Meeting - the first day of Shrovetide: special customs, true omens
On February 24, Shrovetide week began - a folk holiday and one of the brightest events of the year, symbolizing the farewell of winter and the meeting of spring. The first day of the celebration is called the Meeting. During this period, preparations for Shrovetide festivities were finalized, the first pancakes were baked and the effigy of Pancake Week was collected. In Russia believed: as this day will pass, so will be the whole year. Why the first day of Pancake Day received such a name and how to celebrate it according to folk traditions - tell "Izvestia".
February 24 - the first day of Shrovetide week - Meeting
In Russia, Pancake Week was considered a holiday dedicated to the send-off of winter. In pagan times, the Slavs celebrated in this period the meeting of spring, saying goodbye to the cold and dark days. On Pancake Day they organized large folk festivals accompanied by various rituals.
With the advent of Christianity Pancake Week acquired a new religious meaning. Shrovetide week became a period of spiritual and physical preparation for the Great Lent, which in Orthodoxy is called Cheese or Meat-Lent week. These names were connected with the fact that at this time believers could not eat meat and meat products, but fish, milk and dairy products were allowed. Also on holidays it was not allowed to swear, quarrel and swear profanely.
Every year Pancake Day falls on different dates, as its celebration depends on what time Easter will be celebrated. In 2025, the Orthodox Church will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on April 20, and Pancake Week will take place from February 24 to March 2. Each day of Pancake Week has its own name and special traditions of celebration. From Monday to Wednesday there is Narrow Pancake Week - a preparatory period for the celebration of Wide Pancake Week - noisy street festivities, which begin on Thursday and ends with Forgiveness Sunday, the last day of celebrations.
The first day of Shrovetide is called the Meeting. On this day our ancestors began to wait for the arrival of the warm spring season, so they gave the holiday such a name.
What to do on the first day of Shrovetide in 2025
Shrovetide is not only cheerful folk festivities, but also an important holiday for Orthodox Christians, preceding the Great Lent. This day believers try to spend righteously: to show mercy, to share treats, to gather with family and friends in peace and harmony.
On Monday morning housewives started baking pancakes - the main Shrovetide treat. The first pancake was given to beggars or put on the window sill to honor the memory of the dead, this tradition has been preserved since pagan times. The next pancakes were served with various fillings - caviar, honey, sour cream, jam or cottage cheese. Some housewives made edible compositions out of pancakes: for example, they made a pancake doll resembling a straw Pancake Day. It was believed that the more pancakes baked on this day, the richer the year would be. Also on Monday, housewives prepared food for the festive table - fish, eggs and dairy products.
On this day men and young people built snow slides, wooden swings and balagans. The slides were sprinkled with water to make the ice smooth and the slopes steep. It was believed that the farther a person slides down, the more happiness and good fortune awaits him in the new year. The first Shrovetide games were organized in the streets: people walked along the streets singing folk songs and ditties. In some villages there was a custom of "calling spring". Girls and children climbed hills and sang loudly, calling for warmth and sunshine.
In the evening, families gathered around the festive table. Close guests were invited to the house, treating them with pancakes and other delicacies. It was a day of hospitality and generosity. Parents gave a blessing to the newlyweds, and older relatives shared their wisdom with the younger ones, telling them useful tips for farming and married life. Also on the first day of Pancake Day they set a scarecrow of winter - a large doll made of straw, dressed in women's clothes - a shirt, a sundress, a scarf and a belt. It was placed on the central square or a high hill, so that all week it reminded of the coming farewell to winter.
According to church traditions, the Meeting is a day when it is important to think about reconciliation with loved ones and preparation for Lent. Believers on this day visit the church, pray, ask God for peace in the soul and home. The main commandment of Pancake Day is to forgive all offenses and be benevolent to others. Also on this day it is customary to help the poor and needy. Many families prepare treats not only for themselves, but also for neighbors, orphans and the elderly. It is believed that to treat someone with a pancake - to goodness and God's blessing.
In the olden days in Russia there were many recipes that were passed down from generation to generation. One of the favorites of many is thin lace pancakes on clarified milk. For preparation you will need:
- 500 ml of clarified milk;
- 2 eggs;
- 2 tablespoons of sugar;
- a pinch of salt;
- 200 g flour;
- 1 teaspoon of leavening agent;
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Eggs are beaten with sugar and salt, milk is added to the mixture, flour with leavening agent is sifted and vegetable oil is poured in. The batter should turn out liquid. Bake pancakes on a hot frying pan, pouring pancake batter in a thin layer.
You can also please your housemates by cooking "boyar pancakes" with red fish and cream cheese. For the dough use the classic recipe on milk, and for the filling take 200 g of cream cheese, 100 g of lightly salted red fish and herbs. On the finished pancakes spread cheese, lay out the fish and wrap with rolls.
Today there are many variants of pancakes for those who watch the figure. One of them is lean buckwheat pancakes without eggs and milk. To prepare the dough you need:
- 200 g of buckwheat flour;
- 300 ml of water;
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil;
- 1 teaspoon of honey;
- a pinch of salt.
All ingredients are mixed, after which the dough should be allowed to stand for 20 minutes, and only then start frying pancakes. On Shrovetide there was also a custom to bake a "pancake sun" - a huge pancake, which was laid out in the center of the table. It was broken into pieces and divided among all family members, making wishes.
In the evening on this day it was customary for young people to guess on pancakes: if the first pancake is flat - the year will be successful, torn - possible difficulties, and if the pancake fell out of the hands - to unexpected changes. A special ritual was "calling for wealth". The mistress of the house raised the pancake high above her head and said: "As the pancake is wide, so is my table rich!" This ritual was supposed to fill the house with abundance for the whole year.
What you can not do on the first day of Pancake Day - 2025
At the meeting it was forbidden to quarrel, get angry and show greed. It was believed that any negativity on this day can turn into trouble for the whole year. Itwas also forbidden to refuse a treat: it could bring poverty to the house. It was strictly forbidden to sew, knit and do hard physical labor - it was believed that it could lead to disease and bad luck. It was forbidden to lend money, otherwise one would have to live in debt all year long, the ancestors believed.
One should not stay alone on this day: the meeting was supposed to be celebrated in the family circle or with friends. Loneliness on this day was considered a bad sign and could bring boredom and bad luck. Also on Shrovetide week could not be married, because it contradicts the church canons, which say that the ceremony should not take place before Lent. The first weddings will begin to take place on Red Mountain, the first Sunday after Easter. In 2025, this day of the week falls on April 27.
Another prohibition concerned the Shrovetide meal: it was impossible to eat pancakes with a fork and knife - only with hands or a spoon. Violation of this tradition meant bad luck and family quarrels. It was believed that if the hostess on this day bakes the first pancake even and golden, the family will live in prosperity, and if it is a lump - there will be small difficulties in life. The ancestors also believed that if a girl or a guy ate a pancake at the crossroads, making a wish for love, they would soon meet their destiny.
Meeting: folk omens of February 24
The first day of Pancake week was filled with special omens and prohibitions that were strictly observed by our ancestors. The main one is to meet the holiday in a good mood, with a good heart and an open soul. It was believed that the merrier the party, the richer and more joyful the whole year will be. There was an omen that if on the first day of Pancake Day a girl treats a young man with a pancake, she will soon get married. And if the newlyweds can fry a pancake together and successfully flip it on the pan, their life will be filled with happiness and harmony.
The ancestors believed that the appearance of pancakes baked on Monday determines how successful and rich the year will be for the hostess's family. If the first pancake turns out to be ruddy, the family will live well. If the pancakes turn out openwork and golden - it means that the family will live easily and simply in the coming year, and thick and burnt pancakes promise bad luck.
On this day, they looked closely at livestock: if chickens and geese behave restlessly, shouting - it means a change of weather, and if a cat lies down to sleep with its belly up - it means a warming soon. If birds sing in the morning - it means that spring will be sunny and hot. If milk was accidentally spilled on this day, expect a new addition to the family, and if a plate was broken - big changes. A large number of icicles on houses meant a lot of household work in the summer season, and snowfall heralded financial prosperity.
According to the weather at the meeting they tried to predict what the coming spring and summer would be like. Frost and blizzard on the eve of Shrovetide promised a hot summer. If frost appeared on the morning of February 24 - spring would be late, and summer would be rainy. A warm and sunny day heralded a rich harvest of cereals, and a blizzard and strong wind promised a cold spring, but a good harvest of fruits and vegetables. If Shrovetide is rainy - it means that in spring you can enjoy a lot of warm days. Also on Shrovetide Monday they paid attention to the smoke from the stove pipes: if it rises up - they expected a warm summer, and if it drifts on the ground - there will be a lot of rainy days in the summer.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
