Let the Pancake-Eating Begin!

It's here! Maslenitsa has begun!!!

For a while I was worried that I'd miss it... when asked, everyone gave a vague answer as to when the holiday week started:
"Uh, it's pretty soon."
"No, it's in April!"
"Wrong, it's definitely next week."
Fortunately, pancake-laden advertisements appeared in the windows of supermarkets and just the other day a Russian blogger announced the start of the Maslenitsa week. If you're reading this and scratching your head over this holiday (Masa-what?), read Inna's informative entry on From Russia with Love.

If you're more interested in the answer to the question-

"Can you walk your bear down the street in Ukraine if it's on a chain?"

- then by all means, please check out the video below. The bear shows up at 2 min, 50 sec.

Major props to my student O for filming last year's Maslenitsa celebrations and allowing me to create this video from the footage.

Now go eat some blini! С праздником!


Suggested Reading

• For Kharkov's 2013 Maslenitsa celebration, hop on over to Chelsea's blog.

• If you actually want to make your own blini, click onward to Polly's Enjoy your worldly delights while you still can!

• More interested in Maslenitsa's follow-up period of fasting? Andrea in Kiev will tell you all about her великий пост lunch date at Lucca.