Butter Week or Russian Maslenitsa

Today I would like to introduce you to Russian cultural event that takes place every year. Some people call it Russian Pancake Week, others - Russian Butter Week, or Cheesefare Week, but in Russian language it's called Maslenitsa (Масленица). It has already started and people celebrate it across the country. The word Maslenitsa originated from the Russian word Butter (Масло). In the begining Maslenitsa was called a one week long pagan celebration of the end of winter by ancient Slavs. After Russian Christianization it became a Russian religious holiday, which goes 7 days before the Great Lent. Maslenitsa is a well known sun festival which is famous for its great amount of Bliny (Russian Pancakes) served on the streets. People celebrate the end of the winter and the beginning of spring. During this holiday you will see a lot of interesting sport competitions among young guys who want to show to their beloved ones that they are the strongest and the best. There are a lot of eating, celebrating, and drinking!