselves, but also to treat them to the poor. During the holiday, it is permissible to eat any food and in any quantity, except meat. For this, Maslenitsa was nicknamed “meat-free”.

When is Maslenitsa in 2017: customs

It is believed that if you spend the holiday well-fed and cheerfully, then the whole next year will be prosperous and the harvest will be rich, so you should never be sad or despondent throughout the holiday week. On Sunday, everyone is in a hurry to eat to their heart's content due to the fact that then comes Lent, which lasts seven weeks. Believers will observe fasting for almost two months, requiring certain abstinence, including in food, so Maslenitsa is a good opportunity to prepare for this event.

Here comes perhaps the most pancake day of the year - Maslenitsa.

Maslenitsa week will begin on February 20, 2017, and will end on Forgiveness Sunday. “Forgiveness” Sunday got its name from ancient times, when on this day it was necessary to repent to loved ones and also grant them forgiveness. In 2017, this day will be the twenty-sixth.

It is important that some Maslenitsa traditions are far in the past. For example, fist fights, which in ancient times in Rus' were not at all comic in nature, but, on the contrary, were the causes of serious tragedies. Today, Maslenitsa is exclusively for entertainment and is accompanied by dancing, competitions, chants and always sweets. The first three days, of course, pancakes are baked and guests gather. This is a “small” Maslenitsa.

What is served on the table at Maslenitsa?

The first day of the week is the “meeting” of Maslenitsa, and Tuesday is the “flirt”. From the second day the holiday begins to flourish - young people gather and have fun. The third day was called “gourmet”, and on Thursday the most important entertainment begins, which is why it is called “revelry”.

Friday is “mother-in-law’s evening,” Saturday is “mother-in-law’s get-together.” It is customary to celebrate Maslenitsa on Sunday. Celebrants stand in a circle and a large straw doll is put on fire to invite spring and hasten the winter. It is symbolic that the pancake is associated with Maslenitsa, because a long time ago people noticed its resemblance to the sun. And on these holidays it was very important not only to treat ourselves to pancakes, but also to invite the poor to the table. During the holiday, any food is allowed to the table in unlimited quantities, except meat. Why is Maslenitsa nicknamed “meat-free”?

When is Maslenitsa in 2017: customs and traditions.

It is generally accepted that if you spend the holiday well-fed and cheerfully, the whole year will be prosperous with a rich harvest, which is why you should not be sad during all holidays and never lose heart. And on Sunday, before the onset of Great Lent, which lasts seven weeks, people rush to get enough to eat. Since believers observe fasting for almost two months, which requires certain abstinence, Maslenitsa is an excellent opportunity to prepare for Great Lent.

Traditionally Carnival considered in Russia to be one of the best 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

In 2017, Maslenitsa week will last from February 20 to February 26, foreshadowing the coming 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 (in 2017 it is 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.

Despite the fact that, according to the church charter, Maslenitsa does not exist as such a holiday (in the church calendar this period is designated as a week of preparation in Lent and is called Cheese Week), people love this mass celebration and actively take advantage of the opportunity to have a lot of fun before starting preparation for Easter. Considering that the date when Maslenitsa in 2019 is tied to the date of Easter, you need to know what date Easter is so as not to make a mistake and not break the rules of Lent. In 2019, Easter will be on April 28, and the period when Maslenitsa begins will be March 4-10, the week that precedes the start of Lent. What is the history of the formation of the holiday and what traditions are followed by the people during this period?

Yarilo is a symbol of the sun and the beginning of spring

Turning to the history of the formation of Maslenitsa week, you can find out that it was customary to celebrate the holiday back in the days of paganism. During the period when the festivities were taking place, a large effigy of Yarila was taken out on the street, which symbolized the god of the sun, spring and fertility. In honor of the god Yarila and the sun, people baked flat cakes in a special way: they took a handful of flour into their palm, dipped it in water, and from the resulting dough they baked ruddy flat cakes that personified the solar disk. Later, flat cakes began to be baked from dough and sourdough. According to tradition, when biting a piece of flatbread, a person seemed to be biting off a piece of the sun, along with its energy and warmth.

The attitude of the Orthodox Church towards Maslenitsa

Even before Christianity arose, the Maslenitsa period began a week before the vernal equinox, and continued for another week after it.
With the emergence of Christianity in Rus', new holidays appeared, but the celebration of Maslenitsa remained among the people. However, there was a slight difference: the dates of the holiday shifted due to the beginning of Lent. Due to pagan remnants, people continued to follow the traditions of burning effigies, dancing in circles, and walking as hard as they could.

After the baptism of Rus', the church tried to resist this kind of festivities, but still some traditions remained. Nowadays, people continue to burn effigy and jump over the fire on Maslenitsa. So what is the attitude of the modern church to such an event?
Today, the clergy remind all believers that Cheese Week is, first of all, a period of preparation for the most important fast - Lent, and therefore it is better to abandon such festivities and spend Maslenitsa in moderate fun. Indeed, during the period of Great Lent, a person is not allowed to eat food of animal origin, in order to cleanse the soul, one must also repent of the united, pray, and spend more time thinking about the meaning of life and one’s purpose. The church has nothing against having fun on Maslenitsa and eating pancakes, but it recommends keeping yourself within the bounds of reason, especially not abusing alcoholic beverages, since it is believed that such drinks alienate a person’s soul from God, and vice versa, bring him closer to demons alcoholism.

But the church has nothing against the tradition of visiting your friends and loved ones on Maslenitsa and serving them homemade pancakes with different fillings. On the contrary, priests emphasize the importance of such a tradition, since it is believed that you need to spend more time with your loved ones, listen to them and share your current affairs, since during Lent you should partially give up communication, devoting this time to yourself, prayers and God .

Maslenitsa week: how the festivities take place, holiday traditions

Of course, the most famous and beloved Maslenitsa tradition is baking. The tradition, like the holiday itself, has pagan roots. Round, rosy pancakes with a golden crust represented the sun. In ancient times, during festivities, people decorated cart wheels and carried them around, while whistling cheerful melodies. All this was carried out in order to “butter” the sun, to appease Yarila, so that he would be favorable. By the way, this is where the name of the holiday came from – “Maslenitsa”.

Another well-known tradition of this holiday is jumping over a fire. It was believed that by jumping over a fire, a person would burn away his sins. Today, if somewhere at Maslenitsa events this kind of fun is organized, it is done more for the sake of fun. If we talk about sin from the point of view of Christianity, then the believer needs to visit the temple and atone for his sins there, and not jump over the fire.

Also, the tradition of burning effigy has survived to this day as a symbol of the passing of winter and the beginning of spring. By burning the effigy, people asked for a fruitful year.

Forgiveness Sunday

The date when Maslenitsa 2019 begins is March 4, and Maslenitsa days end on Sunday, March 10. This Sunday is called Forgiveness Sunday. On this day, one should sincerely ask for forgiveness from everyone and remember the departed. On Forgiveness Sunday in churches there are evening services dedicated to the rite of forgiveness. The rector of the temple asks for forgiveness from the parishioners, and they, in turn, ask for forgiveness from each other. At the same time, when someone asks for forgiveness on Forgiveness Sunday, one must respond with the following words: “God will forgive.”

Maslenitsa is one of the most favorite holidays of the year, almost like New Year. Why? Yes, because the holiday lasts a whole week, and every week you can eat pancakes! You can prepare them according to different recipes; today you can find a lot of them, so every day you can cook pancakes according to a new recipe. And also - you need to have fun! And see off the winter, welcoming the long-awaited spring. Indeed, a wonderful holiday, with fairs, booths, general games, and festivities!

When does Maslenitsa start (also called Fed Week and Cheese Week) in 2016? The beginning of Maslenitsa is March 7, 2016; the end of Maslenitsa (Forgiveness Sunday) - a week from the beginning, March 13, 2016

Maslenitsa 2016: March 7-13.

Maslenitsa 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, dates:

• In 2017, Maslenitsa is celebrated from February 20 to 26.
• In 2018, Maslenitsa will be celebrated from February 12 to 18.
• In 2019, Maslenitsa falls on the dates from March 4 to March 10.
• In 2020, Maslenitsa is celebrated from February 24 to March 1.

How to determine the date of Maslenitsa?

Cast iron pan for pancakes- classic!

You can determine the start date of Maslenitsa yourself: you need to count 56 days ago from the date of Easter, and you will get the start date of Maslenitsa. Almost every year, the start date of the holiday falls either at the end of February or at the beginning of March.

How to prepare for Maslenitsa? You need to check your pancake pans, prepare a lot of flour, eggs, milk (cream, kefir), yeast (you can also cook pancakes with yeast), as well as fillings and additions to pancakes: sour cream, caviar, red fish, butter, honey, jam , jam. All this can be simply taken out of the refrigerator all week. What could be tastier than Russian pancakes! Lacy, rich, with baked goods, with apple, with cabbage, with trout - pancakes can be very different!

It's best to pick up recipes in advance so you don't have to look for them at the last minute.

You can make yourself a list of recipes from the Internet, or you can buy a book about pancakes in advance- it’s more convenient to use a book, it’s always at hand, and you don’t have to print out recipes. With or without filling, sweet or salty, with honey, cream, berries, chocolate or with cheese, bacon and salmon - pancakes can be both a delicious dessert and a great snack! And preparing them is not difficult. And not only during Maslenitsa!

In the old days, for Maslenitsa, they re-whitewashed the stoves, took out festive dishes, swept courtyards and huts. And today, for this holiday, it is advisable to tidy up the house so that it is clean and beautiful. After all, guests may come to you this week.

Real Russian pancakes were usually baked from buckwheat flour. Today there are hundreds of pancake recipes and the same number of options for baking, all kinds of sauces and fillings for pancakes. Crepes with apples in Calvados will delight those with a sweet tooth, and exotic sesame pancakes with Thai vegetables will delight vegetable lovers. Galettes with pears and bacon will undoubtedly have a chance to become a favorite dish for real gourmets. Pancakes with apples and wild berries, with herbs and champignons, with sorrel and rice, with sea fish...

And what a variety of fillings you can come up with for pancakes! This is a win-win option for any feast, because at the request of the hostess, pancakes become a truly royal treat.

Hearty pancakes can also be different - sweet and savory: with meat, mushrooms, vegetables.

Everyone loves donuts and pancakes - young and old, they are especially good with milk and cocoa.

Days of Maslenitsa week

During the period of Cheese Week, not only the soul, but also the body is cleansed. We are preparing to observe the longest fast of the year. During Maslenitsa week it is customary to eat dairy products, butter, fish, A meat must be eliminated completely.

Each day of Maslenitsa week has its own special menu, special meaning, and has its own name.

Meeting- the first day of Maslenitsa. First day of Cheese Week. Empty pancakes are baked to commemorate the dead and given to the poor (in some regions this tradition has been moved to Forgiveness Sunday). The Maslenitsa effigy is decorated with ribbons and put on display. In 2016 it is March 7th.

Wide-haired Maslenitsa,
We boast about you
We ride in the mountains,
We'll overeat on pancakes!

Flirting- second day of Maslenitsa. Day of matchmaking and flirting. Hot pancakes are being baked, the newlyweds must slide down the icy mountain together, and young girls and boys are eyeing each other for future matchmaking. In 2016 it is March 8th.

Gourmand- third day of Maslenitsa. Hospitality Day. They prepare pancakes with fillings: sweet cheese pancakes, salty ones with fish filling, pancakes with buckwheat porridge and mushrooms. We need to visit each other, sing songs, play and have fun. In 2016 it is March 9th.

Take a walk- fourth day of Maslenitsa. A day of demonstrating male strength and agility. Fist fights, snow battles - this is exactly how this day should go. Letting go of winter negativity. In 2016 it is March 10th.

Mother-in-law's evenings- fifth day of Maslenitsa. A mother-in-law and father-in-law come to visit a young family. The son-in-law should invite the mother-in-law the day before, thereby showing his disposition and sympathy. In 2016 it is March 11th.

Sister-in-law's get-togethers- sixth day of Maslenitsa. Unmarried girls bake sweet pancakes and invite their girlfriends, who are already happily married, to visit. In 2016 it is March 12th.

Forgiveness Sunday- the seventh day of Maslenitsa. We forget old grievances, burn the Maslenitsa effigy, eat pancakes for the last time before Lent, and say goodbye to Maslenitsa. In 2016 it is March 13th.

Pancakes in the old days: how they were prepared

There is hardly a person who will refuse to taste a fluffy, spongy pancake soaked in butter. This ancient Russian dish dates back to pagan times. A round and hot pancake is a symbol of the spring sun.

In Rus', the dough for pancakes began to be prepared 5–6 hours before baking. At first, only part of the flour was mixed with yeast, and then, when the dough was ready, the rest of the flour, salt, sugar, and butter were added.

For custard pancakes, the dough was also boiled with milk.

Then whipped egg whites and cream were added. The dough was risen again, and only after that the pancakes were baked.

Previously, pancakes were cooked in the oven, so they still say “bake” about pancakes, although nowadays they are fried.

In villages, the dough was wrapped in a towel and placed in the warmest place in the house - near the stove. The dough took a long time to rise. Pancakes were baked in small cast iron frying pans. Such pans could not be washed. They poured a little vegetable oil into them, sprinkled coarse salt, heated them well, allowed them to cool slightly and wiped them thoroughly with a dry cloth. If the frying pan is poorly cleaned, then the first pancake will not work, hence the saying “the first pancake is lumpy.”

The finished pancakes were placed in a deep bowl wrapped in a towel.

The pancakes were served with butter, sour cream, salted fish (it was wrapped in a pancake), and caviar.

What are baked pancakes?

Pancakes with seasoning were popular in Old Russian cuisine. The filling was finely chopped and placed immediately on a frying pan greased with vegetable oil, after which it was filled with dough.

Yeast-free pancakes

In addition to traditional pancakes, Russian cuisine is also famous for its thin yeast-free pancakes. By the way, such pancakes can be found in the national cuisine of almost any country. In France they are called crepes, in America - pancakes, baked with water, milk, or beer. Each national cuisine has a specific pancake size and serving method.

Subtleties of making pancakes

Pressed yeast is quite capricious, with a very short shelf life. For any yeast, the main thing is that the temperature of the water or milk for the dough should not be higher than 50 °C.

Baking soda and baking powder are interchangeable in recipes. You need to take twice as much baking powder as baking soda. However, for pancakes whose ingredients contain honey, chocolate or products that can cause an acidic reaction (sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt, whey, fruit and berry juices and purees, vinegar, citric acid and others), it is better to use soda.

Opara is well suited indoors with high humidity, so the best place for it in an apartment is the bathroom.

The container with the dough can be placed in water whose temperature is not higher than 50 °C.

There are special rules for successfully preparing pancakes:

1. The flour must be sifted immediately before preparing pancakes; this is the only way to make a soft and fluffy dough.

2. Egg yolks are added to the dough separately from egg whites. First, the yolks mashed with sugar are added, the dough is mixed, beaten a little, and only then the whipped whites are added.

3. Yeast pancakes should be baked when the dough has just risen.

4. The frying pan can be metal with a thin bottom or cast iron with a thick bottom, but necessarily with non-stick coating.

5. It is necessary to pour the dough into the frying pan in small portions so that the pancakes do not turn out too thick and clumsy and can be baked in a short time. When pouring dough into a frying pan, it is better to hold the ladle in one hand and the frying pan in the other, tilting it in different directions so that the dough is evenly distributed over the surface.

6. Each pancake can be greased with butter. The baked pancakes should be placed on a plate, covered with a clean towel so that they can breathe, but not cool down or dry out.

7. Ready-made pancakes can be shaped into triangles, wrapped in tubes, made into bags, stuffed with various fillings: mushrooms and onions, minced meat, chopped herbs and eggs, sweet cottage cheese with raisins. Or simply serve with jam, marmalade, honey, condensed milk, chocolate butter, sour cream.

And the most important secret of delicious pancakes is they should be eaten immediately after cooking, as they say, in the heat of the moment.

And then - a couple of delicious recipes.

Buckwheat custard pancakes

Fluffy, aromatic buckwheat pancakes with sour cream are a classic of Russian cuisine. Buckwheat pancakes have many advantages over wheat pancakes. They go well with sour cream, machanka, fish, and caviar.

Ingredients:

• 600 g buckwheat flour
• 1.5 l milk
• 25 g fresh yeast (dry - three times less)
• 2 eggs
• 25 g butter
• 1 tsp. Sahara
• pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for frying

Heat 660 ml of milk to 50 °C, add to the yeast, stir. Add melted butter, stir. Separate the yolks from the whites, add sugar and yolks to the milk, mix. Add sifted flour, beat, cover with a towel and place in a warm place for 2 hours.

Beat the whites with salt. Heat the remaining milk to 50 °C, add to the dough, mix. Add the whipped whites to the dough, mix gently, cover with a towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour.

Bake pancakes in hot vegetable oil.

Blueberry pancakes

Heat the milk to 38-40 °C, pour the yeast into it, stir. Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Break eggs (at room temperature) into milk and add salt. Add flour, stirring constantly. We get a dough with the consistency of liquid sour cream. Place the dough in a warm place and wait until it doubles in volume.

Add blueberries to the dough and mix.

If you are using frozen blueberries, then they must be placed in the dough without defrosting.

Heat the pan for pancakes and pour in vegetable oil. Using a large tablespoon, pour the dough into the frying pan, fry until golden brown and turn over. Fry until done. Transfer to a plate, brushing with butter.