"The Fat Tuesday Affair" Redux, in honor of 'Fat Tuesday." PART ONE

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

It was Mardi Gras time in New Orleans and having a few days off, Napoleon Solo dragged his partner there to experience a bit of  Americana and Louisiana tradition.

“I do not understand, you Americans have so many obscure holidays, Groundhog Day, National Anthem Day, Johnny Appleseed Day,  Liberty Day, Maple Syrup Saturday but mind you, is nowhere near National Pancake Day and neither is close to National Maple Syrup Day.”

“Not to mention New Year's Day, Chinese New Year,  Abraham Lincoln's Birthday,George Washington's Birthday, St. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Arbor Day, Easter, April Fool's Day, Mother's Day  Memorial, Day, Flag Day, Father's Day, Independence Day, Labor Day.”

He paused to take a breath. “Labor Day, Columbus Day, Halloween, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas. It boggles the mind... and oh yes, lest I forget this Mardi Gras. These holidays all reek of nothing but attempts by capitalistic greeting card companies and retail shops to bilk the people of their hard earned kopeks...umm, I meant money.”

"Are you finished?" Solo looked at him with amazement."Okya, I get the picture," he added, stopping his partner from going on ad nauseum."You know you can really be a party pooper sometimes."

“I am sure I could recall more if you like,” he grinned at the American, knowing full well he was annoying him just a little. “

“That’s not exactly the over-indulgence I had in mind," Napoleon mumbled.

“Then I apologize for being a party pooper as you say, so regale me with this Mardi Gras tradition.”

For a moment his partner shook his head in dismay, then took a deep breath. ”As you know Mardi Gras in French means Fat Tuesday and refers to the practice of the last night of eating richer foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins tomorrow on Ash Wednesday.”

“Oh yes, Ash Wednesday and Lent, some other days of significance that I neglected to mention...”

Napoleon gave him a bit of the stink-eye. “Are you going to let me continue?”

“Pardon me, please do so.” Illya hid a bemused smile.

“Well here, French colonists introduced Mardi Gras to the new world in 1766. The custom became popular among New Orleans Catholics and soon spread to other southern states, but the New Orleans Mardi Gras is the most famous, and infamous.” Napoleon answered.” This one here is the Rex parade, just one of many going on in the city today.”

Illya nodded his head, listening carefully and when Napoleon was finished, he spoke. “There was once a similar concept to Mardi Gras in Russia,  known as Maslenitsa and was a week long celebration.”

“Okay so tell me more.” Napoleon crossed his arms in front of his chest, thinking he had just opened the proverbial Pandora’s box.

“It was also known as Pancake Week, focusing on blini, dollar-size yeast-raised pancakes topped with caviar, sour cream and smoked salmon, or sweet toppings.” The Russian’s eyes lit up as he said that.

“Their round shape and warm serving temperature were considered  evocative of the sun, that people longed for by that time of year. Thinner, crepe-like pancakes known as blinchiki and doughnuts called pyshki were also special dishes served during the week.”

“Maslenitsa week began as a pagan ritual and was absorbed into the Eastern Orthodox religion. It served many purposes as it  signalled the exit of winter and heralded the coming of spring. As a part of pre-Lenten celebrations, it is also was a last fling of sorts like your Fat Tuesday, against the upcoming fast. Because meat and dairy were traditionally forbidden during the fasting of Lent, Maslenitsa was the time for feasting, especially on pancakes. The name of the festival had its roots in “maslo.”

“That’s Russian word for butter,” Napoleon interjected.

“Correct.”

“There was usually a traditional "storming" of a snow fort and

group fist fights were undertaken during the week, commemorating  our military history when soldiers fought each other in hand-to-hand combat, but this fist fighting was supposed to be just in good fun.”

“Never hit a man when he is down,”  a Russian proverb, having  its roots in Maslenitsa. Violations of this rule were supposed to be punished severely, but, as always, rules were  made to be broken. Once in Moskva  during the mid-17th century more than 200 men were killed as a result of these mock battles.”

“Originally, the festivities were held honoring the pagan deity Veles, who was the patron of cattle and farming. People associated him with a bear, therefore, the bear was a sacred animal possessing magical healing power. Some even thought of a bear to be a creature stronger than the Devil himself. Dancing like a bear around the house was supposed to protect it from burning down. Such behavior was considered sinful and therefore condemned by the Church. It tried to uproot the tradition and the festival.”

“Performing bears and their trainers were once frequent sights in Moskva because of the festival_ both man and beast would be served large quantities of vodka. This ended in a wrestling match between tamer and bear, with the bear often gaining the upper hand.”

“Bonfires would lit and a straw personification of the Lady of Maslenitsa, was  burned in a bonfire. Leftover pancakes and blintzes are tossed in as well, and when the fire had burned away and Lady Maslenitsa was reduced to ashes, they were either buried in the snow or scattered across the fields to fertilize the future crops. In the pre-Christian era instead of the effigy a real person was burnt, and torn into parts and scattered in the fields to assure rich crops, but starting from the 17th century, that tradition was banned.”

Napoleon cringed at that, “Peachy.”

“After that a woman from the community was chosen to dress as the Lady and was said that she should be cheerfully thrown in a snowbank in order to complete the welcome of spring. There were many other activities such as Troika sleigh rides, theater, puppets, singing, and fireworks, all part of the celebrations. Children dressed in costumes for the occasion walk around from house to house, singing, “Ankes-pankes,_bake the pancakes,” begging treats to enjoy at their festive parties, not unlike your Halloween. So you must have gotten the idea from Russian traditions.”

“Illya, Halloween has its origins in Ireland, not Russia. People dressed up to disguise themselves to hide from the spirits of their dead on All Hallows Eve, so they wouldn’t follow them home and haunt them.  That’s the tradition that was brought here...”

“Oh.” Illya barely acknowledged it,  continuing on much to his partner’s amazement, without missing a beat.

Napoleon smiled, enjoying Illya’s enthusiasm, as it was rare the man spoke of his home back in the Soviet Union. There were times he suspected that he’d experienced a life of extreme deprivation, given his partner had been orphaned during the war. Those were surely hard times, so hearing of this pre-Lenten festival made him feel that at least Illya surely had this to enjoy, even though he was a self-proclaimed atheist.

“Maslenitsa was simply an excuse to go out and have a good time, eat until you burst, and do something you would not do any other time of the year before you had to give up the good things in life. Once Lent itself began, a strictly kept fast excluded meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs. Parties, music, dancing and other distractions from the spiritual life were also strictly prohibited. So I suppose it was very much like your Mardis Gras, except for that.” He pointed at a nearly nude woman cavorting on a passing float.

Her behavior was even too much for the local constabulary, who climbed up, hauling her off wrapped a blanket as she drunkenly protested.

Ignoring the incident, Illya continued his oratory.

”Though Maslenitsa was banned by the government, the food shortages and ensuing famines, especially in the Ukraine helped eliminate it for the most part. These traditions simply vanished as they were officially done away with five years after the creation of the U.S.S.R in 1917, so I myself never experienced any of it. I gave up any such religious-based traditions and beliefs when I was eight,” Illya said with a blaisé attitude.

“The government did the Orthodox church a favor by banning the festival, but then the church found itself banned as well.”

“You know your history don’t you? Sounds like it would have been your kind of holiday, lots of food, vodka, fights and dancing bears,” Napoleon tried to smile, as he was disappointed that Illya had never been a part of the celebrations.

He could only presume the Soviet State had erased what religious upbringing his partner had as a child, but wondered if there was something more, an incident perhaps, that had that turned him to not believing in God.

It was no wonder Illya seemed so disdainful at all the over indulgence he was witnessing.

They stood together watching the parade with its marchers wearing masks, dressed in outrageous and sometime scantily clad costumes.

Ornate floats drawn by tractors, cars and trucks with barely clothed women tossed trinkets, colorful strands of beads and commemorative doubloons coins to the people below. Marching bands passed, as well as raucous groups of musicians playing Dixieland jazz.

That at least intrigued the Russian, but he did tilted his head, with one eyebrow raised  he continued watching the jiggling, half naked women go by on a few of the floats.

“Such scandalous depravity,” he mumbled under his breath.

Napoleon could only chuckle at his partner’s reaction.