Butter Week

Butter Week (Russia)

February-March, the week preceding Ash Wednesday

Carnival is known as Butter Week or Maslyanitsa (also rendered Maslenitsa) in Russia because Russians consume so many rich foods throughout this week, the last before the seven-week Lenten fast. Bliny, Russian-style pancakes served with sour cream or butter, are eaten all week long and have come to symbolize the feast. People enjoy one rich meal after another as the week proceeds. Lent begins on the Monday following the last Sunday in Butter Week. On this day observant Russian Orthodox Christians remove meat and dairy products from their diets.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Carnival celebration in St. Petersburg ended with a ceremony in which a folk figure called Prince Carnival rode through town in a cart pulled by 10 horses and bade farewell to the people. He was represented as a tipsy man, sitting before a table covered with food. When the Prince departed, the people celebrated the end of Carnival with a display of fireworks. In many areas people enjoy winter sports such as skiing, sledding, ice skating, and snowball fights during Butter Week. In some places people mark the end of Carnival by making huge hand-sewn dolls that represent winter and tossing them onto burning bonfires.

CONTACTS:
Department of Tourism
47 Myasnitskaya St.
Moscow, 107084 Russia
7-495-207-7176; fax: 7-495-207-3745
www.russiatourism.ru

SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 289
EncyEaster-2002, p. 382
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 165
OxYear-1999, p. 641

Celebrated in: Russian Federation