Maslenitsa, or Pancake Week, is another big holiday in Russia that dates back to pagan times.

The holiday's name comes from maslo, the Russian word for butter. It is the time when Russians celebrate the coming of the spring with blini>> (pancakes) - the round, gold and warm symbols of the sun - and butter. It is the holiday when, following Forgiveness Sunday, Lent officially begins.

Shirokaya ('Generous') Maslenitsa brings lots of joy and pleasure. The parks are full of children and grown ups sledging down hills, or going merry-go-rounds. Many spectators gather by the stages to watch skomorochi (Russian for wandering minstrel-cum-clowns) or to listen to a folk group singing provocative chastushki (humorous song). Occasionally, a person or two of the people dancing in a ring join the professionals adding a lot of fun to the show. Naturally, the blinis are sold all around the place. Russians eat them with fish, honey, butter, caviar or sour cream - after a good shot of vodka in most cases.

Every day of Maslenitsa has its own name and ritual. There is a day of games (designed, mainly, for the young to get acquainted), one of sweet-eating etc. A rather strange tradition of Maslenitsa is fist-fighting between two groups of fighters who, frost or no frost, are naked up to the waist. The fighting looks very probable but it is all a sort of a spectacular show. When Forgiveness Sunday, the final and most important day of Maslenitsa, comes, people ask each other for forgiveness, the bonfires will be built and Madam Maslenitsa, the symbol of the leaving winter dressed up as a scarecrow, burnt.