Pancake week

Pancake week is one of a few ancient pagan holidays of wires of winter kept in Russia and after acceptance of Christianity in X century. The pancake week falls at the week previous to the Great post. Its beginning falls at the period from February 3 (on January, 21 on old style) till March 14 (on March, 1 on old style).

The pancake week has been perceived by Christian church actually as a religious holiday and has received the name Cheese, but it has not changed its internal essence. During a pancake week the person allocates soul before a heavy and long Great post.

The pancake week is famous for plentiful and nourishing food. Therefore there is nothing bad in at this time to regale, try the diversified dishes and to not refuse in anything. In a traditional life it was always considered, that the person, badly and boringly lead this week, would be unlucky within all year. All the fun events are considered to be a magic presage of the future well-being, prosperity and success in all business, domestic and economic undertakings.

From numerous rules and recommendations that should be observed during this holiday, it is possible to name the basic. First, on a pancake week it is impossible to eat meat. The Myasojed (the period of eating much meat, separating a winter, Christmas post from spring, Great) comes to an end, and Sunday before a pancake week starts in last afternoon when meat is allowed to eat. On a pancake week it is possible to eat dairy products and fish. However the basic dish on a pancake week is, as is known, pancakes, which are made every day since Monday. This time refers to as a wide pancake week.

The second rule tells that the meal on a pancake week becomes the most important form of a life. That is why people say, that at this time it is necessary to eat as many times as often the dog will wave a tail. On the pancake week people do not only eat much at home, but also frequently visit friends and relatives and invite guests.

But it’s not only the meal that makes sense of a pancake week. The pancake week allows dances, singing, driving from mountains (on special trays), amusing fights (types of a capture of a snow small town), burning of scarecrows: earlier from straw, and later from a snow on manners of "snowmen", fires and many other things.

Driving in sledge was rather popular, horses and a harness were decorated according to the special image: under arches of horses suspend hand bells, and in tails and a mane intertwine with tapes. This driving on horses was not only a way to show the brave and fine horses, but also a traditionally female way to brag of new things. The driving had special value for girls who wanted to attract attention of grooms and the main thing - of their parents.

Pancake week is not a one-day holiday. It is the whole week when the person should not think of work or any household chores and affairs. It is necessary to have fun, walk and eat, having postponed affairs up to the Great post.

On a pancake week it is necessary not to forget and about a newly married couple as at this time it is accepted to congratulate all pairs, which have got married during last year. People had to give them gifts, play a trick on them, drag in a snow, force to kiss publicly, visit them unexpectedly. And a newly married couple had to take part in the festival and visit parents, leave "to the public", etc.

However the time of a holiday sooner or later comes to the end. The last day a holiday refers to Forgiven Sunday. This day it is accepted to beg pardon to teach other for all insults caused during the year and by that to be cleared of all sinful, to what the person got used during the pancake week. This "pardon" passes usually in such a way: first the most younger are sorry about grown-ups, in reply grown-ups are sorry about the younger.

The pardon between native and familiar occurs in the evening, upon termination of all the entertainments. People say to each other: «Forgive me if I did anything wrong to you». The tradition to be sorry is distributed and on dead when on Sunday many people are sent on a cemetery, leave on the tombs of their relatives and friends pancakes.

1.4 New traditions: the Twenty Third of February and the Eighth of March

In XX century such holidays, as on February 23 and on March 8, by tradition considered man's and female in the days became popular. But the history of these holidays now is almost forgotten by people.

The day of defenders of Fatherland started to be celebrated in 1918 as the birthday of Red Army in commemoration of a victory near Narva and Pskov in the war against the German conquerors. Here it is necessary to remember, that International’s authority in Russia has been connected to the change of a calendar, therefore the eighth of March according to the new style is the February, 23, the old style. When European International members marked celebrated the eighth of March ", in Russia this day referred to 23 of February. Therefore in pre-Revolutionary years the members of the party have got used to celebrate the holiday on February 23. Then the calendar had changed, but there was a reflex to celebrate something revolutionary on February 23. In some years the holiday that was called " Day of Red Army " was created.

But it is a myth because on February 23, 1918 was not Red Army yet, and there were no its victories. Newspapers of the end of February 1918 do not contain any victorious notes. And February newspapers of 1919 do not exult concerning first anniversary of " a great victory ". Only in 1922 on February 23 it has been declared “the Day of Red Army ". However, one year on February 23, 1918 "the Truth" writes that this day is a holiday: " Long before war proletarian International has appointed on February, 23 the international female holiday ".

However, to think up to celebrating on February 23 covering it was necessary also because " February revolution " on February 23, 1917 began. As Bolsheviks did not play the leading role, but nevertheless have accepted it, they were welcomed and brought to the calendar; it was necessary to give other name to the day of " overthrow of autocracy. It became " the day of Red army ", and in due course day on February 23 – nowadays the Day of the defender of Fatherland - became a holiday of all men of Russia.

The international women's day was primary a political holiday too. Everybody knows, that on March 8 the international women's day is, though it is celebrated only on the territory of the former USSR. The history of this holiday is traditionally connected to Clara Tsetkin who has created the revolutionary group consisting of women, so to say has decided to use uncontrollable energy of women on struggle against exploiters. And though its creation was business of not one day, it has been solved to choose a day which could be considered the Birthday of female proletariat. The choice of date belonged to Clara Tsetkin who has managed to link births of the new group struggling against injustice with the history of Jewish people. They have rescued from a tyrant a lot of centuries ago. The annual and most cheerful holiday of Jewish people is the holiday is devoted to it. It is celebrated on crisis from winter by the spring. Probably, that year when the decision to start to celebrate " the International women's day " was accepted, this Jewish holiday had fallen on March 8. And the date got accustomed. It was probably inconvenient to change date every year. In the Soviet state this holiday was transformed all over again to day of the revolutionary woman, and now it is celebrated simply as the beginning of spring, as day of worship the woman, her beauty, her wisdom and everything, that is identified with femininity.

The holidays existing in modern Russia not only emphasize one of the brightest features of Russian culture – the connection of pagan and Christian traditions, but also reflect the mentality of Russian people.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 1535