Maslenitsa is the week before Lent. It's when Russians say goodbye to winter and welcome spring. It's a time of singing, dancing and fun. There's a lot to eat, too – especially blinis which are delicious butter pancakes. Children dress up and play in the snow. We go for sleigh rides, go sledging, have snowball fights and lots more. We make a straw doll of ‘Lady Maslenitsa’ who is dressed in special clothes. On Sunday evening, we burn Lady Maslenitsa on a big bonfire. The spring festival is over and Lent begins.

Maslenitsa: Spring Festival

'Maslenitsa' is celebrated the week before Lent as a way for Russians to bid farewell to winter and welcome the arrival of spring. It is a period filled with singing, dancing, and enjoyment, marked by an abundance of food, particularly blinis, which are delicious butter pancakes.

During this festival, children actively participate in various snow activities. They dress up in special costumes and engage in snowball fights, sleigh rides, and sledging. A significant tradition involves creating a straw doll known as 'Lady Maslenitsa,' adorned in festive attire.

The culmination of the Maslenitsa festivities occurs on Sunday evening when the effigy of Lady Maslenitsa is set ablaze on a large bonfire. This symbolic act signifies the end of the spring festival and the commencement of Lent.

Note: The superscript '1' in the text refers to 'put on special clothes'.