Burn, burn... a straw effigy, or why Shrovetide culminates in the burning of a doll. Shrovetide is a bright and cheerful holiday that has come down to us from pagan times. Mass festivities traditionally end with the burning of a straw effigy (doll).
Now the ritual has become just the final point of celebration. And our ancestors took everything much more seriously, and the rite not only symbolized the departure of winter and the onset of spring, but was the key to a new harvest. A bright lush bonfire was a harbinger of a successful year.
From antiquity to modern times
The first mention of the tradition of burning a terrible doll dates back to the time of the existence of the ancient Russian state. Then, among the pagan gods, Mara (Marena) commanded cold and cold. She made all living things freeze until the very spring, and with her arrival Marena died for a while. The holiday dedicated to the goddess was called Komoyeditsa. According to written sources, the celebrations lasted two weeks, and the effigy was burned several times during this period.
Our ancestors believed that the rite is not just a farewell to winter, but allows you to cleanse yourself, relieves sorrows and hardships. But even more than their own well-being, people in those days cared about their daily bread. The burning of an effigy served as a sign of the revival of fertile lands. And the meaning was that life appears through struggle, death, resurrection, because this is how the goddess Mara was born again, like a Phoenix bird.
Religious holidays in Russia are sometimes held with no less scope than state holidays. It is difficult to find a family in Russia where at Easter there will not be at least a small Easter cake. Baptism is impossible to imagine without public bathing in the hole Shrovetide has its own distinctive feature. It is a tradition to bake pancakes and burn an effigy. And if the tradition of baking pancakes has not changed much over the centuries of the existence of the holiday, then civilization has left its mark on the burning of the Shrovetide effigy. The correspondent of the site found out whether the townspeople can meet the spring by burning an effigy?
Burn can't dance
No one can forbid you to make a stuffed Maslenitsa and dance around it, but you won’t be able to burn it yourself in Moscow.
In the capital, any kind of campfires is generally prohibited - a fine of up to five thousand rubles is imposed for this. The exception is barbecue gatherings at the barbecue, but they are allowed only at specially equipped picnic points.
According to the Moscow Ministry of Emergency Situations, there are no places in Moscow where you can come to Maslenitsa and burn an effigy on your own - without notifying the authorities. Nevertheless, Muscovites will not be left without their favorite pastime. But the holding of such events should be coordinated with the authorities and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Anna, an employee of the council of the Beskudnikovo district: “If burning is carried out in mass places with the participation of the council, then this can be done. However, security measures must be followed. - send a fire inspector to the place of the festive burning of the effigy or the organizers are able to independently ensure safety with fire extinguishing equipment.
Scarecrow burn!
Maslenitsa festivities will go on for a whole week from March 7 to 13. Muscovites are waiting for exciting competitions and master classes, traditional folk fun and interactive events, baking pancakes at speed, processions with rattles, folk games and traditional fair rows, concerts with the participation of Nike Borzov, Pizza and Ivan Kupala groups, brass orchestra ½ Orchestra and folk groups. The main sites of the holiday are parks of culture and recreation, pedestrian zones, and almost all cultural institutions. More than 100 events are announced in the program. And the final point in the celebrations will be put by the burning of art-effigies of Maslenitsa in different parts of the city.
You can watch the burning of the effigy at the following venues:
Gorky Park
On March 12 and 13 from 11:00 a.m. Pushkinskaya and Krymskaya embankments will host a two-day music festival with the participation of the best representatives of the Russian folk scene: a mixture of folklore and modern traditions from the Yoki group, traditional Slavic polyphony in electronic arrangement "Folk Beat", folk-rock group ALENA, vocals in combination with the psaltery from the group "Zelo-Zelny Erofeich", the group "Dobra Noch" will delight with Russian dance, and "Ivan Kupala" - all the familiar and favorite repertoire.
Fair yards with fragrant pancakes, hot tea and souvenirs will open. On the wooden stage in the Museon, jesters and buffoons will show performances to the rhythms of street musicians. Children's workshops will teach how to paint wooden spoons and weave bast dolls. There will be competitions for men: tug-of-war, sack fights, a traditional Russian attraction - a Maslenitsa pillar, which only the most dexterous can climb.
The burning of the art scarecrow of Maslenitsa will take place on March 13 at 20:20. The scarecrow will be made by the Hungarian artist Gabor Joquet. The installation will consist of two parts - a lair and a brown bear. The lair will burn down and disappear along with the winter, and the bear, as a symbol of the awakened spring, will remain to live in the park. The dimensions of the object are impressive: a five-meter lair will hide a bear cub sitting inside, 3.5 meters high. The total weight of the sculptural composition will be about 4 tons. Whole necessary material to Moscow from Hungary will be brought by special diplomatic transport. It will take 6 days to create the installation, and the process itself can be observed in real time from 6 to 11 March on Pushkinskaya Embankment.
"Kolomenskoye"
Wide Shrovetide in Kolomenskoye will be celebrated on March 12-13. These days there will be mass street festivities.
March 12, Saturday, at 13:00 in Kolomenskoye on the stage behind Yarmarochnaya Square (Kolomenskaya metro station) will begin the theatrical program "Boyar Maslenitsa". On this day in Kolomenskoye, professional artists will acquaint the guests of the museum with the customs, rituals, folk Maslenitsa games and amusements, as well as present characteristic distinctive features celebration of Maslenitsa by townspeople and rural residents. Nearby, in the fair houses, a wide trade in pancakes with various fillings, hot tea, and souvenirs will unfold.
The next day of Maslenitsa will be just as bright and cheerful - March 13, Sunday. The last day of Maslenitsa is Forgiveness Sunday. All close people asked each other for forgiveness for the troubles and insults caused during the year. Forgiveness consisted of a triple kiss and a low bow. From 12:00 to 17:00 on the stage behind the Yarmarochnaya Square, guests of the Museum-Reserve will see the theatrical program "Farewell to Shrovetide". Children and adults will be able to take part in traditional Russian outdoor games, sing folk songs, ditties and incantations together with the artists, dance round dances and learn a lot about last day Maslenitsa week - Forgiveness Sunday. The culmination of the holiday will be the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa.
Izmailovsky Kremlin
On March 12 and 13, from 12:00 to 18:00, noisy folk festivals, fist fights, sawing logs, wall to wall, hockey with brooms, tug of war and other primordially Russian fun will be held at the Sovereign's Court of the Izmailovsky Kremlin. A concert will be held on the main stage with the participation of the best folk and pop ensembles. The program includes performances by the Moscow Cossack Choir, the Paraskeva show group, the Gusliary of Russia state orchestra, and even a concert number featuring a real brown bear.
Also, for everyone, creative and craft master classes will be held in museums and workshops of the Kremlin. A fair of souvenirs and gifts awaits guests in the boyar hall. In the midst of the holiday, a flash mob "Magic Ball" will take place, in which all guests of the holiday will be able to participate. On March 13 at 17:40, the burning of the hero of the occasion - a huge and elegant Maslenitsa - will take place at the Sovereign's Court.
Vorontsovsky park
From 5 to 13 March, from 12:00 to 19:00, a festive fair with gifts and pancakes is open in the park. Craft workshops will open, where those who wish will be taught blacksmithing and pottery, woodcarving. The burning of the Shrovetide effigy will take place on March 13 at 18:00 and will be accompanied by a light show.
Sokolniki Park"
In the Sokolniki Park, the Broad Maslenitsa will be celebrated on March 12 on Fontannaya Square, the Big Circle and the main flowerbed. From 12:00 to 15:00 in the pagoda on the main flower bed, culinary master classes and fights with chefs will be held. At 15:00, a musical concert starts on the stage of Fountain Square. Performers: Nike Borzov, Pizza bands, Bubamara Brass Band. The musical program will continue with a festive DJ set. At the end of the event, the traditional burning of the "Art Scarecrow" of Maslenitsa will take place, which will be installed on a special frying pan on the fountain bowl.
Garden "Hermitage"
The park will be decorated with art objects in the form of cockerel lollipops, a design market and workshops for making Maslenitsa toys and dolls will operate. There will be rattle processions, the Folkbeat group will take the stage - four pretty girls performing in the genre of traditional Slavic polyphony with modern arrangements of Russian folk songs. On March 12 at 18:00, a three-meter effigy of Maslenitsa will be burned, which will be a lady in a rooster costume.
Izmailovsky park
The visitors of the park will be entertained by mummers, buffoon theater and harmonists. Children will be able to ride the traditional Shrovetide swing, and men will be able to take part in a hat fight and climb a Shrovetide pole. Folk groups "Dikovina", "Yareneya" and "Karagod" will perform on the stage of the park. On March 12, the holiday will end with the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa.
Lianozovsky park
Maslenitsa will be celebrated in Lianozovsky Park on March 12 from 12:00. At 16:00, the groups "Iva Nova", Feuertanz and "Namgar" will perform on stage with old songs, perky dance compositions and legend songs. And at 19:00, the burning of the art carnival and a pyrotechnic show will take place.
Park Gardeners
On March 12, at 14:00, the festivities will begin in the Sadovniki park. Singer Inna Zhelannaya and indie folk group Malinen will perform. Workshops for creating costumes, kokoshniks, skirts, scarves will open in the park, and a fair will work. Burning of Maslenitsa effigy can be observed at 17:00.
Park "Kuzminki"
Maslenitsa festivities in the Kuzminki park will be held on March 12 and 13. On Saturday, the groups "Iva Nova" and "Length of Breath" will perform in the park. Pedlars will walk around the park with caramelized apples, pies and pancakes. The mummers will organize traditional games to the accompaniment of folk instruments, and at 16:00 they will burn an effigy of Maslenitsa.
March 13 at 10:00 starts "Pancake Run" for 10 kilometers. From 13:00 to 15:00 there will be a Shrovetide quest with prizes for children, participants will learn how to cook pancakes and get acquainted with the traditions of Maslenitsa celebrations.
Perovsky park
On March 12, an interactive photo zone "Stove" and a wooden Ferris wheel will appear in the park, traditional games and contests, master classes in painting wooden toys will be held.
There will be a performance by the group "Tuda-suda", which recreates the traditions of instrumental music of the peoples of Russia, and OYME - a modern sound combined with Mordovian folklore. And at 18:00, a four-meter effigy will be burned.
North Tushino Park
The park will welcome guests on March 12 with buffoons and mummers. Ladies on this day will be able to try on traditional Russian outfits, and men will compete in strength and dexterity. At 16:00, the concert program will begin: Soulmama and Marimba Plus will perform, working in the fusion style and combining academic traditions, ethnic rhythms, jazz improvisations and modern musical trends. The burning of the effigy of Maslenitsa will take place on the embankment of the Khimki reservoir.
Cultural center "Zelenograd"
Shrovetide festivities will also be held on the basis of the largest cultural institution in Zelenograd on March 12. The program of the event is designed for all age categories of the population and includes: Maslenitsa games, fun, Maslenitsa competition. The culmination of the holiday will be the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa.
February 25 from 12.00 to 18.00
What will happen: Family Day - a whole day filled with master classes, lectures and games for the whole family
Things to do: On Saturday at Flacon's Space, kids will learn how to make a scarecrow under the guidance of designers, pillow fights and tug-of-war. It seems that this is all from the Shrovetide program - there will also be modeling from plasticine, braiding, soap making (where without it), cartoons and legends of the astrologer about the stars. Adults at this time can listen to lectures on psychology and make aromatic decorations. In general, Family Day - only without pancakes and scarecrows - will be held at Flakon every Saturday. You can buy a ticket for the day right on the spot.
What to eat: In the Moloko cafe, located just in the Space space, a special Shrovetide menu has been operating since Monday, which includes pancakes with jam, cottage cheese and vegetarian ones.
What to eat: Shardama's menu all week includes pancakes with homemade blueberry jam, honey and sour cream, pancake bags with Norwegian herring salad, buckwheat pancake rolls with salmon and wheat pancakes with salmon.
Arrow
February 26 from 14.00 to 17.00
What will happen: Winter picnic.
What to do: There will be a Maslenitsa BBQ in the Strelka courtyard on Sunday - the chefs of the Strelka bar Nathan Dallimore and Natalie Horsting are going to grill hot dogs with pork and lamb sausages and caramelized onions on the grill, everyone can make themselves a fruit kebab there and marshmallows, and besides, there will be pancakes, hot soup and sweet potato falafel at the picnic. Fires will be lit in iron barrels in the yard, where you can warm yourself, but those who come to Strelka right after the White Circle campaign will be especially lucky: everyone who has white ribbons will be given hot tea and special attention.
What to eat: Everything that will be at the picnic - all meals and drinks - 100 rubles each.
Sokolniki Park"
February 25 and 26 from 11.00 to 22.00
What will happen: Classic Maslenitsa with buffoons, stilts and folk music, to which a disco, handmade stuffed animals and a city of snow were added.
What to do: On Friday and Saturday, you can bring bags of old things to the Beryozka stage, make a stuffed animal out of them and get a new green T-shirt with the Moroz City festival logo in return. And on Sunday - take part in the parade of home-made scarecrows, listen to the performances of the "Oberegi" ensemble and the "Balagan Limited" group, play rounders, pull the rope and walk on stilts. After that, at 18.00, in Sokolniki they promise a fire show, the burning of the main scarecrow and a disco on Fountain Square, however, only until 20.00. In addition, the snow city will continue to operate in the park throughout the weekend, which still has a prison, a lighthouse, a cinema and many more interesting objects. The entrance is free.
What to Eat: Sokolniki will have 12 open-air pancake outlets, both from city governments and restaurants like Fialka. In addition, you can always find tents with cheap donuts and barbecue pavilions there.
Gorky ParkFebruary 24 from 14.00 to 21.00, 25 and 26 - from 12.00
What will happen: The main venue for the celebration of Maslenitsa in Moscow.
Things to do: This weekend, Gorky Park has the busiest program in the city: in addition to the usual accordion players, buffoons on stilts, and the Dove and Charushka ensembles, there will be master classes in baking pancakes, weaving dolls and amulets, and even blacksmithing lessons. Platforms for children's competitions and quizzes should appear in front of the Musical Stage, and nearby - the pavilion of the AiF newspaper, where for some reason children will be taught how to make clay and plasticine toys. All three days the park will host performances like "Luntik" and "Masha and the Bear", on the hill not far from the main entrance ice-balls will be handed out, and on the embankment of the Moscow River there will be "Starorusskoe settlement" - an imitation of a village square with the Museum of Folk Life, where you can look at butter churns, spinning wheels, old candy wrappers and baby cradles. On Sunday, at 19.00, a teleconference with London will take place in the park - Maslenitsa is also celebrated quite actively on Trafalgar Square. The whole event will end with a light show and the burning ceremony of the 11-meter Firebird installation.
What to eat: There will be pancake rows on Leninskaya and Fontannaya squares (with pancakes “according to the most unusual recipes”), but the main thing is the farm rows of the LavkaLavka project, with pies, pancakes, broth and live geese, and the Gifts of Nature outdoor cafe, in where you can eat baked potatoes, hot dogs and drink cranberry and lingonberry punch. And in the "Starorussky Settlement" there will be a real tavern - with sour cabbage soup, pike cutlets and mead.
On February 18, guests of the parks will be able to visit the festival of colorful pancakes, take part in the Maslenitsa quest and go through the hay labyrinth. Seeing off winter will end with concerts of folklore groups and the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa. A festive program for Maslenitsa is being prepared in 22 parks of the Moscow Department of Culture.
This year, the farewell to winter will take place on February 18. Recreational activities in most parks will run from 13:00 to 19:00. Guests can take part in free workshops, taste unusual colorful pancakes, try their hand at tug-of-war or climb a traditional Maslenitsa pole. In some parks: Lianozovsky, Goncharovsky, Babushkinsky, Perovsky, the park of the 50th anniversary of October, the Hermitage Garden, the Fili and Krasnaya Presnya parks and the Vorontsovo estate, the holiday will end with the burning of an effigy of Shrovetide.
There will be a real “Sunshine” in Gorky Park on Maslenitsa – this is the name of the holiday, which will be held here on February 17 and 18. A large fair will unfold in the park, where you can buy decor items, farm products and taste fragrant pancakes. Pushkinskaya Embankment will become the central platform for street festivities.
There will be a stage where musicians will perform, and a tower from where the hosts will manage the holiday. Guests can warm up after long walks by visiting the play area. There they are waiting for entertainment for every taste. Visitors will be able to demonstrate their strength in tug-of-war, and on the path of crooked mirrors, you can take unusual selfies. It will not do without the main rite - the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa.
In the Hermitage Garden, guests can also enjoy sports competitions - tug of war and a ride on wooden horses. It will also be possible to take part in the Russian folk fun - braiding for Maslenitsa. This is a competition between two teams in weaving braids from multi-colored ribbons for speed. Everyone will be able to dance and ride the carousel, which will be installed in the garden by February 18. The festivities will be held from 13:00 to 19:00.
In the Tsaritsyno Museum-Reserve, visitors will be entertained by buffoon animators and characters from popular fairy tales and cartoons. Guests will be offered to try pancakes with different fillings, as well as take part in the competition for the best performance of Russian folk dances - lady and apple. Festive events will last from 12:00 to 16:00.
Maslenitsa in Tagansky Park will be held in the form of a fun folk quest. All visitors will be divided into teams and will perform various sports and intellectual tasks. Each team will have to create an author's effigy of Maslenitsa and recall Russian folk songs, ditties, jokes associated with the holiday. The festivities will go from 13:00 to 19:00 and will end with a concert performed by folklore ensembles.
Guests of the Fili Park are waiting for a quest of seven comic stages, compiled according to the days of Shrovetide week. Beginning at 13:10, teams are collected by buffoon animators. Among the tasks are comic Shrovetide riddles, tug of war, intricate round dances, pancake contests. Participation in the quest is free. Guests of the park are also invited to take part in a pancake show: from 13:00 to 18:00 they will be cooked at a master class, and then there will be a free distribution of pancakes and a free tea party. Folk festivals will begin at 13:00 and end at 19:00 with a festive disco.
In Pobedy Park on Poklonnaya Gora, during the holiday from 13:00 to 19:00, an original Maslenitsa photo zone will be arranged on the main square, designed as a room in a traditional Russian hut. There will be a Russian oven, wooden benches, shelving and folk costumes - you can try them on and take pictures. Fans of cooking will be able to take part in a free master class on baking pancakes according to old Russian recipes.
Guests of the Kuzminki Park are invited to attend creative workshops on February 18, where everyone will be taught how to create popular prints. From 13:00 to 19:00, visitors will be shown a street performance based on the fairy tale "Twelve Months", as well as a concert of the orchestra of Russian folk instruments. At the culmination of the holiday, its participants will call for spring with the help of a Shrovetide ribbon carousel.
The festival of multi-colored pancakes will be held on Maslenitsa in the Krasnaya Presnya park. Guests can not only taste pancakes, but also learn the secrets of their preparation from different chefs. Unusual recipes will be shared with visitors to Goncharovsky Park. They will also learn how to bake and paint gingerbread.
Shrovetide is an ancient Slavic holiday that has survived to this day from the time of paganism. It is dedicated to the end of winter and the coming warm days. Initially, Maslenitsa was associated with the spring solstice, but after the adoption of Christianity, it began to be celebrated on the eve of Lent. The main dish - pancakes - symbolizes the spring sun. The culmination of a cheerful holiday of seeing off winter is the burning of an effigy of Maslenitsa.
Maslenitsa this year will be celebrated not only in the capital's parks, but also in the city center. From February 9 to 18, the festival "Moscow Maslenitsa" will be held. It will be held in Moscow for the second time. It will be possible not only to treat yourself to pancakes, but also to find out how the farewell to winter was celebrated in different times, as well as what Maslenitsa traditions have been preserved in different regions of Russia.
- Gorky Park (10:00-20:00);
- Zaryadye Park (13:00-19:00);
- park "Lilac Garden" (13:00-19:00);
- garden "Hermitage" (13:00-19:00);
- Tagansky Park (13:00-19:00);
- Izmailovsky Park (13:00-19:00);
- garden named after Bauman (13:00-19:00);
- Perovsky Park (12:00-19:00);
- Babushkinsky park (13:00-19:00);
- Lianozovsky park (13:00-19:00);
- park of the 50th anniversary of October (13:00-19:00);
- Goncharovsky Park (13:00-19:00);
- Sokolniki Park (13:00-19:00);
- Fili Park (13:00-19:00);
- park "Krasnaya Presnya" (13:00-19:00);
- park "Northern Tushino" (13:00-19:00);
- Museum-Reserve "Tsaritsyno" (12:00-16:00);
- Kuzminki park (13:00-19:00);
- park "Gardeners" (13:00-19:00);
- Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill (13:00-19:00);
- Park "Krasnogvardeisky Ponds" (13:00-19:00);
Everyone who is at least remotely familiar with the rituals of the Slavs knows about the tradition of burning stuffed dolls on Maslenitsa. This is probably the most famous custom, which has survived to this day almost unchanged and continues to be widely used during folk festivals. True, not all of us can explain in detail what is burned on Maslenitsa and, most importantly, why and for what exactly this colorful ceremony is performed. Most will answer about the symbolic burning of an effigy and farewell to winter, but few are familiar with the history of this Slavic rite. In this article, we propose to analyze this rite in more detail and find out the roots of the tradition of burning effigies on Maslenitsa.
What is burned on Maslenitsa: whose effigy and why are they set on fire on the last day of Maslenitsa
Let's start, perhaps, with an answer to the question, what is burned on Maslenitsa - whose exactly is this effigy and why is it set on fire on the last day of the celebration. As you know, Maslenitsa is an ancient Slavic holiday associated with the change of seasons. Our pagan ancestors believed that deities were behind the change of seasons, who should be appeased with generous offerings. For example, the same pancakes that are traditionally baked during Shrove Tuesday were originally dedicated to the Slavic god of the Sun, or rather, his spring incarnation - Yaril. It was in order to appease Yarilo, who was supposed to wake the earth from hibernation, housewives baked pancakes all week. And what does the burning of an effigy for Maslenitsa have to do with it? It's simple: fire was one of the symbols of the sun god, and this rite signals his victory over winter.
What kind of scarecrow and why are they set on fire (burned at the stake) on the last day of Maslenitsa
Based on the above, it is easy to guess that the effigy that the Slavs burned on Maslenitsa symbolized winter. Consequently, the rite itself was an action that conveyed the essence of the beliefs of the ancient Slavs regarding the world around them. Since in their mythology everything natural phenomena were personified by deities, then winter was not just a season, but a goddess - Mara. The Slavs believed that Mara is the embodiment of death. In addition, Mara represented winter itself with its difficult trials for all living beings in the form of cold, bad weather and hunger. At the beginning of winter, Mara looked like a young beautiful girl, and at the end of the season she turned into an old woman wearing rags. That is why the effigy, symbolizing her on Maslenitsa, was dressed up in old things. By burning the stuffed doll at the stake, the Slavs believed that they were helping Yaril to overcome Mara, wake the earth from sleep and give rise to a new life.
What else is burned on Maslenitsa along with a scarecrow of winter according to ancient traditions
In addition to the scarecrow of the winter of Mary, the ancient Slavs, according to tradition, burned other objects on Maslenitsa. Basically, old things and clothes that were out of use were thrown into the fire. It was believed that such a ceremony allows you to part with everything old and unnecessary, making room for the new and good. Also during this period, the belongings of deceased relatives were burned. As a rule, separate bonfires were not created for this purpose. Things were simply put on a scarecrow or thrown into the flames of the main fire.
What else, according to ancient Slavic traditions, is burned along with a scarecrow of winter on Shrovetide
What else did the ancient Slavs burn on Maslenitsa along with a scarecrow of winter? In addition to Mary, the Slavs also made stuffed animals, symbolizing the Maslenitsa holiday itself. This effigy was male and was called the Oiler. Butterdish was also dressed up in old things, but they tried to embellish his image. The burning of Maslenok was associated with the end of the week of celebrations and a kind of farewell to Maslenitsa. It is noteworthy that this tradition has also survived to this day in certain regions and countries.
What is burned on Maslenitsa in other countries - rituals and traditions
Many are sure that the celebration of Maslenitsa is an exclusively Slavic tradition. But in fact, many nations have rituals associated with seeing off winter and inviting spring. In most European countries, fairs and festivals still exist, very much reminiscent of folk festivals on Maslenitsa in our country. Traditional entertainment for such events is also directly related to ancient pagan rites. For example, pancakes, symbolizing the sun, are baked in the last week of winter and at the very beginning of spring in almost all European countries. It is noteworthy that they are not just eaten, but often used in various games. For example, in England they organize races with pans containing pancakes. The task of the participants during the run is to turn the pancake in the air at least three times.
What is burned on Maslenitsa according to ancient traditions and rituals in other countries
So, what is burned on Maslenitsa in other countries according to ancient traditions and rituals? In most countries in which there are folk celebrations associated with seeing off winter, no dolls or stuffed animals are burned. If bonfires are lit during the festivities, they are often used for jumping over the flames. It is believed that such an action can free from all the negativity that has accumulated over a year of a person's life. We hope that now you know exactly what is being burned on Maslenitsa, whose stuffed animal it is and why this ceremony is performed. We are sure that this information will help you better understand the ancient traditions of our people.
