Vernal Equinox Day is a feast with ancient roots

Dazhbozhy Velikoden, Maslyana, Komoditsa are the names of the Spring Equinox Day, one of the four main holidays of the calendar of the Ancient Slavs. The history of this holiday goes back to old times, to archaic pagan times. It was believed that on that day on March 25 (berezozole) the annual wheel turned to summer, the light (clear) half of the year began. The ancients believed that the heavenly gates were opened on that day, and the good gods returned to the people, and from the paradise (Iria) on the bird wings the souls of the deceased ancestors flew to visit their grandchildren. And most of the Slavic peoples considered this day the beginning of the new year.

Indeed, the day of the vernal equinox is a holiday of cosmic significance, since from that date the day grew longer than the night.

The celebration of Maslyana was accompanied by a voluminous, often multi-day, ritual part. The most important was the call for spring. In different regions of Russia the course of the celebration could differ to some extent, however, there were characteristic common features.

The very celebration, as a rule, took place in the open air. The youth was divided into 2 conventional troops, one of which "extracted" the Spring, and the other bore the Winter, but in the end, of course, gave up. If the weather allowed, a snow fortress was built and attacked. There were demonstration battles between "warriors" on both sides, but the supporters of Spring certainly won. The struggle of spring and winter, cold and heat was not accidentally celebrated on the day of the spring equinox, when both day and night are struggling, measured by forces. As the logical conclusion of the "war", and as the main meaning of the festive rite, at the end the effigy of Marena-Winter, made by girls from straw and rags, was burned. The fire of the sting fire burned, and with it the burning winter burned, giving way to the young Spring.

Everywhere on Komoditsu baked pancakes - "coma" (hence the name). A ruddy round blanck personified the Sun. Another treat is small buns, twisted in a special way in the form of birds, as a symbol of migratory birds returning from Iria, as it was then believed . In general, the Slavonic meal on the vernal equinox was generous and rich. In addition to pancakes and bread rolls, a variety of meat and fish dishes, baked goods, sweets, and intoxicating beverages were served.

With the advent of Christianity, the Carnival, like other ancient holidays, was banned. However, for several centuries people continued to celebrate the vernal equinox, as, indeed, most other holidays. And only in the XVII century the interest of the church to the persecution of the ancient holidays gradually subsided. Having ceased to be considered "demonic fun", Maslenitsa was filled with a new meaning - Orthodox. Even an obviously pagan (idolatrous) custom of burning a scarecrow of winter is preserved. Becoming part of the Orthodox calendar, the Maslenitsa festival no longer coincides with the date of the equinox and bears only a ceremonial load - after a rich and generous Maslenitsa table one of the most strict posts begins .

Today, the ancient, primordially Russian holiday is loved and revered by many. The celebration of Maslenitsa, which preserved all the echoes of the ancient veneration of the vernal equinox, has recently been happening ever more grandly, attracting a huge number of participants.