Explore fun Shrove Tuesday traditions at the Estonian Open Air Museum this Sunday

Text Susanna Poikela
Photo Andrei Chertkov

On Sunday, February 11, the Estonian Open Air Museum will organise a traditional family-orientated Shrovetide event. During the day, you can play traditional games, enter a sledding competition, get beauty tips from the 1930s, and much more.

Shrove Tuesday has been celebrated in Europe for centuries. In Estonia, it has long been a time of getting together, eating, and having fun before Lent.

Shrove Tuesday has also been a day when Estonian people went to the local hill to sled. With a flax sack, skis, or sled in hand, they would see how far they would travel down the slope. The further they went indicating good luck and a prosperous flax harvest. After sledding families gathered to eat boiled pig’s feet and pea soup.

At the Estonian Open Air Museum the whole family has the opportunity to get to know Estonian Shrovetide traditions, eat vastlakukkel buns, and much more. The museum area has houses from different parts of Estonia, including Härjapea farm, Kuie School, Kolu Inn, and Kolga farm, where different events will be taking place.

A more detailed Shrovetide programme of the day is available in English on the website of the Estonian Open Air Museum. 

The museum is open on Sundays from 10 am to 7 pm. A family ticket to the museum costs 25 euros.

To learn more about this and similar topics
Beauty Estonian Open Air Museum Estonian Traditions Shrovetide Shrove Tuesday Tallinn Vastlakukkel