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谢肉节：俄罗斯薄饼周与冬日告别仪式

Maslenitsa is a vibrant, week-long Russian tradition that marks the end of winter and welcomes the coming of spring.
Families gather in city squares and village courtyards to eat stacks of golden blini—thin, buttery pancakes symbolizing the sun’s return.
People wear colorful scarves and felt hats while dancing to accordion music, building snow forts, and sliding down icy hills for good luck.
On the final Sunday, crowds burn an effigy of Lady Maslenitsa to release winter’s grip and purify the land for new growth.
Church bells ring softly as Orthodox priests bless the first spring wheat fields near rural monasteries.
Children receive small gifts wrapped in red cloth, echoing ancient Slavic customs tied to fertility and renewal.
Unlike Western carnivals, Maslenitsa blends pagan sun worship with Orthodox Christian preparation for Lent’s solemnity.
Street vendors sell honey-drizzled blini, smoked fish, and sour cream while storytellers recite folktales about Frost and Spring’s duel.
In Moscow’s Red Square, thousands join hands in a giant circle dance called the khorovod, chanting rhythmic songs passed down for centuries.
Though modern life rushes on, many Russians still pause each March to taste blini, laugh loudly, and honor time’s turning with warmth and memory.