Shrove Tuesday (Vastlapäev)

What is Shrove Tuesday?

Shrove Tuesday is a moving holiday, in Estonian traditional calendar it’s the day preceding Ash

Wednesday, the first day of the Lent.

As during Lent amusements, meat and other “rich” food was forbidden, people used Shrove Tuesday

as their last chance to have a proper feast.

The History of Shrove Tuestay As in older days, people today still compete for the

longest slide. In the 19th and 20th century it was supposed to give you great linen. Growing flax was one of the main sources of living in the 19th century Estonia. Nowadays it is just an expression.

The History To keep out bad spirits people used to wear

masks and move from house to house.

Also people... went around the village to trim others sheep to

ruin the flock or to have some luck in the court. took different objects of iron and put them under

the doorstep of the barn to bring good luck for the live stock.

cut their hair to have it long and strong

Food!

Pea soup Vastlakuklid – a bun with whipped cream

Making the spinner

A hole is made in the middle of pork`s shinbone and a string is put through it. By pulling and loosening the string the bone starts to spin. Nowadays bone is sometimes replaced with a large button.

Shrove Tuesday bans

Women’s chores – such as spinning and curling yarn – were forbidden because it was supposed to bring bad luck to sheep.

Lighting a fire was supposed to harm horses and other farm animals.

Telling the future After eating meat each bone was given a name

after the unmarried boys and girls. Then the dog was brought in to pick a bone. The boy or girl whose name was on the bone was supposed to be the next to get married.

Kada ajamine

Kada ajamine means taking a jackstraw from house to house. A figure of a man which was usually stuffed with straws was secretly taken to the neighbour`s doorstep in order to eliminate bad spirits. This custom is considered to be a legacy of pagan culture.

Sacking the Shrove-tide

The Sacking game is playing with the unknown The children are trying to catch a misterous

creature (vastel, luutsi) into the sack. It is usually played in the attic or loft where the searching and chasing is imitated. Finally they shout: “Vastel on käes” which means that the creature is in the sack. After that the child holding the sack is poured over with a bucket full of cold water.

Shrove Tuesday Poetry

Sajab valget pehmet lund,karu magab talveund.Säramas on jõulupuu,praegu - seajalakuul.

Rahvas kokku tulnud siia,et lõbus tuju kaasa viia.

Teed saab juua, kuklit süüa,hõõgvein aitab tuju luua.Kostab mõnus muusika,

põleb kuusejuurikas.Ei täna vorsti grilli keegi,vastlakukkel - asi seegi!

Shrove Tuesday Poetry

Hobune on saani ees,kes see istub saanis sees?See vist meie punapalgnehobu kappab, kergejalgne.Tahab saada hernesuppi,

aga regi läinud uppi.Tuleb minna keetma suppi,et võiks leida jõudu appi,selleks vaja palju pappi.

Liug sai lastud,supp sai söödud,

selleks korraks vastlad möödund.

Conclusion

We hope you have a lovely Shrove Tuesday!

Titles

Edited by Jaanus Kallaste, 9th grade, Kalmetu Basic School

Few Shrove Tuesday songs from Estonia:

http://muusika24.ee/Eesti/item/20710http://muusika24.ee/Eesti/item/15662

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/w/134391http://www.folklore.ee/Berta/muusika/M2-0089--

g.mp3