One thing they don’t tell you about acclimating into a new environment is how you start celebrating your host country’s holidays as your own. How you start to get excited when they’re mentioned, or how you start to look forward to them. I’ve lived in Estonia for nearly seven years now, and I’ve often found myself celebrating Estonian holidays and participating in cultural traditions with my friends.
Vastlapäev is no different. It’s actually probably my favourite Estonian holiday out there. So let me tell you some fun traditions that make me love it!
Sledding
Photo credits: Estonian Open Air Museum (click here)
Ask any Estonian what’s the number one activity to do on vastlapäev and they will undoubtedly answer “Sledding!” without a second’s thought. Now, I have to admit that I haven’t gone sledding recently. However, the idea of having little races with your friends while sliding down a hill is undeniably fun.
Schools even have special physical education lessons dedicated to sledding around this time of year. If you pay attention, you’ll find groups of little kids walking out with their sleds from school and gathering nearby a sloped area. Maybe you’ll even see them compete with each other to see who goes farther.
These little competitions aren’t just kids play though. Sledding competitions are a tradition that goes all the way back to the olden days. Back then, farmers would compete with each other to see who would reach the farthest point with their sled. This was because they believed that the farther a person slid down the snowy hill, the longer their flax would grow the next summer.
Vastlakuklid (Lenten Buns)
Vastlakuklid are little bread buns that have been hollowed out and filled with delicious filling inside. But one thing that makes a vastlakukkel a vastlakukkel, is the whipped cream. No matter what other flavours you want to add, the whipped cream is central. And there’s just something about the combination of the taste of the bread with the whipped cream that fills you up with joy.
Now, these buns are sold in the stores throughout the entire year. But, around vastlapäev is when Cafes and restaurants start getting creative with them. All of a sudden there are a lot more flavours and colours to them that you’re not used to seeing, and I have to say it almost always piques my interest.
One of the many Vastlakuklid offers that I’ve seen walking around Tartu this past week.
Traditionally though, vastlakuklid are a homemade dessert that’s eaten while the bread is still warm. Historically, they were even called heiße Wecken (hot little breads). This can also make for a great activity with friends, where you can see who can make the best tasting vastlakukkel, or the best looking one!
Some Vastlakuklid that my friend made this year.
Vastlavurrid (Spinning Tops)
An interesting contraption, and one I was pleasantly surprised to already be familiar with. I remember the first time my friend told me about vastlavurrid. I was so excited I finally had something in common from my childhood with my peers. Today, they’re mostly seen as a simple handicraft activity for children, something to make and play with for fun. But honestly, they’re just as entertaining for adults (although I may be biased). Made from nothing more than a button and a piece of string, they’re brilliantly simple. You wheel the button until the thread is tightly wound, then pull your hands apart, making it spin with a distinctive buzzing sound.
What you probably didn’t know is that these “toys” were actually used in the past for the buzzing sound they make. Back then, vastlavurrid used to be made from pig bones, making them considerably louder. It was believed that this buzzing sound would ward off evil spirits and so adults would teach their children how to make it as a form of protection. (It also meant they could show off their craftsmanship. Who can say no to that?)
Photo Credits: Henn Soodla, Pärnu Museum (click here)
That was all! Of course there’s much more to vastlapäev than these three things I mentioned. Vastlapäev, like all other holidays is about having fun, sharing moments with friends, and to me, finding connection and a small part of home away from home.
Cover image credits: Maaleht (click here)
All images are the author’s own unless otherwise specified.
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