Maslenitsa also known as Butter Week, Crepe week, orCheesefare Week), is an Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday. It is celebrated during the last week before Great Lent—that is, the seventh week before Eastern Orthodox Pascha (Easter).
The most characteristic food of Maslenitsa is bliny (pancakes or crepes). Round and golden, they are made from the rich foods still allowed by the Orthodox tradition that week: butter, eggs and milk. During pagan times, the round and golden shape and color signified praise to the Sun because of pancakes' resemblance to it.
The last day of Cheesefare Week is called "Forgiveness Sunday", indicating the desire for God's forgiveness that lies at the heart of Great Lent.[1] AtVespers on Sunday evening, all the people make a poklon (bow) before one another and ask forgiveness, and thus Great Lent begins in the spirit of reconciliation and Christian love. Another name for Forgiveness Sunday is "Cheesefare Sunday," because for devout Orthodox Christians, it is the last day on which dairy products may be consumed until Easter. Fish, wine and olive oil will also be forbidden on most days of Great Lent. The day following Cheesefare Sunday is called Clean Monday, because everyone has confessed their sins, asked forgiveness, and begun Great Lent with a clean slate.
Early spring in 2012 we were sitting next to each other in a train from Moscow to Vladimir with my wife. It was a wonderfull day. She was reading a magazine and saw an announcement about Maslenitsa activities in Suzdal. She explained Maslenitsa to me and talked about that "forgiveness". I asked her if I could try my chance. She surprisingly replied "of course everybody could try his chance". She said there would be some events like a festival in that wonderfull historical village and suggested to go with children. It was a great idea and like a miracle for me, too good and surprising to be offered from her to do something together. I can not explain how much I wanted it. But the next day it hapened somethng bad again and after that confliction she gave up from the idea. Since then I have kept that dream to realize that excursion and her acceptance.
Finally I could find the opportunity this year. I asked for permission for a visit and I synchronized the date to Maslenitsa. My wife accepted to be together in Maslenitsa forgiveness sunday but not to go to Suzdal. She said it is not a good idea to visit there with kids. She went last year's Maslenitsa and it was difficult and tiring there with kids. She said she decided not to go to Suzal with kids no more. Whereas she visited there after last Maslenitsa, just at the new year holiday. Even there photos of that visit in her blog but I think she just forgat about them for a moment. I think basically she just did not want to go there with me. Anyway it s bothersome for me.
However I could find an opportunity to apologize from my wife and all the family members during the celebration while eating Bliney at home. She said she accepted my apologize. But nothing changed. She has still continued to hate me. She continues to aviod any communication, any contact and our relation is still very bad though her acceptance.
Let somebody correct me please if I am mistaken but to forgive something, is not it to forget all the bad things with all consequences? Does not it require to change your attitude? If you accept to forget somebody's sins dont they become irrelevant all the punishments, your countermeasures, your reactions and basivally all the resuts? Dont we hope it to happen so when we wish to be forgiven by the God?
The most characteristic food of Maslenitsa is bliny (pancakes or crepes). Round and golden, they are made from the rich foods still allowed by the Orthodox tradition that week: butter, eggs and milk. During pagan times, the round and golden shape and color signified praise to the Sun because of pancakes' resemblance to it.
The last day of Cheesefare Week is called "Forgiveness Sunday", indicating the desire for God's forgiveness that lies at the heart of Great Lent.[1] AtVespers on Sunday evening, all the people make a poklon (bow) before one another and ask forgiveness, and thus Great Lent begins in the spirit of reconciliation and Christian love. Another name for Forgiveness Sunday is "Cheesefare Sunday," because for devout Orthodox Christians, it is the last day on which dairy products may be consumed until Easter. Fish, wine and olive oil will also be forbidden on most days of Great Lent. The day following Cheesefare Sunday is called Clean Monday, because everyone has confessed their sins, asked forgiveness, and begun Great Lent with a clean slate.
Finally I could find the opportunity this year. I asked for permission for a visit and I synchronized the date to Maslenitsa. My wife accepted to be together in Maslenitsa forgiveness sunday but not to go to Suzdal. She said it is not a good idea to visit there with kids. She went last year's Maslenitsa and it was difficult and tiring there with kids. She said she decided not to go to Suzal with kids no more. Whereas she visited there after last Maslenitsa, just at the new year holiday. Even there photos of that visit in her blog but I think she just forgat about them for a moment. I think basically she just did not want to go there with me. Anyway it s bothersome for me.
However I could find an opportunity to apologize from my wife and all the family members during the celebration while eating Bliney at home. She said she accepted my apologize. But nothing changed. She has still continued to hate me. She continues to aviod any communication, any contact and our relation is still very bad though her acceptance.
Let somebody correct me please if I am mistaken but to forgive something, is not it to forget all the bad things with all consequences? Does not it require to change your attitude? If you accept to forget somebody's sins dont they become irrelevant all the punishments, your countermeasures, your reactions and basivally all the resuts? Dont we hope it to happen so when we wish to be forgiven by the God?
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