WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., March 27, 2024 – Bright colorful ribbons, joyful outdoor games, golden crepes with condensed milk, hot tea, and burning of a scarecrow — this is all you need to say farewell to winter and welcome spring. Last Thursday exchange students from Russia and members of the SPICES International Club, Olga and Anastasia introduced the campus community to a traditional Russian holiday of Maslenitsa that marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring.
Maslenitsa has its roots in the ancient pagan traditions of Russia and is based on Slavic mythology. Usually, it is celebrated in mid-March, but the date of Maslenitsa changes every year, depending on the date of the celebration of Easter.
One of the central elements of Maslenitsa is the making and eating of blini, which are thin pancakes or crepes. Crepes (called “blini” in Russian) are considered a symbol of the sun due to their round shape and golden color. The students of West Liberty had a chance to try fresh hot crepes the way they are eaten in Russia, with butter, sour cream, berry jam, or condensed milk and hot tea.
At the end of the celebration, the students and the club members burnt a “Maslenitsa doll”, a dressed-up straw scarecrow. It is another important tradition of Maslenitsa which symbolizes the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The brighter the fire, the warmer the summer will be: those who saw the Maslenitsa doll burning on the quad do not doubt that this summer at West Liberty University will be full of dog days.
“The Maslenitsa event truly showcases how international students bring their unique cultures to our campus with so much passion”, says Ishika Agarwal. “As the President of the SPICES International Club, seeing everyone dive into learning about new traditions, fills me with joy. The turnout was fantastic, and I learned a lot about the Russian festival too. It’s moments like these that make being part of our campus community and this club so special.”
To continue culture exploration, WLU is hosting its 14th International Food Festival on March 27 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm in the Ballroom of the Student Union. This year our community will be able to try foods from Guatemala, India, Japan, Macedonia, Malawi, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, and Thailand.
For More Information contact the WLU Rollie Williams International Center at international@westliberty.edu.
West Liberty University is West Virginia’s oldest public university and offers more than 70 undergraduate majors, and 12 graduate programs, both online and on campus. For more information, please visit westliberty.edu.