| Maslenitsa
(Pancake week) is the only purely Russian Holiday that dates
back to the pagan times. For seven days Russia jingles with
bells, sings with garmoshkas and glares with gaily-painted
dresses. The people are letting the long-annoying winter out
and the long-awaited spring in.
The counters in the Maslenitsa town
are groaning with various dainties. There are the paunchy
samovars with mellow tea, bunches of sweet-scented barankas,
nuts and honey pies with different signs: "Whom I love
- to those I give", "A present of the sweet-hart
is the dearest". Salted foods, various fish, caviar -
choose and eat anything however much you like!
But the essential elements, of course,
are pancakes (blini). Pankacke is a symbol of sun. It is as
round, gold and warm as the sun. Pancakes are served hot with
either butter, or sour cream, or caviar, or mushrooms, or
sturgeon - to any exquisite taste.The first blin was intended
for the missing persons (they put it down near the window)
or to the bums.
The last day of Maslenitsa is called
the Forgiveness Day. Everybody ask one another for forgiveness
in order to redeem themselves from their sins before the Great
Lent. They bow to one another and say, "God will forgive
you". Maslenitsa is over and so is the winter giving
way to the spring.
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