{"id":102,"date":"2008-03-01T20:51:47","date_gmt":"2008-03-02T00:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/?p=102"},"modified":"2014-07-16T17:30:39","modified_gmt":"2014-07-16T17:30:39","slug":"%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%81%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-a-farewell-to-winter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%81%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-a-farewell-to-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"\u041c\u0430\u0441\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430: A Farewell To Winter!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Do not be afraid, and do try not to be confused, if some Russian tells you that March 1st is the first day of spring in Russia. It may be hard to believe if you take a look around; especially with below zero temperatures lingering in many parts of the country and most of it still covered in thick blankets of snow. But since winter has been a gloomy and frosty reality for over four months already here it is easy to understand why one would want to rush the arrival of spring. Usually the traditional Slavic holiday of <strong>\u041c\u0430\u0441\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430<\/strong> [derives from the word \u043c<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e, meaning \u2019butter, oil\u2019 and is usually translated into English as \u201cPancake Week\u201d, \u201cCheese fare Week\u201d or \u201cButter week\u201d] is celebrated in February, but this year due to Orthodox Easter falling on the end of April, a month later than Easter in Catholic and Lutheran countries, it is celebrated when spring has already \u2018officially\u2019 arrived. Though to jump to conclusions and assume that \u041c<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 is a Christian tradition would be making a mistake \u2013 it may have been well adapted to new rules and regulations when good old <strong>\u0420\u0443\u0441\u044c<\/strong> [Rus&#8217;] took on Christianity, but it is still as pagan as can be.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><br \/>\nIn Slavic Mythology, \u041c<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 is a sun festival, celebrating the end of winter. The festival lasts for one week, in 2008 from March 2nd till March 8th [finishing and then sliding right into the national day off <strong>\u041c\u0435\u0436\u0434\u043e\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043d\u044b\u0439 \u0436\u0435\u043d\u0441\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u0434\u0435\u043d\u044c<\/strong> (International Women\u2019s Day)], and is celebrated in a variety of different ways, though the tastiest of them all must be the baking of <strong>\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043d\u044b<\/strong> [Russian pancakes]. \u0411\u043b\u0438\u043d<strong>\u044b<\/strong> symbolizes the sun as they are round, golden and warm. This has created the perfect setting for the Christian side of the holiday, as it is the last week before the onset of <strong>\u0412\u0435\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0438\u0439 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u0442 <\/strong>[Great Lent]. During Lent, meat, fish, dairy products and eggs are forbidden, and thus \u041c<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430 represents the last chance to feast on dairy products before 40 days of replacing them with nuts and beans like a regular Western-style vegan.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday evening, as the culmination, Lady Maslenitsa [the mascot of the celebration that is usually a brightly dressed straw effigy, formerly known as <strong>\u041a\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0440\u043e\u043c\u0430<\/strong>] is stripped of her robes and put to the flames of a bonfire. Her ashes are buried in the snow to \u2018fertilize the crops\u2019. And no matter how much fun that can be, as seen on the picture below, I must admit that the most fun involved in this holiday is the fun of eating pancakes. Today, which also happens to be Election Day in Russian Federation, people everywhere will gather friends and family and make pancakes to be served with caviar and jam and <strong>\u0441\u043c\u0435\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0430<\/strong> [a kind of sour cr\u00e8me] and meat and mushrooms and honey and nuts and what ever you might prefer to put on them!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Here\u2019s a Russian recipe for traditional Russian pancakes:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u041c\u0443\u043a<strong>\u0430<\/strong> 2,5 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043a<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 [flour 2,5 cups]<br \/>\n<strong>\u042f<\/strong>\u0439\u0446\u0430 4-5 \u0448\u0442<strong>\u0443<\/strong>\u043a\u0430 [eggs 4-5]<br \/>\n\u0421<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0445\u0430\u0440 100 \u0433. [sugar 100 gr.]<br \/>\n\u041c<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u0441\u043b\u043e 200 \u0433. [butter 200 gr.]<br \/>\n\u041c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u043a<strong>\u043e<\/strong> 3-4 \u0441\u0442\u0430\u043a<strong>\u0430<\/strong>\u043d\u0430 [Milk 3-4 cups]<br \/>\n\u041d\u0435\u043c\u043d<strong>\u043e<\/strong>\u0436\u043a\u043e \u0441\u043e\u043b\u0438 [a little bit of salt]<\/p>\n<p>\u0414\u043b\u044f \u043e\u0431\u044b\u043a\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445, \u0442\u043e\u043d\u043a\u0438\u0445 \u0431\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0447\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0432 \u0442\u0435\u0441\u0442\u043e \u0433\u043e\u0442\u043e\u0432\u044f\u0442 \u0438\u0437 \u043c\u0443\u043a\u0438, \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u043a\u0430, \u044f\u0438\u0446 \u0438 \u0441\u043e\u043b\u0438.<br \/>\n\u0414\u043b\u044f \u043d\u0430\u0447\u0430\u043b\u0430 \u043d\u0443\u0436\u043d\u043e \u043e\u0442\u0434\u0435\u043b\u0438\u0442\u044c \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0442\u043a\u0438 \u043e\u0442 \u0431\u0435\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432. \u0417\u0430\u0442\u0435\u043c \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0442\u044c \u0436\u0435\u043b\u0442\u043a\u0438 \u0441 \u0441\u0430\u0445\u0430\u0440\u043e\u043c, \u043f\u043e\u043d\u0435\u043c\u043d\u043e\u0433\u0443 \u0432\u043b\u0438\u0432\u0430\u044f \u0432 \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u043d\u0443\u044e \u0441\u043c\u0435\u0441\u044c \u043c\u043e\u043b\u043e\u043a\u043e. \u0421\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0432\u043b\u044f\u044e\u0442 \u0441\u043e\u043b\u044c \u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0441\u0442\u043e\u043f\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u043e\u0435, \u0440\u0430\u0437\u043e\u0433\u0440\u0435\u0442\u043e\u0435 \u0441\u043b\u0438\u0432\u043e\u0447\u043d\u043e\u0435 \u043c\u0430\u0441\u043b\u043e. \u041e\u0441\u0442\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0436\u043d\u043e \u0432\u0441\u044b\u043f\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u043c\u0443\u043a\u0443 \u0438 \u0440\u0430\u0437\u043c\u0435\u0448\u0438\u0432\u0430\u044e\u0442 \u0434\u043e \u043f\u043e\u043b\u0443\u0447\u0435\u043d\u0438\u044f \u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043d\u043e\u0439 \u043c\u0430\u0441\u0441\u044b (\u0433\u043b\u0430\u0432\u043d\u043e\u0435, \u0447\u0442\u043e\u0431\u044b \u043d\u0435 \u0431\u044b\u043b\u043e \u043a\u043e\u043c\u043e\u0447\u043a\u043e\u0432!). \u0412 \u043f\u043e\u0441\u043b\u0435\u0434\u043d\u044e\u044e \u043e\u0447\u0435\u0440\u0435\u0434\u044c \u0434\u043e\u0431\u0430\u0432\u043b\u044f\u044e\u0442 \u043f\u0435\u043d\u0443 \u0432\u0437\u0431\u0438\u0442\u044b\u0445 \u0431\u0435\u043b\u043a\u043e\u0432. \u0411\u043b\u0438\u043d\u0447\u0438\u043a\u0438 \u0432\u044b\u043f\u0435\u043a\u0430\u044e\u0442\u0441\u044f \u043d\u0430 \u0441\u043c\u0430\u0437\u0430\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u043c\u0430\u0441\u043b\u043e\u043c \u0440\u0430\u0441\u043a\u0430\u043b\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0445 \u0441\u043a\u043e\u0432\u043e\u0440\u043e\u0434\u043a\u0430\u0445.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do not be afraid, and do try not to be confused, if some Russian tells you that March 1st is the first day of spring in Russia. It may be hard to believe if you take a look around; especially with below zero temperatures lingering in many parts of the country and most of it&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/%d0%bc%d0%b0%d1%81%d0%bb%d0%b5%d0%bd%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-a-farewell-to-winter\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3,913],"tags":[1065,1134,1146,1177,1317],"class_list":["post-102","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-culture","category-traditions","tag-festival","tag-lent","tag-maslenitsa","tag-pancakes","tag-spring"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6016,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102\/revisions\/6016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/russian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}