Children's Holiday (Maslenitsa) (This holiday falls one week before lent/ Easter)
This holiday celebrates the burial of winter and the birth of spring. This is a very joyous occasion for the adults and children of Russia. There are dramatic theatre performances, many feasts serving very rich foods (usually foods that include meat and dairy products), and horse drawn sleigh rides for the children. This is a time for rich and indulging foods to be eaten because lent is a week after the celebration.
These girls really know how to put on some face paint and have a good time!
The scarecrow of winter is burned at the end of the celebration to say "Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring."
This young man is cheering on his favorite entertainer.
Children build ice slides for fun throughout the winter in Russia.
The balalaika, shown here, is a popular traditional musical instrument in Russia.
What sorts of food do you suppose they have on their grill?
Horse-drawn sleigh rides are a fun passtime in wintery Russia, especially at holiday celebrations.
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