New Year is always a holiday characterized by a wide feast and the preparation of various dishes. But few people thought about what at different times was on the table at Santa Claus and what treats he especially liked.
In ancient Russia, it was believed that if the winter was snowy and frosty, then it was worth waiting for an excellent harvest for the next year. Therefore, in order to honor winter, to please this season and especially to glorify the noble colds, they began to give various names to the frost. As soon as Moroz was not called - Treskunets, Studenets, Morozko. And only much later the name that we know appeared - Santa Claus.
To attract the attention of Santa Claus, it was necessary to perform a certain ritual, which in Russia was called "clicking". For this, kutia and delicious pancakes were prepared. They put these treats on the porch of the house or on the window. It was believed that if Santa Claus is full and satisfied, then the harvest in the summer will not suffer.
Legend about Santa Claus, pancakes and Shrovetide
There is a legend among northern peoples that Santa Claus had a daughter named Maslenitsa. The girl was modest, inconspicuous, very much aloof from people. Once one person noticed her and asked for help: people were tired of winter and they wanted to warm up and have fun. Then Maslenitsa turned into a Russian beauty, ruddy and cheerful. She began to dance, lead round dances and treat everyone to delicious pancakes. The people at the festivities were so happy that they forgot about the harsh winter. Since then, Santa Claus always has pancakes from his beloved daughter Maslenitsa on the table.
Modern Santa Claus
Our Santa Claus lives in Veliky Ustyug. And, of course, he celebrates the new year with everyone. On the table at Santa Claus there are mushrooms and berries, pickles and preserves, dumplings, various pies, sweets, tangerines and many more different sweets. But Santa Claus does not drink alcohol, he prefers juices and fruit drinks from natural berries collected in our forests.
