Maslenitsa and election vs TAXes and half Marathon.

 We took off in Daniel's truck in the morning. 

My lipstick fell between my seat and the door. My husband asked, "What's that?" I replied, “it's my lipstick, you see, sometimes I remember that I'm a woman”.

Daniel laughed, he said he needs to memorize that quote. 

And I need to remember it too, so that I can write it in my blog.

Sunday March 17th was rich in events. 

First we did our taxes. If you live in the United States, you know how important this is.

Another event was the New Bedford Half Marathon. 

So, we had to figure out our route to H & R Block in Fairhaven and back through the blocked streets. 

In Russia, there were presidential elections and the last day of Maslenitsa (sort of pagan holiday).

If you watch the news, Russian officials have announced that 77% of the population came to vote and 88% of them voted for Putin. 

My sister said she and some people she talked to also voted for him. 

On official TV they say only about Putin’s victory. 

Unofficial, alternative journalists show long lines of people who came @ 12 p.m. to protest during the voting. Some brave people tried to spoil election ballots. 

But none of this mattered, since the election results were ordered by the Purin government. Everyone knows that. You can see it in the news.

The event you didn’t see on the American news was the last day of Maslenitsa.

According to archeologists, Maslenitsa may be the oldest surviving Slavic holiday. The word “Maslenista” means “Butter Week”, from “maslo” meaning butter.

            In Slavic mythology, Maslenitsa is a sun-festival, personified by the ancient god Volos, and a celebration of the imminent end of the winter. In the Christian tradition, Maslenitsa is the last week before the onset of Great Lent.

           During Maslenitsa, it is the last week when eggs, milk, cheese and other dairy products are permitted. then Lent begins,  which I do not observe.

Traditional Maslenitsa activities include parading in fine clothes with masks and costumes, visiting friends and relatives while enjoying rich foods, taking sleigh rides, attending plays put on by troupes of traveling actors, playing winter games, and participating in rituals marking the end of winter.

          During Soviet times, Maslenitsa, like other religious holidays, was not celebrated officially. It was, however, widely observed in families without its religious significance. Maslenitsa was an opportunity to prepare blini with all sorts of fillings and coverings and to eat and share them with friends. After the start of perestroika, the outdoor celebrations were simplified for modern times. As many Russians have returned to practicing Christianity, the tradition is still being revived.

            Many countries with a significant number of Russian immigrants consider Maslenitsa a suitable occasion to celebrate Russian culture, although the celebrations are usually reduced to one day and may not coincide with the date of the religious celebrations.

I personally celebrate it by baking blini. This year I made them only once. 

Last day of Maslenitsa, Sunday, is called “Forgiveness Sunday”. Relatives and friends ask each other for forgiveness, followed by the response, “God will forgive you”.  At the culmination of the celebration, people gather to burn the straw doll of Maslenitsa in a bonfire. Left-over blini may also be thrown into the fire. The ashes are then buried in the snow to “fertilize the crops”.

During our meeting with an accountant, I managed to send a few “forgive me” messages to my relatives and friends. 

I spent the rest of Sunday peacefully doing household chores and chatting with Daniel. But it’s a different story.