#wide Maslenitsa

[alfedurka]

Yay! Thursday!

Wide Maslenitsa is starting

[lemonqii]

Hello lem! I have kind of a strange question so bear with me but I was wondering do you know what Maslenitsa is? It’s ok if not, you don’t have to answer this I was just curious. My grandma celebrates it by making a bunch of blinchiki but I don’t really know what it’s about (besides it being the blinchiki holiday in my mind). Is it widely celebrated in your parts? And if so, how? Are there some special events or something?

Hi snurt :))) maslenitsa is to do with orthodox religion and stuff but nowadays it's celebrated by everyone. The reason we make a bunch of blinchiki/oladushki/sirniki is because the previous week we stop being allowed eat meat (until Easter (I think...)) and it's the last week that we're allowed to eat dairy. Special event wise in the past it was normal to go sleighing, ice skating and generally just relaxing. Obviously the biggest part was baking stuff that contained dairy to enjoy it to the fullest while we're allowed to and yeah (⁠ ⁠◜⁠‿⁠◝⁠ ⁠)⁠♡

[the-starless-reader]

Extended Shadow and Bone Timeline [Part 1]

It's autumn when the first trip to the Fold occurs.

At the beginning of Shadow and Bone, Alina's regiment marches from the military encampment at Poliznaya to Kribirsk. It takes them two weeks to get there. Alina gets her first glimpse of the Fold standing on the Vy, the wide road that had once led from Os Alta to the port cities on Ravka's western coast.

It is explicitly stated that the autumn sun was warm overhead. Alina takes notice of both the green and gold smells of autumn and the soft breeze at her back.

Alina almost gets trampled by the Darkling's coach before entering Kribirsk, and she spends the rest of the day at the Documents Tent. At dusk, she gets her first glimpse of the Grisha pavilion. The air is noticeably cooler.

Later at night, Alina sneaks out to meet Mal, and the plumes of their breath are visible in the cold air. In fact, it's cold enough for her to wish she had taken the time to grab her scarf and gloves.

The next morning, Mal and Alina are boarding the sandskiff and entering the Fold for the first time. Barely thirty minutes later, the volcra attack happens, and Alina's power is revealed. The skiff returns, and the survivors are taken to the Grisha tent. The bright autumn sun is clearly visible in the sky, and the flags above the tent are fluttering in the breeze.

Alina meets the Darkling, and her power is confirmed. She doesn't even get to speak to Mal before she departs for the Little Palace.

Additional information:

Establishing the date of the winter fete:

The first Malina reunion takes place in Chapter 14, on the night of the winter fete. In Chapter 13, it's stated that the King and the Queen are hosting the final winter fete at the end of the season. We're not given any specific date, but in Chapter 14, when she's arriving at the fete, Alina takes notice that the spring has barely begun to show itself. She runs away later that night, and in Chapter 16, when the second Malina reunion takes place outside of Ryevost, Alina explicitly states that she'd escaped from the palace well over a week ago. In Chapter 17, she wonders about Mal's life in the past five months.

Over the next few days, they keep a brutal pace, until they reach a village on the northwestern side of the Petrazoi. The festivities of the butter week are taking place. In Chapter 17, it's stated that the holiday takes place in the week before the spring fast. Alina's description of the customs, especially the mention of blini (a form of Eastern European pancake) corresponds with the Eastern Slavic holiday known as Maslenitsa. This suggests that we should probably stick to the Old (Julian) Calendar, rather than the New (Gregorian) Calendar.

Based on the information above, Alina's timeline at the Little Palace spans over five months and two seasons. And if we could calculate the possible date of the winter fete, we could also determine the approximate timeline of the whole story.

Establishing the date of the butter week:

Maslenitsa (also known as Butter Lady, Butter Week, Crepe Week or Cheesefare Week) is celebrated during the last week before the Great Fast. It's the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha [i.e. Easter].

Since Easter and its holidays are moveable feasts, the date of the celebration has to be computed to the first Sunday after the ecclesiastical full moon that occurs on or soonest after March 21.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the March equinox equals the spring equinox, and while some of the churches have adopted the revised New Calendar, the Russian Orthodox Church still uses the Old Calendar, which sets the date of Orthodox Easter anywhere between April 4 and May 8.

It's explicitly stated that Malina's second reunion takes place 'well over a week' after the winter fete, and the choice of words suggests that we should read 'well over' like 'less than a week, but still more than a half'. However, this is where our timeline starts to blur: all we know is that 'over the next few days' they are keeping a brutal pace, until they reach a village where the festivities of the butter week are taking place. Initially, Alina thinks it might be Sunday.

The approximate calculation says that at least 18 days have passed between the winter fete and the butter week festival. Fixing the date of the fete to the spring equinox sets the festival on the second week of April. This doesn't seem to fit with the Old Calendar, because our Butter Week is the eighth week before Easter, and in this case, Ravkan Easter falls outside the specified frame.

However, given that there is no mention of Easter in this world, we can only assume that the Ravkan butter week actually corresponds more with the pre-Christian celebrations of the upcoming spring, which were later adopted by the Orthodox church. It's worth mentioning that in pre-Christian times, blini were considered to be a symbol of the sun due to their round form. Traditionally, they were prepared at the end of winter to honor the rebirth of the new sun.

To confirm that the Ravkans are indeed using the Old Calendar, and that fixing the date of the winter fete on the spring equinox makes sense, we should take a closer look into the feast of Sankt Nikolai, the only other explicitly mentioned holiday in Ravka.

Establishing the date of the feast of Sankt Nikolai:

In Chapter 13, there's a mention of the feast of Sankt Nikolai, which takes place in winter. It seems to mirror the Christian celebration of the feast of Saint Nicholas, which falls on December 19, according to the Old Calendar.

According to The Lives of Saints, a table should be set for Sankt Nikolai on the darkest night of the year. In our world, this would mirror the December solstice, the day with the shortest period of daylight and longest night of the year. On the Old Calendar, the winter solstice occurs around December 25. It's also known as midwinter.

In Chapter 13 of Shadow and Bone, it's mentioned that the feast of Sankt Nikolai is celebrated with huge bowls of dumpling soup and kutya made with honey and poppy seeds. In Orthodox tradition, predominantly Eastern Slavic, kutya is a ceremonial grain dish served during the Christmas season or as part of a funeral feast.

On the Old Calendar, Christmas takes place on January 7, which could potentially explain why it is explicitly stated that the 'final' winter fete takes place at the end of the season. The festivities have probably started with midwinter.

Canonically fixing the date of the feast of Sankt Nikolai on the date of the winter solstice, we are creating a headcanon in which every change of season comes with a big holiday.

Final thoughts:

If the final winter fete happens five months after the events on the Fold, and the date is set to March 21, then Shadow and Bone starts somewhere between late October and early November.

[miellenyeza]

art VS artist

I am not a pagan, but an actor who entertains children. Therefore, I congratulate you on the wide Maslenitsa, the bright Komoyeditsa!

[gokitetour]

10 Best Festivals & Events in Russia

Russia is a country with a thriving culture and many traditions. It's a nation where traditional traditions coexist peacefully with contemporary festivities. Russia holds a number of festivals and events all year long to highlight its distinct history and vibrant culture. These events, which range from large national festivals to small-scale cultural get-togethers, provide a window into the spirit and heart of the country. While some festivals commemorate significant historical occurrences, others honor religious or seasonal themes. Each festival is an opportunity for people to come together, enjoy traditional music and dance, and indulge in delicious food. These celebrations are not only important to the people of Russia but also attract visitors from all over the world who want to experience the country's unique customs. From the dazzling fireworks of New Year’s Eve to the colourful parades of Victory Day, each event is filled with joy and excitement. Festivals like Maslenitsa, with its pancakes and bonfires, and the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg, with its endless daylight and cultural performances, are just a few examples of the many special occasions that light up the Russian calendar. 

Here are the best Best and events in Russia

 1. On New Year's Eve

In Russia, New Year's Eve is the most widely observed holiday. New Year's Day is celebrated with much fanfare. Individuals cook festive dinners, decorate their homes, and erect New Year's trees. Champagne toasts are made, and pyrotechnics light up the sky at midnight. At a time of joy and hope, families come together to celebrate.

2. Maslenitsa

Pancake Week, or Maslenitsa, is a traditional Russian holiday that falls in late February or early March. It is a week-long celebration that ushers in spring and puts an end to winter. Pancakes are made and consumed as a symbol of the sun. The celebration features sports, dancing, folk music, and the burning of a straw effigy to mark the end of winter.

3. The Day of Victory

May 9th is Victory Day, a holiday honouring the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II. In Russia, it's a big national holiday. Parades, fireworks, and veteran's day ceremonies are held on this day. The military procession on Moscow's Red Square, which honours the sacrifices made by those who served in the war and displays Russia's military might, is the most noteworthy event.

4. The White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg

In the summer, from late May to early July, St. Petersburg hosts the White Nights Festival. Around twenty-four hours of daylight are experienced by the city during this time. A range of cultural events, including street performances, music concerts, ballet, and opera, are part of the festival. The Red Sails event, which includes a towering ship with red sails and a breathtaking fireworks display, is one of the highlights.

5. Christmas in Russian Orthodoxy

According to the Julian calendar, January 7th is Russian Orthodox Christmas. It's a religious festival celebrated with family get-togethers, lavish meals, and church services. People sing Christmas carols at midnight mass. They produce traditional dishes like the sweet grain pudding kutya. It's a moment to rejoice and engage in spiritual introspection.

6. Moscow International Film Festival

Every year in June, one of the oldest film festivals worldwide takes place: the Moscow International Film Festival. It features a vast selection of movies from all genres and nations. To honour cinema, actors, filmmakers, and movie buffs come together. There are talks, film screenings, and award presentations during the festival. It draws people from all around the world and is a significant event in the film business.

7. The International Tchaikovsky Competition

A renowned music competition, the Tchaikovsky International Competition takes place in Moscow and St. Petersburg every four years. It bears the name Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in honour of the well-known Russian composer. International musicians compete in voice, piano, violin, cello, and other categories. The competition serves as a springboard for young performers' careers and is a significant event in the world of classical music.

8. Festival of the Golden Mask

Moscow hosts an annual theater festival called the Golden Mask Festival. The finest of Russian theater, including puppetry, opera, ballet, and drama, is honored. Recipients of the Golden Mask Medal are exceptional performers and productions. It draws theater enthusiasts from all around the nation and outside as a showcase of the richness and inventiveness of Russian performing arts.

9. International Festival of Muslim Cinema in Kazan

Tatarstan's capital city, Kazan, hosts the yearly Kazan International Muslim Film Festival. It supports motion pictures that honour Islamic principles and culture. There are talks, workshops, and screenings at the event. Through film, it seeks to promote understanding and conversation across cultures. Participants include filmmakers from Muslim-majority nations and outside, making it a distinctive cultural occasion in Russia.

10. The International Military Music Festival at Spasskaya Tower

Moscow's Red Square hosts the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival in late August or early September. International military bands and ensembles are included. Parades, fireworks, and military music performances are all part of the celebration. It's a vibrant, patriotic celebration of military customs and global cross-cultural interaction.

 Conclusion

Russia's festivals and events offer a captivating look into the country's rich culture and history. Each celebration, from the grand New Year’s Eve festivities to the serene Russian Orthodox Christmas, provides a unique experience filled with tradition and joy. Events like Maslenitsa and the White Nights Festival highlight the vibrant spirit of the people and their deep connection to seasonal changes and natural beauty. Whether you're interested in the arts, history, or simply want to enjoy the local customs, there's something for everyone. The Moscow International Film Festival and the Tchaikovsky International Competition showcase the best in film and classical music, while the Golden Mask Festival celebrates the diversity of Russian theater. Festivals like the Kazan International Muslim Film Festival promote intercultural understanding, and the Spasskaya Tower International Military Music Festival honours military traditions with grandeur and pageantry. For anyone planning to experience these amazing festivals, obtaining a Russian visa is an essential step. With a Russia visa, you can immerse yourself in these vibrant celebrations and gain a deeper appreciation for the country's unique heritage. From traditional foods to spectacular performances, the festivals in Russia are truly unforgettable experiences that reflect the heart and soul of this fascinating nation.

[ruscatontheroof]

"Climbing a pole for a gift" is an ancient Russian fun especially popular on maslenitsa. In the middle of a wide square, wooden pillars are set (dug in), on top of which all kinds of prizes and gifts are fixed, participants need to climb one of the pillars and get a prize.

"Лазанье по столбу за подарком" –древнерусская забава  особенно популярная в масленицу. Посреди широкой площади устанавливаются (вкапываются) деревянные столбы, на вершине которых укрепляются всевозможные призы и подарки, участникам нужно залезть на один из столбов и достать приз.

[mouse-drawings]

Consider this an invitation and a warning.

From the 8th to the 14th of March 2021 I will be celebrating the Pancake Week (Масленица). Which means I’ll be only posting my pancake OC during this time. Though, I post her whenever I want anyways. If you followed me for something else, well, you may request this something for one of the prompts! I’m open to suggestions!

If anyone wants to celebrate it with me and draw/write some stuff, feel free to use these prompts! The list is also under the cut, with some explanations.

Day 1. Meeting. There is a lot of stuff happening. People start baking pancakes, making ice slides and other attractions. Kids start a fire to jump over and dance around it.

Day 2. Flirting. This day is typically for young people to find their SO. Girls usually go out in groups and have fun. But, honestly, everyone is having fun chatting and going down the slides.

Day 3. Gourmand(Gourment). Traditionally, on this day the (future) husband would go to his (future) mother-in-law to eat pancakes she’d made. But, really, this day is all about baking and eating all the different pancakes and all the other good stuff.

Day 4. Wide Thursday. This day is all about having fun. All day long people are out doing all kinds of stuff. Dancing, singing, slinding, fighting... you name it! Also, mothers-in-law send ingredients for tomorrow’s visit.

Day 5. Mother-in-law evenings. This is a payback for the Gourmand. Traditionally, mothers-in-law would visit her daughter in the husband’s house and enjoy pancakes that the daughter had made. Other girls would let boys taste their pancakes, so the boys would know if the girl would be a good wife. But, generally speaking, it’s just about visits. Mostly family visits, but who cares.

Day 6. Sister-in-law get together. So, basically, people are having a girl’s night. The wife gathers around all her sisters- and cousins in-law. She can also invite her own girl friends. And it would be good for the sisters-in-law to bring some presents for her.  Also, gotta pay respect to Maslenitsa - a big straw-doll symbolising the passed winter.

Day 7. Forgiven Sunday. You ask for forgiveness from alive and deceased. You also grant forgiveness to those who ask for one. At the same time, you say goodbye to winter and burn the straw-doll as a symbol of that.

[mountainmaster489]

Hi, @reve13​, I promised to tell you about the Russian holidays, I hope it comes in handy and will be fun😉:

1. The very first in the year and the most widely celebrated holiday is the Novyy god (New Year).

It's celebrated on the night of December 31 to January 1. New Year holidays (weekends) last from January 1 to January 8. New Year is a secular holiday loved by almost all the inhabitants of the country, regardless of nationality or religion.

According to tradition, a few days before the New Year it is customary to install and decorate the fir-tree, as well as the house. As a rule, when the New Year is celebrated, close people gather at the New Year's table, usually on the evening of December 31 of the outgoing year.

The coming of the new year and the actual beginning of the celebration is marked by the Kremlin Clock striking twelve, i.e. midnight Moscow Time preceded by the New Year Address by President of Russia and followed by the playing of the National Anthem of Russia.

The most popular dishes of the New Year's table in Russia are "Olivier" salad (Russian salad), "Selyodka pod Shuboi" salad (Herring under a fur coat), Kholodets (aspic), caviar, champagne, tangerines, etc. Popular hot dishes include a roasted pig, roasted meat chunks, goose with apples, chicken stuffed with buckwheat and mushrooms, sour cream hare, venison, lamb, whole fish, etc...

Gifts to Russian children and adults are brings by Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost). This is a character of Slavic fairy-tale folklore. In its origins, he is a pagan personification of the forces of nature (winter and frost) and a wizard. Ded Moroz is depicted as an old man in a colored - blue, blue, red or white coat, with a long white beard and a staff in his hand, in felt boots. He rides three horses. Usually comes accompanied by his granddaughter, Snegurochka (Snow Maiden), who helps him. Snegurochka is also a fabulous folk character. At holidays, acts as an intermediary between children and Ded Moroz. Sometimes portrayed as a little girl, sometimes an adolescent. She wears long silver-blue robes and a furry cap or a snowflake-like crown. They can also be accompanied by forest animals.

We also have very popular fireworks. After midnight, it may resemble a small colorful war, hee hee.

2. Christmas in Russia (Russian Orthodox Church), commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, is celebrated on 7 January in the Gregorian calendar. Christmas is considered a high holiday by the Russian Orthodox Church. On Christmas Eve, 6 January, there are several long services, including the Royal Hours and Vespers combined with the Divine Liturgy. The family will then return home for the traditional Christmas Eve "Holy Supper", which consists of 12 dishes, one to honour each of the Twelve Apostles. Devout families will then return to church for the "всенощная" All Night Vigil. Then again, on Christmas Morning, for the "заутренняя" Divine Liturgy of the Nativity. This holiday is important for religious Orthodox Christians.

3. St. Valentine's Day is a holiday of Catholic origin, which is celebrated on February 14 in many countries of the world. Named after one of two early Christian martyrs with the name Valentine.

Those who celebrate this holiday give their beloved and dear people gifts, flowers, sweets, toys, balloons and special cards (often in the shape of a heart) with verses, love confessions or wishes of love - Valentine. This holiday gained popularity in the 90s in Russia. It is not a public holiday or a day off, but rather widely celebrated by young people.

Сompetition for Valentine's Day is All-Russian Day of Family, Love and Faithfulness (The Day of Saint Peter and Saint Fevronia). This holiday is celebrated on July 8th. Its symbol is a white daisy. The history of the spouses of Peter and Fevronia is the embodiment of the unquenchable love and loyalty. This date are trying to popularize , because many Russians dislike the foreign Valentine's Day, which is called commercial.

4. Defender of the Fatherland Day (День защитника Отечества) is a holiday observed in Russia on 23 February.

Officially, as the name suggests, the holiday celebrates people who are serving or were serving the Russian Armed Forces (both men and women, both military and civilian personnel), but unofficially, nationally it has also come to include the celebration of men as a whole, and to act as a counterpart of International Women's Day on March 8. Because the majority of men in Russia undergo mandatory short military service.

The holiday is celebrated with parades and processions in honor of veterans, and women also give small gifts to men in their lives, especially husbands (or boyfriends, fiances), fathers, sons and brothers. As a part of the workplace culture, women often give small gifts to their male co-workers. State day off.

5. International Women's Day is celebrated on the 8th of March every year. It appeared as a day of women's solidarity in the struggle for equal rights and emancipation. State day off. The celebration of March 8 in Russia includes the established tradition of giving women flowers and other gifts.

6. Maslenitsa (Мaсленица) is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday, which has retained a number of elements of Slavic mythology in its ritual, celebrated during the last week before Great Lent, that is, the eighth week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha. The date of Maslenitsa changes every year depending on the date of the celebration of Easter. The traditional attributes of the Maslenitsa celebration are the scarecrow of Maslenitsa (which burn), making visits, sleigh rides, dressing up, bonfires, snowball fights, the capture of the Snow Fortress, festivities. Russians people bake pancakes and tortillas. It is customary to eat them with various fillings and share with friends.

7. The Russian Orthodox Church celebrates Easter (Paskha/Пасха) according to the Orthodox calendar, and so it can occur in April or May. Russians celebrate Easter with decorated eggs, special foods, and customs. The day before Easter all churches hold night services and organize religious processions around churches. By that time, kulich, the traditional holiday baking symbolizing the body of Christ, had been already baked and Easter eggs painted. The morning starts from visiting neighbors and giving away Easter eggs. The common phrase you can hear on that day is: "Khristos voskres!" (Christ is risen!), which is to be followed by "Voistinu voskres" (Truly He is risen! This traditional greeting followed by hugging and triple kissing is called "kiss of peace". Christian Easter feast lasts seven days and is called the Holy Week or Sedmitsa.

8. Spring and Labor Day. 1st May Day in its present form arose in the middle of the 19th century in the labor movement, which put forward the introduction of an eight-hour working day as one of the main requirements. In today's Russia, the holiday has lost its original political character. Some political parties and labor unions may have demonstrations on this day, but most Russians use Spring and Labor Day for gardening or spending time with their families. It is also common for people to have picnics or barbecues. Men may give spring flowers, especially tulips and lilacs, to women, and parents may buy balloons and ice-cream to their children to celebrate the end of the cold season in Russia. 1 May is a public holiday.

9. Victory Day. May 9, Russia celebrates the victory over Nazi Germany, while remembering those who died in order to achieve it. On 9 May 1945 (by Moscow time) the German military surrendered to the Soviet Union and the Allies of World War II in Berlin. Victory Day is by far one of the biggest Russian holidays. It commemorates those who died in World War II and pays tribute to survivors and veterans. Flowers and wreaths are laid on wartime graves and special parties and concerts are organized for veterans. In the evening there is a firework display. A huge ground and air military parade, hosted by the President of the Russian Federation, is annually organized in Moscow on Red Square. Similar ground, air and marine parades are organized in several other Russian cities. It’s a public holiday.

10. Russia Day (День России/Den Rossii) National Day, celebrated on 12 June. On this day, in 1991, Russian parliament formally declared Russian sovereignty from the Soviet Union.

11. Unity Day (День народного единства/Denʹ narodnava yedinstva) is a national holiday in Russia held on November 4. It commemorates the popular uprising which expelled Polish–Lithuanian occupation forces from Moscow in November 1612, and more generally the end of the Time of Troubles. The day's name alludes to the idea that all classes of Russian society united to preserve Russian statehood when there was neither a tsar nor a patriarch to guide them.

Celebrations of these days are accompanied by: Flag hoisting, parades, fireworks, award ceremonies, singing patriotic songs and the national anthem, speeches by the President, entertainment and cultural programs.

[pagansquare]

Spring, Spring Has Come!

Greetings all, readers! It is finally the Spring Equinox, also known in Germanic traditions as Ostara (from which the name Easter derives, though not the holiday). Either regarded as the start of spring or its midpoint, the Spring Equinox is widely regarded around the world as an important occasion for when the days begin to grow longer than the nights and the natural world begins to blossom in full.

As we always do we’ve gathered all of our related posts as well as those from around the internet we thought you might enjoy . We hope you have a great time this spring!

-Aryós Héngwis

Ostara/Easter Posts:

Colleen DuVall. “An Ostara Birthday”

Steven Posch. “Flower of Trees”

Steven Posch. “Ghost Eggs”

Aquarian Tabernacle Church. “Keeper of the Memories”

Steven Posch. “Lose the Chocolate”

Steven Posch. “Oh Happy Day”

Joanna van der Hoeven. “Ostara”

Arwen Lynch. “Ostara 2019″

Steven Posch. “Rethinking the Ostara Hare”

Spring/Vernal Equinox Posts:

Laura Perry. “The Equinoxes in Modern Minoan Paganism”

Meredith Everwhite. “Full Moon Equinox”

The Cunning Wife. “Silence Before Dawn”

We’Moon. “Spring Equinox”

Jude Lally. “Who Extends a Hand (and Invites You out of the Cave)?”

Karen Clark. “Your Spiritual Evolution”

Light & Life Posts:

Steven Posch. “Crown of Light”

Kathy Crabbe. “Dragonfly Delite Oracle”

Taylor Ellwood. “Letting Go and Passing On”

Molly. “The Sanctuary of Each Other”

Nature & Fertility Posts:

Meredith Everwhite. “The Incredible, Elemental Egg”

Steven Posch. “Kiss the Earth”

Candise. “The Pregnant Pause after Imbolc”

Rachel Patterson. “Symbols in Nature and Sacred Geometry”

Spring Posts:

Erin Lale. “April and May 2019 Heathen and Asatru Holidays”

Mark Green. “Burgeoning”

Nicole Kapise-Perkins. “The Child’s Season”

Nimue Brown. “Emerging from Hibernation”

Bee Smith. “Magic and Paradigm Shifts”

Sandra Kynes. “The Magical Month of Alder.”

Cool Stuff We Found:

3 Steps to Making Friends with Yourself

7 Sci-Fi Stories That Imagine a Better World

All the Pancakes and Parties of Maslenitsa

California Is Drought Free for the First Time in Over 7 Years

Democrats Want Any Infrastructure Bill to Address Climate Change

Equinox Supermoon and More Can't Miss Sky Shows in March

How Long Can You Wait to Have a Baby?

In Season 2, American Gods Has Fallen on Hard Times

Lantern Festival

Magic Light in Iceland

March Pagan Festivals & Conferences

On New Zealand and Dehumanization

Ostara Honey Cake

Ostara Mood Board

Ostara Ritual

Si Thep Park Worth Far More than Petroleum

Some Pretty Corcus Flowers

Tanakaeitaro

Ty Capel

We Asked Doctors Every Question This Queer Couple Has About Getting Pregnant

What Is Your Favorite Piece of Pop Culture That You Associate with Spring

Wonderfully Hekatean Ways to Celebrate Spring

Top image by Walter Pöder

[spicevillageeu]

Everything you need to know about Asian Subcontinents and their Cuisines

Asia, the biggest continent in the world, is home to diverse people, and as diverse are people and their cultures, the change in the food they eat. We all share the same love for food and no matter where you go, you will always find that one dish that you will enjoy utmost, and will cherish forever.

So, while as big as the continent, the variety and tasty cuisines that they offer! Make the various cuisines of the Asian subcontinents at home using ingredients from Spice Village, an Asian Supermarket in Berlin.

 Central Asian Cuisine

The Central Asian countries mostly share similar cuisines and recipes and are heavily inspired by the eastern and the western Asian subcontinents. Mongolia is a good example of inspired cuisines, but with added culture, makes one of the best cuisines on our list. Horse meat and Mutton is widely used ingredients in the diet, and Kumis is the popular drink consumed by Turkic people in the central Asia.

Most of the ingredients can be found in an Asian supermarket, so home chefs can also cook these amazing recipes!

Also, Yoghurt was born in Central Asia. And yes, they love eating Yoghurt

Some of the Staple Dishes of Central Asia:

Beshbarmak – Comes from Kazakhstan, this is a traditional food with a name derived from FIVE FINGERS. The people eat this meal using their hands, so the Dish was named Beshbarmak. It has boiled noodles, chopped meat, and onion sauce as ingredients.    

Shashlik – Common in central Asia, this dish is grilled cube meat with added vegetables for the perfect flavours. It is cooked on skewers.        

Manti Dumpling – A very popular cuisine, it is loved by the people for the     flavours and the sauces. Made with lamb or beef meat, it is the perfect     meal for taste enthusiasts.        

Lagman Soup – A meat     and vegetable noodle dish, `this is one of the signature meals of the     Uzbeks and they are proud of their creation. The soup also has a dry     version that Is also tasty!

 2.      East Asian Cuisine

East Asian Cuisines Include Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Mongolian, Taiwanese, and Tibetan food.

East Asia is the most populated region in the world, and it shows when you look at the cuisines and China topping the list with the most regional cuisines. Seafood is loved in East Asia and rice, noodles, mung beans, soybeans, mutton, and bok choy is loved and most consumed ingredients.

Some of the staple Dishes of central Asia:-

Sichuan pork – Poaches spicy slices of pork, is one of the most famous dish. It is boiled in water with a coating of egg whites and starch. It has a peppery and spicy taste and is very filling and tasty. With the added herbs and spices, it is one complete experience.

Yakitori – This is a dish made by cutting the chicken in just Bite sizes and then grilled using a skewer. What is special about this dish is that it uses the whole chicken and its every part. From heart to liver, even its comb. Why? Because of the Motto of Japanese people to not waste food.        

Balep – This is a famous Tibetan Flatbread made with varieties like plain, deep-fried, pan-fried, and can also be stuffed with all kinds of different     ingredients.

 3.      North Asian cuisines

North Asian cuisine is dominated by Russian cuisines as most of north Asia is Russian Federation. In the depts of the north, you will find different cuisines like the Yamal Cuisine, and Buryats cuisines. Asian supermarkets also provide various ingredients to make these cuisines.

Some of the Staple North Asian dishes:-

Blini – The Russian pancakes are very thin and you add a filling of your choice. Some examples are sour cream and Salmon, Mushrooms, and condensed milk. During Maslenitsa, which is before the start of spring, the people eat this thin pancake for a whole week.        

Beef Stroganoff – A very famous dish, Beef is sautéed served with a delicious sauce with added sour cream. It is luxurious and very easy to prepare.        

Borscht – It’s a beetroot soup that is originated out of Ukraine. It is also a specialty in the Russian cuisines of the tasty and the health benefits. This soup has different ingredients and can take you     even more than 3 hours. Full of meat and Sautee vegetables can be served     hot or cold.

 4.      South Asian Cuisine

South Asian cuisines are dominated by the Indian Subcontinent. Foods in this cuisine are flavored with many different spices, black peppers, and many different herbs, cooked in Ghee or butter for the added taste and health. Turmeric and cumin are also widely used, especially when making curry.

Some Staple South Asian dishes:-

Dinuguan – It is a Filipino dish that contains a Variety of Internal organs, with added Vinegar, garlic, and hot pepper.        

Biryani – Rice, meat, and vegetable are prepared separately and is slowly cooked in a bronze pan to perfection.        

Korma – Chicken or meat both can be used, and a thick curry is prepared where the ingredients are slowly cooked and saffron, cashew, and coconut milk are also added for taste.

[thewinedarksea]

so this is irrelevant but the goddess Marzanna has sooo many names, and most of those names are for mostly central Europe and it took me so long to find the name thats used by the Russians(Maslenitsa) and it was actually right in front of my face

yetttt Maslenitsa is also the tradition of welcoming spring in Russia, so going with Marzanna would be the thing, but thats the Polish name for her???

hahaha yeah she does have a lot of names! actually from what i remember spring tends to be welcomed by like symbolically destroying a representation of marzanna (it’s either drowning or by fire, i think) so that would make sense! i know marzanna/morana tends to be a widely accepted all-purpose use though, unless you’re specifically doing something with the russian focus.

[nicomacheannothing]

THIS POST IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY THE TUMBLR DISCOURSE IRKS ME. It’s not 100% wrong, but there are several inaccuracies here, it’s sources are poor, and it has a ridiculous amount of overconfidence in its oversimplified ideas. Oh, and it ends by calling people bigots, which means, of course, that you can’t argue with it.  Here’s what’s true in this post:  - Easter has nothing to do with Ishtar. Right. There’s this meme that goes around every year claiming that the word “Easter” is a twisted version of the name “Ishtar”. That’s bs.  - Easter is the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Yup. That’s true. - Easter was not “stolen” from the pagans and pagans shouldn’t claim victimization about it.  BUT. There’s a lot of really oversimplified shit here. First of all, STOP conflating Passover and Easter. They take place at the same time of year because Jesus was supposed to have been crucified around the time of Passover. They are not the same holiday, they do not commemorate the same thing. Early Christians used (or, dare I say, appropriated) Passover symbolism in order make Jesus’s death and resurrection fit into the established canon of Jewish mythology. Remember, Jesus’s followers probably believed that Jesus was the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. Problems arose after he was crucified because the Messiah was supposed to rise up and become a great leader... not be executed in the most humiliating way possible. After his death, his followers went back and started reinterpreting Jewish traditions and prophecies so that they would make sense with what they believed about Jesus. Passover is a perfect example of this kind of reinterpretation. Passover traditionally incorporated ritual animal sacrifice. You’ve probably heard the phrase “Passover Lamb” before. Christians believe that Jesus was a metaphorical Passover lamb, whose death and resurrection meant that they would no longer have to perform literal sacrificial offerings the way that their Jewish ancestors had. This is why some Gospels (e.g., John) place Jesus’s death before the actual Passover meal, so that his death would match up with the time at which the Passover sacrifices would have been made. Other Gospels (like Mark) say that Jesus was crucified after the Passover meal also called “the last supper”. There’s no way to tell which account of the crucifixion is accurate, but John’s account clearly uses heavy-handed metaphor to make a theological point about Jesus and his death. If you want to know more about the history of early Christianity, I recommend checking out Bart Ehrman’s YouTube channel. He’s a well-respected Biblical historian and he touches on some of the things I’ve been talking about in both his talks and his books.  Jewish people do not believe in any of that stuff I just talked about. They do not believe in the resurrection of Christ. They do not believe that he was the Messiah. Passover is about commemorating the Jewish liberation from slavery and the Exodus from Egypt. The main reason why I’m writing an absurdly long rant here is because I think that it actually is antisemitic to casually conflate Easter and Passover. The idea that Easter is somehow the Christian version of Passover is an idea that comes directly from Christianity, not from Judaism. Christianity has a very long, very bloody history of using Jewish traditions and mythology for its own purposes while viciously persecuting Jewish people. I’m not trying to say that Christians shouldn’t celebrate Easter or believe in the resurrection of Christ. Those beliefs are fine. The problem is that I keep seeing these posts that are like “Easter isn’t Pagan, it comes from Passover!” like it was a simple, linear process. The central theme of Easter (Christ’s resurrection) has nothing to do with Judaism. Bunnies and eggs are Christian Easter traditions. It’s not antisemitic to question their origins. At all. Because Christianity is not Judaism.  *deep beath* Second of all, let’s talk for a moment about Easter symbolism. The OP provides two sources. The first is a link to an Orthodox Christian forum post and the second is to an article on a Christian website. This are not good sources because they are written by Christians for Christians. Of course Christians don’t believe that their religion is Pagan. Many sects of Christianity explicitly forbid associations with Paganism. That’s a pretty strong bias that we have to account for. The question as to whether or not the Easter holiday makes use of old Pagan symbolism is a historical one, not a theological one. The current Christian theological significance of bunnies and eggs is not very useful when trying to determine where those symbols originated. Clearly, they meant things before Christians started using them. Plus, the Catholic and Orthodox churches (where most mainstream Christian beliefs derive from) have a long history of creating cultural narratives about their own origins that have nothing to do with historical facts. I know people who went to Catholic schools where they were taught that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were real disciples of Jesus who actually wrote the gospels that bear their names. This idea is mythology, not history. The four Gospels were written anonymously and their authors probably would not have been Jesus’s disciples, who would have been poor, uneducated and not literate in the Greek dialect that the Gospels were written in. The whole “Gospels were written by Jesus’s disciples” thing makes for much more cohesive cultural narrative, though, as does the idea that the rabbit was associated with the Virgin Mary or that eggs were died red to represent the blood of Christ. Again, it’s totally ok to be Christian and believe in the teachings of the the religion. If you’re looking for facts about how the religion actually developed, you’re going to have to look at sources outside of the stories passed down from the church.  The thing is, we don’t know exactly how some of these traditions developed. Christian culture has its own explanations, but from a historical perspective, it’s hard to say. That’s why calling the monk Bede a “speculating idiot” is silly too. He didn’t just pull Eostare out of his ass: he derived the name from what he believed to be the linguistic origins of the Germanic word “Easter”. Whether or not he was correct is a matter of debate. Evidence is rather scant, so its hard to take a definitive stance if you don’t heavily study this kind of thing. I was in a thread today with a professor of mythology who said that Spring Equinox celebrations (yes, those really have existed since the ancient Pagan days) probably have Indo-European origins that they share with some elements of Easter. I will have to do more research into that, but based on what I know about how cultures develop, there’s probably some truth there.  There’s also a BIG fact that the OP conveniently forgets: exactly what constitutes Easter symbolism depends on what culture you’re from. Russia has lent and Easter traditions that are UNDOUBTABLY Pagan in origin. They have a week long Mardi Gras-type holiday called Maslenitsa that probably originated as a celebration of the Slavic sun god. The festival definitely predates Christianity, but is still widely celebrated in conjunction with Orthodox lent and Easter traditions. A type of crepes called bliny are eaten as a part of the celebration and yes, they are large and round and they symbolize the sun. Back when I was Christian, I knew American Protestants who made crepes or pancakes as Easter dishes in celebration of their Slavic heritage. They had no idea that the tradition was Pagan in origin. I actually saw a Russian person explain that to my Sunday school teacher and she was shocked.  ANYWHO, this idea that somehow the Abrahamic faiths are completely separate from Paganism and historical polytheism are just... false. Culture doesn’t work like that. Religions and traditions don’t just pop out of the ground, they develop out of older faiths and traditions. As much as the Tumblr Pagans want to distance themselves from Christianity and as much as the Christians have historically tried to erase Paganism, the two have always been intertwined to some degree. 

[edelweissred]

Today in Russia starts one of the greatest holidays, Maslenitsa. Tbh it's my fav holiday, 'coz I can eat a lot of blini (special pancakes which are cooked only during this week). Btw, it's the oldest Russian holiday, it's celebrated from the 8th century) so, I wish you tasty and light Maslenitsa! And as we say in Russia, have a wide Maslenitsa)

[louveniacoupp78-blog]

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In the month of December you have the International Winter Celebration Craft Square; Maslenitsa Event is actually held from the month of February up until March and also eventually you have the Dance Open festival in the months of March as well as April.