Fat Tuesday, or Maslenitsa in British style: history and traditions of the holiday. Fat Tuesday What's Cooked on Mardi Gras

Pancake races in England. 2009

The assault on “hell” is the culmination of Maslenitsa fun. Nuremberg, 1539

Penitential day

"Repentance Day" ( Shrove Tuesday) or "Pancake Day" ( Pancake Day listen)) is popular in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and some US states.

On this day, the British bake neat pancakes. They are most often eaten traditionally - warm, sprinkled with sugar and sprinkled with lemon juice. Traditionally, many English housewives compete for the right to take part in the “pancake race” - a 400-meter race among women carrying a hot frying pan with a pancake in their hands, which must be tossed at least twice while running. The race begins at 11 a.m. when the church bells ring. The winner is the participant who manages to toss and flip the pancake in the frying pan the most number of times.

It is believed that this tradition originated in the town Olney in Buckinghamshire, when in 1445 one woman was so carried away by baking pancakes that when the church bell rang, announcing the start of the church service, she ran into the church with a frying pan, tossing the pancake on it so that it would not burn.

Mardi Gras

In French-speaking countries it is called Mardi Gras (French Mardi gras), in the USA it is also “Fat Tuesday” (English Fat Tuesday). Fat Tuesday traditions vary from country to country, but the common features are lavish feasts and carnival performances. In the USA, it is especially celebrated in New Orleans, where a large public celebration with a long carnival is held.

Fastnacht among the Southern Germans

Fastnacht(German: Fastnacht) is the designation for carnivals in the southwestern region of Germany, in western Austrian Vorarlberg, in Liechtenstein, in the German part of Switzerland and in Alsace. Also called Swabian-Alemannic fastnacht.

The Black Forest fastnacht is characterized by concealing the identity of the participants - under blankets, unusual outfits and special masks, usually made of wood (in special cases also made of fabric, cardboard, clay or tin). In Swabia and Alemannia, carnival participants do not change their fancy costumes every year, but wear the same ones from year to year, sometimes passing them on to children who continue the carnival traditions.

In most cities and towns in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, fastnacht celebrations begin on January 6, the feast of Epiphany. However, fastnacht itself begins on the so-called Dirty Thursday (German: Schmotzige Dunnschtig) before Ash Wednesday ( Aschermittwoch), which marks the climax of the carnival. Starting from Dirty Thursday, mummers' processions move through the cities and villages of southern Germany, northern Switzerland, western Austria and Alsace, and performances are held in squares. on the streets treats are prepared and eaten and special pies are baked - fasnetkuhli, beer and mulled wine flow like a river.

A large role in the organization of fastnakht is played by the meetings of participants - “jesters” (which take place on January 6 and the next few days) Narren), at which the program of subsequent holidays is announced and the last unresolved details are settled. The next significant day of fastnacht is Lichtmess, in trans. Bright meeting, Bright walk; German Lichtmess, on the 40th day after Christmas, February 2 (Groundhog Day, Gromnitsa). On this day, participating “narras” remind their fellow citizens in various forms of expression about the funniest or most significant events of the past year. Currently, this tradition has been simplified, and the Narrs simply follow in groups from tavern to tavern, where they perform humorous quatrains and sing songs. Officially, fastnacht is not a public holiday.

"Remains" in Poland

In Poland from Fat Thursday Myasopust or Zapusty (Polish: Mięsopust, Zapusty) begins - the days when balls and parties take place. At this time, they eat donuts with various fillings (most often with pink jam), sugar glaze, and sometimes sprinkled with candied orange peel. Meat Empty always ends on Tuesday, called in Poland “Leftovers”, “Herring” or “Short Tuesday” ( Ostatki, Śledzik, Kusy wtorek).

On this day, the Poles in Greater Poland, Kuyavia, Mazovia and the Lodz Voivodeship practiced the “podkozelek” ritual ( Podkoziołek). Guys and girls who had not gotten married in the past wedding season gathered for a joint feast. The youth placed a figurine of a naked man or goat carved from wood or rutabaga on a barrel in front of the musician, under which they placed a plate or dish to collect money from all those present. This dish was called “podkozelok”. The guys took turns calling the girls to dance, and they had to put a ransom on the plate, which gave them the right to dance. At the same time they sang: “Oh, you need to give under the goat, you need to give, / If one of us wants to get married!” The money collected went to the musicians. In Kuyavia, the ceremony began with teasing the girls, both from the boys and from the musician, who eventually took them under his wing and gave some of them up to the boys for dancing, charging them “podkozelek” (ransom of 2-3 groschen ). Girls who were left without gentlemen, or those for whom no one wanted to pay, also paid the ransom. In this way, they can “buy boys” for themselves, and were even encouraged to do this by guys or women. In Kuyavia, the ceremony sometimes took place in the presence of a mummer - a “goat”, and in Wielkopolska a guy stood next to the barrel on which money was placed, “holding in his hands a doll dressed in German style, or a small goat made from scraps.” It all ends with the onset of Ash Wednesday in some places - on Wednesday.

Myasopust or Fašank in the Czech Republic

The time from the Three Kings (January 6) to Ash Wednesday, which begins the 6 weeks of Easter Lent, is called in the Czech Republic - Meat waste, Shibrzhinki, Fashank, Leftovers(Czech. masopust, šibřinky, fašank, ostatky). The last three days of Masopust - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - are associated with many customs, such as walks, dressing up, special dishes, dancing, dance games, dramatic games, and other forms of folk entertainment. The main customs of these days are processions and walks of mummers and musicians.

The composition of the mummers is quite varied. Of the zoomorphic images, they most often dressed up as a bear, which was considered a symbol of fertility, and also dressed up as a horse and a goat. Of the anthropomorphic characters, they dressed up as a woman with a burden, a woman with a baby, which men usually dressed up as, as well as a chimney sweep, a forester, a doctor, a gendarme, a gypsy, a Turk, a Jew, a jester and a “death woman”. In the south-east of Moravia, the tradition of walking around the “sub-shablers” has been preserved, performing ancient dances with sabers ( pod sable).

On Tuesday, closer to midnight, the double bass, which personified the meat-eater, is symbolically buried. During the “funeral,” there are comic speeches about the sins of the double bass and satirical appeals to fellow villagers. The fun sometimes continues past midnight. The owners gather in the wine cellar and there they only finally say goodbye to the masopust. The next day, on Ash Wednesday, before lunch you could still drink coffee with butter rolls or milk, and even drink liqueur or homemade wine.

It’s our custom to see off the winter with pancakes with honey and jam. And these are not the only customs of Maslenitsa. And abroad there is an even more extravagant celebration of farewell to winter. It's called "Fat Tuesday", or Mardi Gras in French. It is celebrated before the start of Catholic Lent on the eve of Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras symbolizes the welcoming of spring. Two amazing legends are associated with its origin.

Beauty or king?

According to this version, Fat Tuesday was started by pagans in pre-Christian times. They saw off the winter with symbolic pancakes and prepared many delicious dishes for the holiday. They celebrated farewell to winter noisily and cheerfully, and held mass celebrations. The holiday always ended before midnight with the selection of the king and queen of the holiday and the burning of a ritual totem doll. The holiday should not end later than midnight, since according to legend, sometime at midnight Satan tried to steal the soul of the beautiful Rose. Gabriel saved his beloved by snatching the bride from the devil’s clutches a couple of minutes before the start of a new day.

Modern legend

According to another legend, Tsarevich Alexei Alexandrovich was madly in love with the actress Lydia Tompsoen. On the eve of Mardi Gar, he followed her to the carnival in New Orleans. The carnival organizers provided him with a festive platform with the inscription “King” and Alexey Romanov became the king of the festival. Since that time it has been headed by the queen and the king. Nowadays, Mardi Gras is celebrated in the USA, Australia, Ecuador, Belgium, Norway, Czech Republic, Germany, and France. But each country has its own spicy “seasoning” of the holiday and the exotic carnival is unlike any other.

Pink and blue Mardi Gras in Sydney

In Sydney, reckless fun has a very specific connotation. Fat Tuesday here symbolizes the fight for the rights of sexual minorities. The famous Sydney Gay Pride Parade has been held since 1978. It's called GayandLesbian Mardi Gras. A pathetic and magnificent procession of lesbians and gays fills all the streets of Sydney. Bright colorful clothes, parodists, musical theaters, cabarets - all this cheerful procession has already become part of the national Australian culture. The influx of tourists wanting to see the exotic show brings millions of dollars into the state treasury every year.

Pancake races in Germany

In Germany, preparations for Mardi Gras begin in November, specifically on November 11 at 11:11 am. And the holiday begins with Weiberfastnacht in Munich and Cologne. Only women celebrate it, dressing up as devils and witches. This is a fun holiday of jokes and laughter. And in Rosenmontag, on the main street of the city, a fun carnival with pancake races begins. Imagine a whole crowd running with frying pans in their hands, flipping pancakes as they run. The holiday ends with fireworks and fireworks.

Frivolous New Orleans

In America, Mardi Gras is a jazz festival and a chic carnival. Americans know how to have fun too. Everyone goes out in carnival costumes and rides on floats in the Bacchus parade. Each platform is dedicated to some kind of wicked hobby: cards, women, drinking, and so on. And in America, this holiday is associated with the Three Kings pie. A figurine is baked into the dough and the one who gets it treats all his friends to lunch at the next carnival a year later.

The first meeting of spring and farewell to winter

Penitential day

"Repentance Day" ( Shrove Tuesday) or "Pancake Day" ( Pancake Day) is popular in the UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and some US states.

On this day, the British bake neat pancakes. They are most often eaten traditionally - warm, sprinkled with sugar and sprinkled with lemon juice. Traditionally, many English housewives compete for the right to take part in the “pancake race” - a 400-meter race among women carrying a hot frying pan with a pancake in their hands, which must be tossed at least twice while running. The race begins at 11 a.m. when the church bells ring. The winner is the participant who manages to toss and flip the pancake in the frying pan the most number of times.

It is believed that this tradition originated in the town Olney in Buckinghamshire, when in 1445 one woman was so carried away by baking pancakes that when the church bell rang, announcing the start of the church service, she ran into the church with a frying pan, tossing the pancake on it so that it would not burn.

Mardi Gras

In French-speaking countries it is called Mardi Gras (French Mardi gras), in the USA it is also “Fat Tuesday”. Fat Tuesday traditions vary from country to country, but the common features are lavish feasts and carnival performances. In the USA, it is especially celebrated in New Orleans, where a large folk festival with a long carnival is held.

Fastnacht among the Southern Germans

Fastnacht(German: Fastnacht) is the designation for carnivals in the southwestern region of Germany, in western Austrian Vorarlberg, in Liechtenstein, in the German part of Switzerland and in Alsace. Also called Swabian-Alemannic fastnacht.

The Black Forest fastnacht is characterized by concealing the identity of the participants - under blankets, unusual outfits and special masks, usually made of wood (in special cases also made of fabric, cardboard, clay or tin). In Swabia and Alemannia, carnival participants do not change their fancy costumes every year, but wear the same ones from year to year, sometimes passing them on to children who continue the carnival traditions.

In most cities and towns in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, fastnacht celebrations begin on January 6, the feast of Epiphany. However, fastnacht itself begins on the so-called Dirty Thursday (German: Schmotzige Dunnschtig) before Ash Wednesday ( Aschermittwoch), which marks the climax of the carnival. Starting from Dirty Thursday, mummers' processions move through the cities and villages of southern Germany, northern Switzerland, western Austria and Alsace, and performances are held in squares. on the streets treats are prepared and eaten and special pies are baked - fasnetkuhli, beer and mulled wine flow like a river.

A large role in the organization of fastnakht is played by the meetings of participants - “jesters” (which take place on January 6 and the next few days) Narren), at which the program of subsequent holidays is announced and the last unresolved details are settled. The next significant day of fastnacht is Lichtmess, in trans. Bright meeting, Bright walk; German Lichtmess, on the 40th day after Christmas, February 2 (Groundhog Day, Gromnitsa). On this day, participating “narras” remind their fellow citizens in various forms of expression about the funniest or most significant events of the past year. Currently, this tradition has been simplified, and the Narrs simply follow in groups from tavern to tavern, where they perform humorous quatrains and sing songs. Officially, fastnacht is not a public holiday.

"Remains" in Poland

In Poland it is celebrated from Fat Thursday The day begins Myasopust or Zapusty (Polish: Mięsopust, Zapusty) - days when balls and parties take place. At this time, donuts are eaten with various fillings (most often with pink jam), sugar glaze, and sometimes sprinkled with candied orange peel. Meat Empty always ends on Tuesday, called in Poland “Leftovers”, “Herring” or “Short Tuesday” ( Ostatki, Śledzik, Kusy wtorek).

On this day, the Poles in Greater Poland, Kuyavia, Mazovia and the Lodz Voivodeship had a widespread ritual of “podkozelek” ( Podkoziołek). Guys and girls who had not gotten married in the past wedding season gathered for a joint feast. The youth placed a figurine of a naked man or goat carved from wood or rutabaga on a barrel in front of the musician, under which they placed a plate or dish to collect money from all those present. This dish was called “podkozyolk”. The guys took turns calling the girls to dance, and they had to put a ransom on the plate, which gave them the right to dance. At the same time they sang: “Oh, you need to give under the goat, you need to give, / If one of us wants to get married!” The money collected went to the musicians. In Kuyavia, the ceremony began with teasing the girls, both from the boys and from the musician, who eventually took them under his wing and gave some of them up to the boys for dancing, charging them “podkozelek” (ransom of 2-3 groschen ). Girls who were left without gentlemen, or those for whom no one wanted to pay, also paid the ransom. In this way, they can “buy boys” for themselves, and were even encouraged to do this by guys or women. In Kuyavia, the ceremony sometimes took place in the presence of a mummer - a “goat”, and in Wielkopolska a guy stood next to the barrel on which money was placed, “holding in his hands a doll dressed in German style, or a small goat made from scraps.” It all ends with the onset of Ash Wednesday in some places - on Wednesday.

Myasopust or Fašank in the Czech Republic

The time from the Three Kings (January 6) to Ash Wednesday, which begins the 6 weeks of Easter Lent, is called in the Czech Republic - Meat waste, Shibrzhinki, Fashank, Leftovers(Czech. masopust, šibřinky, fašank, ostatky). The last three days of Masopust - Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - are associated with many customs, such as walks, dressing up, special dishes, dancing, dance games, dramatic games, and other forms of folk entertainment. The main customs of these days are processions and walks of mummers and musicians.

The composition of the mummers is quite varied. Of the zoomorphic images, they most often dressed up as a bear, which was considered a symbol of fertility, and also dressed up as a horse and a goat. Of the anthropomorphic characters, they dressed up as a woman with a burden, a woman with a baby, which men usually dressed up as, as well as a chimney sweep, a forester, a doctor, a gendarme, a gypsy, a Turk, a Jew, a jester and a “death woman”. In the south-east of Moravia, the tradition of walking around the “sub-shablers” has been preserved, performing ancient dances with sabers ( pod sable).

On Tuesday, closer to midnight, the double bass, which personified the meat-eater, is symbolically buried. During the “funeral,” there are comic speeches about the sins of the double bass and satirical appeals to fellow villagers. The fun sometimes continues past midnight. The owners gather in the wine cellar and there they only finally say goodbye to the masopust. The next day, on Ash Wednesday, before lunch you could still drink coffee with butter rolls or milk, and even drink liqueur or homemade wine.

Vaslavia in Northern Europe

Vastlavyi- a holiday that was traditionally celebrated by residents of Denmark, Norway, northern Germany, Latvia and Estonia. The name goes back to German die Fastnacht, that is, “Night of Fasting.” According to the established tradition, the festival was divided into two parts correlated with each other: Vastlav drunki (option: trunki) (from German drinken - drink) and Lenten drunki. The watershed between these two parts was Ash Wednesday, which was the seventh Wednesday before Easter. In another way, the period of the holiday, which was celebrated until Ash Day starting on Thursday of the previous week, was called Lesser Vaslavia.

In Denmark, children dress up in various costumes and masks, pick up birch branches decorated with bright paper and sweets, and walk through the streets singing, expecting sweet gifts from passers-by.

Norway celebrates for three days, starting with Fat Sunday. All holiday food should be very satisfying: lard, meat, dairy products, buns. The Norwegians had a custom where men and women were supposed to take a bite from the same sandwich. It was believed that the more they bit off, the richer the harvest would be that year.

In Riga, Vastlavia ended with a luxurious feast; the manager of the celebration strictly monitored the guests, not allowing them to leave the feast until they had drunk their beer (the so-called medieval beer norm).

Celebration dates