Pancake Week is grounded in ancient tradition. During the
Middle Ages, it was common practice to prepare for Lent by purging the pantry
of luxurious foods such as eggs, butter, and milk. These ingredients often
became big batches of pancakes. To this day, many communities around the world
feast on pancakes all the way through Shrove Tuesday - before the season of
moderation begins on Ash Wednesday.
In the Orthodox tradition, this celebration is known as Maslenitsa
(Russian: Ма́сленица, Belarusian: Масьленіца). Maslenitsa is an Eastern Slavic
religious and folk holiday. It is celebrated during the last week before Lent -
that is, the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha (Easter).
During Soviet times, Maslenitsa, like all the other
religious holidays, officially, was not celebrated. However, it was widely
observed in families.without its religious significance, just as an opportunity
to prepare crepes with all sorts of fillings and coverings and to eat and share
them with friends. After the start of perestroika, the outdoor celebrations
resumed. In present days, many people have returned to practising Christianity
and the tradition is being revived.
This
postcard from Irene (10 October 2014) Postcrossing shows a holiday scene during
Pancake Week / Maslenitsa.
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