When is Maslenitsa?
Maslenitsa is observed annually in the week leading up to the Christian season of Lent. It does not have a fixed start date; the method to determine it is to count back 56 days from Easter. In 2024 that places Maslenitsa from Monday, March 11 to Sunday, March 17, with Clean Monday following on March 18 to commence Lent. This timing anchors the festival within the broader Christian liturgical calendar and links it to the approach of spring in many regions.
How to celebrate the holiday these days
Today, many celebrate Maslenitsa with simple pleasures like baking pancakes and joining public festivities that appear in towns and cities across Russia. A central gathering often happens on Red Square in Moscow, where festive events run from March 11 to March 17, 2024, drawing locals and visitors alike to enjoy the lively atmosphere and traditional foods. In modern practice, the week blends family meals, community meals, and public performances, making the celebration accessible beyond historical or rural settings.
During Maslenitsa, participants typically observe a meat-free diet in preparation for Lent. Dairy products, eggs, and fish remain permissible, and families may add their own customs—such as mountain sledding or sharing pancakes with relatives—into the lineup of activities for the week. These practices reflect both spiritual preparation and a celebration of communal warmth as winter recedes.
Why is Maslenitsa called that?
The origin of the name Maslenitsa is debated, with several traditional explanations. In Orthodox circles it has also been referred to as Cheese Week or Meat Week, reflecting the dietary swing before Lent when dairy is allowed while meat is restricted. A notable account notes that the name emerged because the week centers on buttered pancakes baked with dairy, a symbolic treat during the dietary shift. Other theories connect the name to the arrival of spring and the abundance of milk and butter, which are seen as signs of renewal and fertility. The emphasis on oil and dairy highlights the week’s association with preparing for a bountiful new season and the easing of winter conditions.
History of celebration
Folklorist Vladimir Propp traced Maslenitsa to pre-Christian agricultural rites aimed at ensuring fertility for the upcoming planting season. He described a sequence of related traditional holidays in Russia that culminate in Maslenitsa and then lead into the annual agricultural cycle and the spring season. In ancient beliefs, certain rituals with pancakes and offerings were tied to rites of the dead, with commemorations on Forgiveness Sunday helping to mark the transition from winter to spring. As Christianity took hold, the timing became tied to Lent, compressing a once longer festival into a single week that remained a cultural moment for feasting and merriment. The symbol of the scarecrow, once linked to fertility and abundance, also came to signify winter as it was cast aside in favor of spring’s return.
Even as religious observance shifted, many rural customs persisted into modern times. By the 19th century, public performances and seasonal rituals kept the sense of communal energy alive, with activities designed to connect people with the land and with one another as the cycle of seasons turned. The festival thus served as a bridge between old agrarian beliefs and contemporary celebrations, preserving a sense of heritage while adapting to new social forms.
Maslenitsa week
The week before Lent is divided into Narrow Maslenitsa and Broad Maslenitsa. The first three days focus on chores and practical tasks, while Thursday through Sunday mark broader celebrations with games, rides, and social gatherings. The traditional rhythm includes visiting neighbors, sledding, and large communal feasts. The structure of Maslenitsa week can be understood through the following familiar sequence:
- Monday – Meeting. People begin by shaping scarecrows for Maslenitsa and baking pancakes, sharing the first treats with those in need.
- Tuesday – I’m flirting. Matchmaking themes prevail as friends and families observe and imagine future unions, often accompanied by sledding and pancake feasts.
- Wednesday – Gourmand. The son-in-law visits the mother-in-law to enjoy pancakes together, signaling affection and family ties.
- Thursday – Going for a walk. With broader celebrations, communities embrace rides, contests, and festive gatherings, including the playful defense of a snow town.
- Friday – Mother-in-law’s night. The mother-in-law visits the son-in-law, while the daughter helps prepare a special pancake menu for the occasion.
- Saturday – Meetings of brothers-in-law. Newly married women host visits from sisters-in-law and other relatives of the husbands.
- Sunday – To see. Forgiveness and reconciliation mark the final day, with cemetery visits, baths, and the clearing of leftovers before Lent. The festival traditionally culminates with the burning of a Maslenitsa effigy as a symbolic farewell to winter and a welcome to spring.
Holiday traditions
Food and drink form the heart of Maslenitsa. The days leading up to Lent are a time for abundant meals, reflecting a belief in a prosperous harvest to come. Punctuated feasts include pancakes, rustic pastries, and warm beverages, with the sharing of food serving as a social glue. Special treats such as fish fritters, fish soup, and egg-based dishes appear on many tables as appetite and celebration intertwine.
Riding and feasting go hand in hand during Maslenitsa. People visit neighbors and distant relatives, believing that the return of daylight hours through joyous motion helps bring spring closer. Horseback rides, sleighs, and a festive atmosphere color the landscape as communities come together to sing, dance, and enjoy the last days before Lent. The end of festivities is marked by a loud farewell as the bell signals the shift from celebration to contemplation.
Historical notes describe the playful yet meaningful competition and games that characterized the festival. Some events, such as ice mountain slides and improvised fortress captures, were rooted in reenacting the seasonal struggle and the community’s shared resilience. The day of Forgiveness Sunday culminates in acts of reconciliation, parting with the old year, and a ceremonial burning of the Maslenitsa effigy. The practice has deep regional echoes but remains a vivid symbol of transition, renewal, and communal warmth across generations. These details are captured in ethnographic records and folkloric studies that document how groups celebrated, shared food, and marked the changing seasons with humor and heart.