Happy Maslenitsa
Happy Maslenitsa!
Maslenitsa (or Pancake Week) is a Russian religious and folk festival that celebrates the end of the winter and the start of spring. It is a festival of hope and warmth. Its roots are in both Orthodox Christian and pagan traditions. In Orthodox tradition it is the week of preparation before the start of Great Lent, a time to eat all the cheese and dairy products forbidden during lent. The celebration culminates on Sunday in the burning of a straw effigy of Lady Maslenitsa.
The most traditional thing to eat during Maslentisa week is “bliny” – flat round pancakes. At Liden & Denz we will be celebrating by eating pancakes, drinking vodka and playing games this Friday at our schools in Moscow and St Petersburg.
There will also be celebrations on Sunday 17th from 11.00 until 21.00 in Kirov Central Park of Culture and Recreation (Центральный парк культуры и отдыха имени С. М. Кирова), metro Krestovsky Ostrov. Moscow’s festivities will be held in Vasilievsky Spusk square. There wll be folk music performances, carnival rides, ice skating and more for those of you who are still hungry for blinis and culture.
