Learn how to make candles at the Open Air Museum this Sunday

Text Mark Taylor
Photo Andrei Chertkov

This Sunday, February 4, it will be possible to learn different candle-making techniques and get acquainted with the traditions of the Christian festival of Candlemas Day at the Open Air Museum in Tallinn.

Candlemas is a women’s day in the Christian calendar that dates back to 40 days after Christ’s birth when the Virgin Mary visited the temple in Jerusalem to be purified and present her son to god.

In an Estonian context, the day has been one where women would visit one another or go to a local inn while men did the chores at home.

One of the traditions of the day is for women to drink a red drink to ensure rosy cheeks for the year. However, the thing that gives the day its name is the belief that candles cast on this day burn longer and brighter than those made on any other day of the year.

This Sunday, February 4, at the Open Air Museum in Tallinn you will be able to celebrate the day by learning how to make candles from lamb fat, try rolling candles made of beeswax, buy red drinks, and more.

You can learn more about the day’s events by visiting the official Open Air Museum website. 

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