This centuries-old holiday has traditionally marked the beginning of the Lenten season according to the Christian calendar. It gives hope that winter will soon end, and spring is around the corner. While not everyone celebrates the religious aspect of Shrove Tuesday, sweet, pillowy cream buns can be found in every cafe, and kids and adults alike spend the day sledging — if there's enough snow!
Looking forward to spring
Shrove Tuesday (Vastlapäev in Estonian) is celebrated by many branches of Christians as the last day of feasting and fun before the Lenten period preceding Easter. The holiday falls on a different day each year, seven weeks before Easter, either in February or March. In some countries this day is celebrated as 'Mardi Gras', and in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and Canada the day is aptly called 'Pancake Tuesday', because a rich meal of pancakes is served. In Estonia, as is the case with many holidays, Shrove Tuesday celebrations are oriented around the change of seasons and the agricultural calendar.
Sledging for good luck
One of the central traditions of Shrove Tuesday is sledging. In the old days, when most Estonians were farmers, it was said that the farther you slid down a snowy hill on a linen bag or sleigh, the longer your flax stems should grow the following summer. Friendly competitions were held between neighbours to see who could sledge the farthest.
Further entertainment came from spinning tops ("vurr") made of pigs' hooves. On Shrove Tuesday people played, dined and danced in to the evening. On this day, it was forbidden to spin lamb's wool or light a fire, and advisable to cut and comb your hair.
To learn more about the traditions of the past, make sure to visit Tallinn's Open Air Museum for their special Shrovetide celebrations. There you can learn about what Estonians, Setos, and Old Believers do to celebrate this important holiday.
Cream buns, pea soup, and pig's feet
Traditionally, a pig was slaughtered and served during Christmas, so by late February or early March, all that remained were the legs. Boiled pig's trotters (seajalad) were served along with a pea and bean soup, which is still quite popular nowadays. It was said you should not lick the grease from your hands or face after eating the fatty pig's trotters, for it would protect you from being cut by anything sharp on this day.
Pig's feet aside, the hallmark of Shrove Tuesday is the sweet bun stuffed full with whipped cream called 'vastlakukkel'. Some have a layer of cherry jam under the cream, others also add a layer of marzipan. Some bakeries even add cardamon to the dough! The fluffy baked goods are so popular that cafes and bakeries fill with long queues of people picking up their preordered buns or scrambling to buy some; late-comers may find no buns at all, so better to be early!
