Pancake week lasts seven days. It is customary to celebrate each day in its own way, because it symbolizes certain traditions.
There is a belief that those who do not meet Maslenitsa with dignity will live the whole year unhappy and frozen. Therefore, the wide Shrovetide is one of the happiest and longest holidays of the year. After all, the festivities last a whole week, and each day of the celebration is associated with certain traditions and means some kind of event.
Monday is "meeting". On the first day of the holiday, we met Maslenitsa with our fiancé. They were large straw stuffed animals, dressed in fancy costumes. They were carried on a sleigh throughout the village, and then seated in the most honorable place and treated to pancakes. Now it is customary to bake pancakes on Monday and invite relatives to visit.
Tuesday is "play". On this day, joyful festivities and noisy round dances were held around the effigy of Maslenitsa. Young guys invited girls to ride down slides and visit pancakes. There were performances in the streets, all people tried to dress up in bright costumes.
Wednesday - "gourmands". The fairs continue to gain momentum, and the festivities are becoming more and more widespread. The third day of the week is the most satisfying, since you can eat as much as your heart desires. Each family tried to set the table with all sorts of goodies. In the modern world, on this day, the mother-in-law should invite her son-in-law "for pancakes."
Thursday - "wide revelry" or "break". This day is the most fun of the Shrovetide week. One of my favorite pastimes was to set fire to the cart and lower it down the slope into the ravine. Fist fights were often held, and the bravest fought with the bear. In the evening, the mummers gathered food and caroling.
Friday - "mother-in-law's evening". On this day, a wide variety of rituals and fortune-telling were performed in order to bring couples in love together and speed up weddings. Those who had not yet decided on a pair needed help to find her. It is customary for the son-in-law to show hospitality on this day and to invite the mother-in-law to him “for pancakes”.
Saturday - “sister-in-law's gatherings”. This day was the most family day of the Maslenitsa week. The young wife had to invite her husband's sisters (sister-in-law) to visit, present them with gifts and treat them with goodies. Of course, not only the sister-in-law came to visit, but all the relatives.
Sunday is "forgiveness Sunday" or "kissing". On the last day of Maslenitsa, everyone went home, kissed when they met and asked each other for forgiveness. Forgiveness was asked not only from relatives, but also from neighbors and even from the whole village. The forgiver had to say the phrase: "God will forgive." So, people freed their souls from all sins before Great Lent. The culmination of this day and the entire Maslenitsa week was the burning of a straw effigy of Maslenitsa. And the remaining ash had to be scattered over the fields in order for the year to be fertile and fruitful. So in Russia they saw off the winter and met the long-awaited spring.
