I knew nothing about it, but your question made me curious so I looked it up on the internet. What an interesting holiday! In the US I know of no holiday which celebrates the end of winter, but there is a somewhat similar celebration before the religious season of Lent, which begins on "Ash Wednesday," and which is approximately the same time as Maslyenitsa. It is known as "Mardi Gras," and is especially celebrated in the city of New Orleans. During Lent, religious people are supposed to deprive themselves until the arrival of Easter, so they indulge themselves just prior to Ash Wednesday.

oh :) this holiday celebrates in all the towns, small and big :) there are folk groups in folk clothes, singing folk songs... also people burn the woman of straw that symbolise Winter. there are a lot of competitions. for example, in our town men compete this way: they try in turn to climb a wooden telegraph-pole :) some of them even grease themselves with sweet condensed milk. it's very funny to watch.) Russians loves this holiday very much :) like all the others celebrations ;))