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Pancake Eve (Russian: блинный канун) also humorously referred to as Day of Indigestion (обжорний день) is a lesser known Russian tradition celebrated on the day before New Year's Eve. On this day people make space for the coming of the new year by cleaning up the household - in particular the food storage. All food that will not be used in the celebration on the following day will be mixed and used as stuffing in traditional buckwheet pancakes (гречишные блины).
Tradition
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Scolars believe the tradition was developed immediately after Peter the Great signed a decree on December 20th 1699 whereby new year had to be celebrated on January 1st according to the Julian calendar instead of on September 1st as was the tradition in Russia at that time. The decree also transfered Russia from year 7208 to 1700. The decree stated that “Fir tree, pine and juniper branches and trees shall be used to decorate houses and gateways along main streets; salvos shall be fired from small canons and rifles, projectiles launched, and other lights lit as many as possible…” As a sign of joy, it was made obligatory to congratulate each other on the New Year and the start of the new century. In addition, the Tsar commanded that the New Year festivities were to be held for seven days. Arrangements provided for by the decree were embodied accurately, especially since the Tsar personally checked them.[1]
As this new new years celebration fell on days which in Russian Orthodox Christianity is a fast (St. Philip's Fast), the clergy had to invent ways of appearing to celebrate while still upholding their fast. Since it is allowed to eat fish during the St. Philip's Fast Orthodox Christinas created a special dish of pancakes stuffed with fish which allowed them to eat and celebrate as required by the Tzar without breaking the rules of their fast.
Modern times
[edit]In modern times the tradition has lost most of its religious connotations. Today Pancake Eve is mainly used as a celebration, because Pancake Eve often falls on the evening of the last working day before the Russian New Year Holiday Week. On this day, young people will meet with friends at parties, since in Russia the New Year's Eve is more of a family tradition.