Maslennitsa has its origins in Pagan rituals before Christianity was introduced to Russia , and the celebration has developed over the past several hundred years in order to make it an acceptable practice in today's Russian culture. The intention of this celebration before Russia was Christianized was to usher in Spring, warmer weather, abundant crops, and the fall of Winter. The week before the actual ceremony of Maslennitsa consists of preparing towers of pancakes to be eaten(1993 Sokolov). The pancakes are covered in golden butter, and everyone from the village eats until they're full. In the early life of the ceremony, these pancakes had a very important meaning. They represented the sun, and by worshiping the sun god, the people were hoping to bring springtime, an overflowing harvest, successful marriages, and healthy children (1993 Sokolov). The climax of the celebration is at the very end, when the bright orange effigy of Winter, the snow queen Maslennitsa, is lowered onto the fire to be consumed by the flames, as a signal of passing from one season to the next.

  The introduction of Christianity to Russia in the tenth century could have brought an end to these pagan practices, but old celebrations are not easy to discard. The government has been trying to suppress these pagan celebrations that celebrate the death of winter for over 750 years. Russian ethnologists have even reported that even the most remote villages have given up their “archaic” pagan ways. While most of Russia doesn't practice paganism, the traditions still stand. If you go to Russia during the Lenten period, it would be quite easy to find small villages that still celebrate the death of Winter(1993 Milovsky). I believe that there is a good reason in keeping these traditions alive. Do the people of Russia believe that if they stop having these rituals, that spring will no longer come? Maybe they believe that spring simply won't be as successful as it could be. I believe that there is another important factor that has kept the celebration of Maslennitsa alive. This celebration serves to give the community a sense of communitas (2002 Davies). Just imagine gathering your entire community together to make food for everyone, to feast and drink, and to celebrate common heritage. This sense of communitas is very important for villages. It acts as a way to bring together a population that may have trouble finding ways to relate to each other.