What traditions are observed on Shrovetide? The best ideas on how to make a crafts for Shrovetide: from paper, salted dough, fabric, yarn. Advice to parents.
Crafts for Shrovetide is a fusion of new trends and ancient traditions. Eastern Slavs rarely decorated houses and streets for the holiday, focusing on ceremonies and mass festivities. But in modern realities, it is the crafts on the theme of Maslenitsa that can become a guide to the history of the holiday and acquaintance with the wonderful traditions of their region.
Shrovetide traditions
Maslenitsa or Maslenitsa is a popular Christian festive festival that lasts a whole week before the beginning of Lent. Since the fast is tied to the floating date of Easter, Shrovetide also shifts the days of its celebration annually. And although the calendar dates change annually, the traditions of the celebration remain unshakable.
The researchers argue that the reason for the celebration was the expectation of the coming spring, the awakening of nature and the desire to "drive away the winter." But applied art in preparation for the celebration was not used so often. Crafts for Maslenitsa with their own hands were made only in the form of symbolic effigies, which were subsequently burned or torn apart.
In pre-Christian times, this stuffed animal was a symbol of the rebirth of nature. But with the advent of Soviet power, the religious holiday was completely banned. True, it did not work out to completely eradicate folk traditions. Already by the 60s, the holiday returned to the people under the guise of "Farewell to Winter".
The complex history of the celebration led to the fact that some traditions were forgotten, and some are only now being formed. In order for children and adults to learn more about the bright Maslenitsa week, traditions and rituals associated with the holiday, they make crafts for Maslenitsa in kindergartens and schools. Through homemade toys, children learn about the peculiarities of the holiday, but also develop fine motor skills, train imagination and memory.
Note! In Soviet times, there was an active struggle against popular Christian holidays, so there is not much information about household crafts for Maslenitsa. But if you purposefully study the history of the holiday, then adults and children will discover a lot of new things. Parents are strongly encouraged to create with their children, because this is not only beneficial for the baby, but generally strengthens relations between generations and forms your family traditions.
Pancake week lasts 7 days. The first three of them are preparatory, this period of the holiday is called "Narrow". And then there are 4 days of large-scale festivities, the so-called "Wide" Maslenitsa. Every day, its own ceremonies and celebrations are held.
If you want to make a crafts for Shrovetide, time it on a specific day:
- Monday … It was considered a meeting of the holiday. It was on this day that the preparation of the fairground stands and the entertainment area was completed, and the well-known scarecrow of Maslenaya was also made. For such a craft, any available materials can be used - scraps of fabric, paper, straw, cotton wool. The scarecrow can be painted with watercolors or gouache.
- Tuesday … On this day, young people gathered at the fairground to eat pancakes and ride the ice slides. The best crafts that symbolize the second day of Orolet Week are small dummy toys for children made of colored paper or felt, as well as other materials.
- Wednesday … On this day, the son-in-law went to visit his mother-in-law to eat pancakes. The best reminder of the traditions of this day will be paper crafts for Shrovetide. As a base, you need to take the yellow circle, as a symbol of the Sun, and decorate at your own will. For decoration, you may need glitter paints, bright pencils or felt-tip pens, beads, beads.
- Thursday … Mass festivities began, a characteristic feature of which were jokes and fun. In some regions, a straw horse or a goat dressed in a headscarf was carried along the street. To make such crafts for Shrovetide in the kindergarten, you can use plasticine or polymer clay. If it is difficult for a child to work with such material, try sculpting figures from salt dough.
- Friday … Another day, when pancakes became the central dish on the table. On this day, it was customary to visit (mother-in-law goes to her son-in-law). Today, a pancake treat can be replaced with small souvenirs made of fabric or yarn, the main thing is that guests are satisfied with such a replacement.
- Saturday … Girls visited each other and exchanged small gifts. As a Saturday crafts for Shrovetide with your own hands, small amulets in the form of angels are well suited.
- Forgiveness Sunday … On this day, it is customary to apologize from relatives and friends for the insults caused. In the evening, at the mass festivities, the stuffed animal of Maslyana was solemnly burned. All the beauty of this tradition can be conveyed by making a candle with your own hands. Maslenitsa crafts master class for those who want to learn how to work with wax can be found online.
It should be understood that traditions may differ slightly in certain regions, but in general, crafts should convey the cheerful, fair mood of the holiday. Pancakes are the central symbol of Maslenaya, so it will not be superfluous to add a yellow solar symbol to the plot of the crafts.
Also note that the festive week ends with the arrival of Great Lent and preparations for Easter, which means that angels and amulets will become a relevant topic for crafts on Shrovetide Shrovetide.
Pancakes are an important attribute of Shrovetide. During the week they are baked and distributed every day. And if you really want to introduce your child to folk traditions, do not forget about the festive cuisine. The symbol of the holiday is not only a stack of delicious pancakes and pancakes, but also edible handicrafts made from them. Thin pancakes are used to make stuffed animals using fabric technology, but you can also find workshops on the Internet on how to decorate a real doll with pancakes. Even merry-go-rounds and houses are made of edible material.
The best craft ideas for Shrovetide
Shrovetide is not just a holiday, but a series of noisy rituals and entertainment events. If you want to thoroughly prepare for the celebration, then come up with your own craft for every day. The complexity of the job will depend on the age and skills of the child. The first crafts on the theme of Shrovetide can be made out of paper by drawing themed cards. Invite your child to dream up and come up with their own scenario for the Shrovetide fair. As you become familiar with the traditions of the holiday and the growth of experience in needlework, you can move on to more complex techniques - modeling from salt dough or polymer clay, sewing or crocheting.
Origami
Colored or white paper is the most suitable material for home crafts for Shrovetide. From paper, you can make both a traditional greeting card and a fair pennant, a voluminous carousel and even the notorious stuffed animal. At the same time, it is interesting to work with the material both for very young children, so the first crafts for Shrovetide in the kindergarten are made the simplest: a circle is cut out of a yellow sheet of paper, and then rays of noodles, ice cream sticks, satin ribbons folded in half with a tight loop are glued. Do not forget to paint a smiling face for such a sun.
Older children can make fun toys out of paper. The round bases are folded in half, and a face with drawn details and handles are glued on the folds. Unpretentious toys are presented to each other as small souvenirs, and in addition to decorating the house, they can be used as bookmarks. If desired, such paper crafts for Shrovetide are supplemented with satin bows (on the head of a toy), voluminous flowers or beads.
Crafts at school for Maslenitsa are somewhat more complicated in technique. High school students are invited to play up the theme of the holiday fair and make voluminous bright carousels out of colored paper and cardboard.
But the main craft, regardless of age, will, of course, be Maslenaya's stuffed animal. It is very simple to make it: a sheet of paper is folded like an accordion and folded in half to make a "fan". The carved head of the scarecrow is attached to the base of the fan with glue. You can additionally glue handles to the nursery rhyme, decorate with beads or appliques.
Note! The sun can be made even without using scissors. To do this, you need yellow paint, a plastic plate and a little imagination. Do not be afraid to experiment and use non-standard materials for needlework.
Salt dough crafts
Salted dough is a very convenient material for creativity. There are ingredients for its creation in every home, all the ingredients are safe even for the smallest. At the same time, it is much easier for children to knead the dough than dense plasticine, and even more so polymer clay.
To knead salted dough, you need to mix 1 part flour with half part fine salt and cold water (0.5 part). The mass is light, airy, but not sticky. The dough is painted with food paint, but you can also paint the finished craft with gouache before drying.
The first crafts for Shrovetide can be made in the form of the sun. For this, the salted dough is rolled out in an even layer and the sun is cut out according to a prepared template or felling. To harden the dough, leave it for a few minutes in the oven on. If you want to complicate the craft, add volume to the sun. Place your eyes in the center, attach a smile, a nose.
It is also good to make three-dimensional figures of a horse or goat from salted dough - traditional crafts for butter Thursday.
Salted dough is an excellent material for the preparation of angels, which are presented to each other on Saturdays of Shrovetide week. The face of an angel and palms can be made from the dough, and the body can be sewn from fabric, filling it with padding polyester or cotton wool. Schoolchildren will make a complex craft on their own, but primary school students, with the help of their parents, will create very beautiful souvenirs.
Note! Scarecrow of Maslenaya is not made from salted dough, since it will be difficult to destroy it at the end of the holiday.
Crafts from fabric
Textile crafts are just as easy to make as paper ones. For example, a very simple stuffed animal of Maslenaya is made from a piece of cloth in a few minutes. The flap is folded like an accordion, and then in half. At a distance of two centimeters from the fold, the fabric is pulled with a thread, and the accordion is fanned out. So, with the help of simple manipulations, you got the head and body of a stuffed animal. From another piece of fabric, handles and a scarf for the stuffed animal are made. Decorating such a craft will not take much time.
Another simple craft for Shrovetide is an angel made of fabric. For work you will need a square flap and cotton wool, thread. A small piece of cotton is knocked down with a dense ball and inserted into the center of the flap. The edges of the flap are connected, and the cotton ball is fixed with a thread. Thus, a round head stuffed with cotton wool and a soft body of textiles are formed from the fabric. The craft can be complicated by adding arms or wings, like an angel.
From textiles, you can make not only voluminous crafts for Shrovetide with your own hands, but also pennants, postcards, decor. The best way to do this is to use felt. The fabric is very soft, but keeps its shape well on the cuts. Any materials are perfectly attached to it, even with simple PVA glue. A patch of yellow felt can be cut in a circle and supplemented with noodles or wooden sticks, as if you were working with paper. And the simplest handicraft made of felt is, perhaps, a sliced stack of "pancakes" - a traditional Pancake week dish.
Yarn crafts
With the help of threads, a hook and knitting needles, needlewomen create complex compositions for Shrovetide - napkins in the form of pancakes, suns are knitted. Experienced craftsmen use a crochet hook to knit a full-fledged stuffed animal or figurines of a horse or goat. But small children will also be able to use yarn to make crafts for Shrovetide.
To work you need two skeins of floss threads. We cut one skein into equal lengths of 5-7 cm. The folded segments at a distance of 1 cm from the edges are tightly tied. We receive a blank of handles for the future stuffed animal.
Cut the second skein into 15-18 cm pieces, align the segments and fold them in half. Between the two folded halves we put the blank of the handles (it turns out a kind of cross). We tie the two parts of the toy to each other. Such a stuffed amulet will become a real symbol of the holiday, at the end of which the toy is burned without regret.
Note! Burning a scarecrow is as important a part of the holiday as jokes, nursery rhymes and festivities. Observing tradition, together with your child, you can destroy a small crafts for Shrovetide or light a candle. Cozy family fun based on popular beliefs will appeal to both children and adults. Every year the family looks forward to such a sunny holiday.
How to make crafts for Shrovetide - watch the video:
Crafts for Maslenitsa is a great opportunity to study the traditions of the festival. After all, Maslyanaya is that unique case when the celebration lasts for 7 whole days, for each of which its own rituals are observed. And although folk festivities concern mostly the older generation (for married and young people), children can also take part in noisy preparation, developing fun crafts for Shrovetide as gifts or home decoration.
