Saying farewell to meat, or carnival in the Russian style

Although Moscow is covered lavishly by snow and the frosts that have set in are not typical of this time of the year, the Russian capital city hosted yesterday a winter seeing-off festival, The festival is called Shrovetide which lasted all past week and is over by now. Russian pan cakes which look like little suns were the symbol of the festival. The festival was crowned with a ceremony of burning a Stuffed Doll impersonating the winter. That is what pagan Slavs would had done to meet the coming spring. The tradition has survived being adopted by the Orthodox Church. Yesterday’s final day of Shrovetide – the Shrove Tuesday abounding in fun and tasty food –is followed by Lent lasting for 40 days being crowned by Easter. According to RIA Novosti, many public figures and famous men of culture came to celebrate Shrove Tuesday to the House of Russian Peoples and the Moscow Exhibition Centre. Young people prevailed among festive crowds. Dance and folk groups entertained the audiences. The hungry could partake of a huge kulebyaka, the traditional Russian open cake with meat or mushrooms, - it was made by students of a cooking school of Moscow. The large cake was the symbol of home and well-being.