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Shrovetide
Shrovetide (Oiler,Zapusty) - a holiday in honour of the end of winter and the spring awakening of nature, which was celebrated by all the ancient Slavs. After adopting Christianity, the date of its implementation depends on the day of the celebration of Easter; the Pancake Week ends on Sunday on the eve of a seven-week Lent. During the carnival week people were baking and eating pancakes, went horse riding, sliding, visited each other. The most solemn day of Shrovetide is the last one, Sunday. On this day, a bonfire was made and various old clothes and an effigy of winter were burned on it , which represented the destruction of all evil. Merry dances with games, songs, contests were held round the bonfire.
© National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 2011
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