Maslyana, or Pancake week, is an ethnic holiday that takes root from the pagan times.
Our ancestors made it a custom to say goodbye to winter by eating a lot of pancakes with butter – the symbol of the sun.
Yet after the Kyivan Rus was Christianized, the holiday took on a different meaning. The church kept the pancake tradition to allow people to eat as much butter as they want before the Great Lent. The word maslo, or butter, gave the name to the holiday. This year the holiday lasts from Feb. 28 till March 6.
Catch pancake celebrations in the city center or in ethnic parks. Many restaurants will no doubt cater a special pancake menu for the occasion. Here are a few places where you can join the cheerful crowd:
Sunday, March 6, village of Pyrohovo, Chervonozemna St., 526-5765. Tickets: Hr 20
Feb.28 – March 5 at 19:30 and March 5 – 6 at 10 a.m., Mamayeva Sloboda, 2 Dontsya St., 361-9848, www.mamajeva-sloboda.ua. Tickets: Hr 10 children, Hr 40 adults.
