When is Maslenitsa in 2019 for the Orthodox

The onset of Shrovetide in 2019 is determined by a countdown that has been used for many centuries. According to tradition, Pancake, Maslenka, noblewoman Maslenitsa begins 56 days before Easter Day - the brightest holiday in the world Christian religion. What date will be Maslenitsa in 2019 for the Orthodox (read about the traditions of the holiday below) also depends on what date Easter is celebrated.

This is determined by calculations in 2019 as well. The noblewoman Maslenitsa will come on March 4.

The meaning of the Maslenitsa holiday

The annual search for what date the seven-day string of bright and joyful days starts in Russia begins in the middle of winter. A simple calendar rarely contains a mention of church holidays that are not legally recognized as holidays. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Maslenitsa is not tied to a specific calendar date, and it is necessary to determine what date it will be every year separately.

Orthodox Easter depends on complex calculations, and the date is announced by the priests. But in different years, her day does not coincide with the previous one, and in 2019 such an order will not be an exception.

Beginning in the 16th century, the Orthodox Church adopted pagan traditions and included them in the list of important dates, as an indispensable holiday on the eve of Great Lent. According to tradition, the holiday begins on the eve of an action that has a special meaning for believers.

Spiritual and physical cleansing, turning to God and universal values is achieved by abstaining from amusements and certain types of food.

The sacred meaning of Komoeditsa among the Slavs was:

the beginning of the new year, because earlier it began exactly a week before the spring equinox and symbolized the long-awaited and joyful arrival of spring;
pancakes were baked as a sign of Yarila's worship, these were small suns symbolically made from traditional products - flour, eggs and water;
distributing small baked yellow symbols of the Sun to others, people generously shared warmth and benevolence, expressed good wishes and love feelings;
ingenuity in amusement was directed towards the achievement of universal fun.

To be sad on Shrovetide is a bad omen. These days, one should not be alone, yearn, avoid human communication. Otherwise, a person will be haunted by illness, melancholy, vanity and vanity. It is no coincidence that the Church Calendar was replenished with Maslenitsa among the Orthodox. The guardians of the faith tried to preserve the original mentality as much as possible and to fix, as far as possible, popular beliefs.

After all, among the Slavs, they were based on natural forces, and meant a lot for the peoples. Until the onset of the seven-day period in 2019, its acceptance by the church acquired a special symbolism.

What date is Maslenitsa in 2019

The holding of a folk event in 2019 is directly related to Easter and Great Lent. The church charter suggests that it is Maslenitsa that is a tradition, which, according to the charter of the believer, allows one to gain strength, make peace with the world around him and turn his thoughts to the divine.

As you know, Great Lent helps a person to cleanse himself physically and spiritually, to prepare for the upcoming sacraments and one of the main holidays of the Christian church calendar. Therefore, the determination of what date to celebrate it smoothly became the prerogative of the church.

The date of the beginning and end of the Maslenitsa week is determined not by the proximity or remoteness to the phenomena of nature and the cosmic cycle, but by the date of the celebration of Easter and the beginning of spiritual cleansing. The date of Bright Sunday in 2019 has long been known, it falls on April 28. If you count 56 days from this date, you get March 4. This is the beginning of Shrovetide.

As before, for many centuries, in 2019 it will last 7 days. Pancake Week will end on March 10, and this is the believer's entry week to Great Lent.

Shrovetide traditions

On Shrovetide, the Orthodox have many traditions and beliefs, the main one of which is still the custom of baking and eating pancakes in any quantity. Regardless of what date the calendar indicates the onset of Cheese Week, the main requirement is a variety of ways of entertainment. Alcoholic drinks are allowed, but meat dishes are not recommended.

Traditional grocery shopping does not include meat, but everything else is abundant. This is how the cleansing of the body begins, gradually moving to more severe restrictions.

Baked pancakes are present on any day of the Shrovetide week, regardless of its purpose. Each Shrovetide day has certain functions, and people who follow the traditions of their ancestors have plans for 2019 no exception.

Let's consider them in more detail:

in the first, they decorate a scarecrow, bake empty pancakes and spend the day of the meeting, distributing them to the poor, and remembering loved ones who have left;
in the second, it is customary to conduct matchmaking, to get acquainted and flirt with the person you like, and if the acquaintance took place on this day, then if it is successful, it is customary to match exactly one year later;
in the third, a gourmet - the hostesses have the opportunity to show their culinary skills and invite guests to unprecedented dishes (of course, without meat, but certainly - with pancakes);
in the fourth, - the male, stronger sex demonstrates its physical skills and dexterity, it is called a walk;
on the fifth, mother-in-law's evenings are held, but those who do not have a mother-in-law can also visit or have fun on street festivities;
a feature of the sixth day for unmarried people, inviting them to visit those friends who are happy in marriage, pancakes on this day are baked with a wide variety of fillings;
on Forgiveness Sunday, an effigy of Maslenitsa is burned, and offenses and insults are forgiven to each other.

Keeping the traditional behavior, paraphernalia and fun of the holiday, it creates the possibility of relaxation and complete tranquility. Simultaneously with this comes satiety and fatigue from an overabundance of bodily and spiritual contentment, a desire for purification, and then people begin Great Lent. To be cleansed physically and spiritually before the celebration of Easter becomes a need, complemented by church rituals and divine services.