Реферат на тему "Масленица"

Maslenitsa is Belarusian folk holiday.

It is a sun festival, which means the end of the winter and the spring coming.

It comes either at the end of February or at the beginning of March, this is so-called movable festival.

Maslenitsa is one of the most favourite holidays in our country. It lasts from Monday till Sunday.

The first day of Maslenitsa is called “Meeting”.

On Monday Maslenitsa is welcomed. On this day people make the straw-stuffed figure of Winter, dress it in old women’s clothing and singing carry it on sleigh around the village. Then the figure is put onto snow-covered slope that people use for tobogganing, which is considered not just fun, but the ancient rite, because it is thought that the one who come down the hill more than once is likely to have tall flax in summer.

On Monday people make ice – hills. Children bring pancakes to those people, whom their parents want to see on the last day of Maslenitsa.

Tuesday was called “zaigrysh” (game day). Since morning boys and girls toboggan. The boys look for brides and the girls look for grooms. Merry games begin on this day.

Many years ago from that day on the whole village started all sorts of activities: sleigh riding, folk festivals, skomorokh (traveling actors) and puppet shows. The streets were full of people in carnival costumes and masks, who visited homes of their neighbors and organized impromptu concerts. Large companies rode troikas and simple sleighs.

Pancake Week in 18th century was hard to imagine without bear shows. Bear fun was very popular among all classes of the population of towns and cities, towns, and villages. Trained bears amused the audience, imitating girls putting makeup are in front of the mirror or women baking pancakes.

Wednesday is called “лакомка”. People make many delicious meals. On the first place are pancakes of course.

Thursday is called «разгуляй». The main event is «defense and capture of the snow town». Young boys and men compete with each other. Women and children support them.

On Friday son-in-law invites his mother-in-law to eat different tasty dishes.

A special attention during Maslenitsa was paid to conjugal relations: the couples, married the previous were honored and celebrated. The newlyweds were put on the spot in villages: they were forced to each other in public, thrown at with old best shoes and straw and sometimes could come to the home of newlyweds and kiss the young wife. Tradition required that they dress smartly and go to public places in painted sleigh, pay a call to all who had visited their wedding, and go down icy slope under accompaniment of a solemn song. Maslenitsa was the time of mutual visits of families, which recently became related.

Saturday was devoted to the visits of relatives paid to young wives.

Sunday is the last and the most important day of all this week. There is a tradition to ask the pardon to many relatives and friends at this day. People present each other the dolls, which is made from red and white cottons. It is the symbol of friendship.

On this day people organize a fair, ride a troika, climb a pole, toboggan, play funny games and sing folk songs and make round dances

The most important event of this day is burning a straw figure of Lady Maslenitsa.

Today not all of the traditions are followed by most people during the blini week as we call it, but what is for sure – we are looking forward to this event every year, we bake pancakes, visit relatives and friends, go to watch different folk dancing and the burning of the Maslenitsa doll.

Happy Maslenitsa!

Let all the adversities go away along with the winter cold days.

Let us meet a hospitable and happy spring!

I want to give you a present.

This doll is made of red and linen cottons. It is the symbol of Maslenitsa and friendship.

Thank you for attention!