Maslenitsa festivities were held in Naberezhnye Chelny on March 13. Maslenitsa is the Russian celebration of Shrovetide. It originated as the pagan New Year celebration welcoming the arrival of spring, bringing together families, commemorating the dead, and eating pancakes! The carnival atmosphere involved singing, dancing and sleigh rides, rowdy activities such as fistfights, mock battles and jumping through fires, and the burning of a straw effigy. Despite being a pagan festival, Maslenitsa was preserved by the Orthodox Church and became a celebration of the last week before Lent. The Maslenitsa Fair is the best way to experience this joyful holiday and get a taste of Russian culture. The festivities include concerts, folk performances, handicraft markets, the Maslenitsa bonfire, and of course pancakes.