I love Wednesdays- Maslenitsa Edition!

So, as everyone knows, Wednesdays here are excursion days. To celebrate the current holiday, Maslenitsa, the group headed to this awesome park to partake in some awesomely hilarious/slightly outdated traditions.

Maslenitsa (Масленица) is celebrated the last week before Lent. Very similar to Mardi Gras, but at a different time and from what I've experienced, a lot more fun. It is a week full of Blini (pancakes), sledding, dancing, burning straw figures- basically a week of debauchery.

Once we arrived at the park we were greeted by old-Russian peasant reenactors (if you thought Civil War reenactors were crazy....these guys are INSANE). One basically attacked me and said something in annoyingly fast Russian and when I responded with "что?" ("what?) he kindly said in English: "Oh excuse me! I thought you were Russian but I was greatly mistaken." Well... I guess I look Russian... but then I open my mouth and I give myself away. I think its a sign from God that I need to put more time into my phonetics homework...

About 10 minutes after our arrival we started a snowball fight. I'd like to think that I dominated but was thrown into the knee-deep snow and couldn't get up. I think it was then when I realized just how COLD it is here.

Anyway we went through different stations in the park where we learned about old folk dances, dress, games, and other traditions. I got to shoot a bow and arrow! Obviously, I was a natural. We ended off the day by eating BLINI and going sledding. I love Field trip day. Here are some pics!


The park! So much snow=awesome.


My new friend. I don't remember his name, so I'll just call him Igor (I think he looks like an Igor). He is the one that taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow.


Dancing around Lady Maslenitsa-she is the mascot of the week of Maslenitsa and it is tradition to 1) dance around her and 2) burn her (her ashes left on the ground supposedly fertilize the crops.)


And the dancing continues....


BURN Lady M, BURN


The whole group enjoying some DE-LISH Blini and tea.

And finally....


SLEDDING


In other news... I've decided that living with a host family is sort of like getting your nails done. The people speak fast and you always think they're making fun of you... but you never reaaallly know. And trying to understand my host mother when she talks to me while at the same time trying to ignore the tone-deaf Russians singing their own renditions of classic American rock songs on the radio is enough to make my head explode. Good thing I have a life-time supply of Ibuprofen!