Maslenitsa - March 9th...

I am behind in important Russian days. Yesterday marked the end of Maslenitsa, an important Russian holiday that has Pagan and Christian roots... and is important for a couple of different reasons. In Christian tradition, Maslenitsa marks the beginning of Lent - and is the last week in which Orthodox Christians can eat meat, eggs, dairy and fish...(and if strictly observed... the last week people can drink alcohol of any kind, party, dance and have sex...) As in Greece, most older people observe these traditions while many younger people still frequent McDonalds, night clubs and... er.. visit their significant others. Anyways, the week is also referred to as Pancake Week (yum, pancakes) and, seeing as how Sunday is the final day of the week, it is THE pancake day.... everyone fills up on these things on Sunday (apparently there are pancake parties all over town), including ME! I made pancakes yesterday morning... but burned the first one and the last one. Oops. Furthermore, yesterday was also Forgiveness Sunday, a day on which people ask for forgiveness from each other and from God. (People literally call each other and ask for forgiveness from a past wrong.) In the pagan tradition, it is a celebration of the coming of spring and the sun - symbolized by round, yellow pancakes. I hope I didn't extend winter at all with my burnt, black, crispy pancakes... oops again.

Last year in Greece we had met a family that we became good friends with, and experienced these days with them. Though they didn't have a pancake week or pancake feast day, this past Sunday was also a big feast day in which people ate a special kind of unleavened bread, with lots of fish, wine and halva - all of which are to be given up for the 40 days leading up to Easter. Another really neat thing about this holiday in Greece was a tradition followed today, on "Clean Monday" (clean because everyone has confessed their sins and asked (and granted - I hope) forgiveness) where people go to the beach or countryside and fly kites! I remember it being a really beautiful sight.

I'm hoping that today's weather is a sign that spring is on its way - it was a gorgeous day! Almost... warm!! I met up with Dasha and we went for a long walk downtown and along the river Volga. There was some sort of an event for the holiday yesterday at a main square near the river - as indicated by several rows of porta-potties and garbage cans. Though it sounds funny that toilets and garbage cans made me wish I had known about the party... I do wish that I had known about it! I would have gone to check it out for sure. Along the river is an art gallery that had a very interesting exhibition in the back yard, I mean, ahem, on the grounds. An art gallery doesn't have a back yard, it has grounds... Anyways, there was a show of some strange work from students from St. Petersburg - I'm not convinced that they were art students, but whatever. So here are a few pictures of some of the interesting and eclectic art!

Dasha with an alien... an art-alien

This is a portable banya (a Russian turkish-bath)... not sure why it's so funny...







p.s. While I was out and about... Steve and Freddy were BAKING. And going to practise... recovery day in the sauna - tough day at work!!