Celebrations of Pancake Week ( Maslenitsa ) on the Red Square in Moscow. Pancake week is a traditional russian holiday. Blini are Russian pancakes, and they are essential to the celebration of Pancake week - Maslenitsa. Said to symbolize the sun—being warm, round, and golden—they are an appropriate warning to the lingering cold weather. Blini are given to friends and family all through the week and are topped with caviar, mushrooms, jam, sour cream, and of course, lots of butter.