Масленица Festival

One thing about Russia, there is almost always a festival somewhere, celebrating something. We went to one a few weekends ago, Масленица, that has a dual purpose in Russia. First, it has a religious tone in that it is celebrated the week prior to the beginning of Great Lent, so it is a time of feasting prior to the fasting. Secondarily, it is celebrated as the end of winter...YEAH! The primary food served at the festival is блини (pancakes) with just about any topping you could want....chocolate, condensed milk (I know, we in the west think this sounds gross, but it's really quite tasty!), fish (yuck), etc, etc. So, why serve блини, you may ask? Well, they look like the sun and anyone that has been to Russia in the winter knows that seeing the sun is a VERY rare occurrence. Here is a link if you would like to read up more on the meaning of the festival: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslenitsa







Jay at the festival..they are playing games in the background.









More games at the festival








A traditional Russian dance on the stage








Дама Масленица (Lady Maslenitsa) making her entrance








The traditional burning of Дама Масленица.