Easter
Easter, 31 March 2024
Programme: from 11.00 to 16.00
The buildings on the premises are open from 10.00 to 17.00
In late March, you can already feel the winds of spring and hear birds sing. Meanwhile, the Estonian Open Air Museum on the coast of Kopli Bay welcomes you to its Easter Village! It’s a good idea to take home-dyed eggs with you, but you can dye some here as well. Farm hostesses are nearly done with preparations for Easter, and Kolu inn is ready for the festivities. There are games and swinging outdoors, and traditional ways to celebrate Easter can be explored on the farms.
Sepa farm, Kuie school and Härjapea farm yard are the grounds for the egg hunt. If you find the dyed eggs, the farm wife will give you a sweet treat.
Sepa farm – Easter games
Young people would generally have more time to spend outdoors together in the period from Easter to Midsummer. In the yard of Sepa farm, you can play different Easter games of old times and compete in various skills. Still, it even more important to have fun than to win!
Kuie school – crafts and pearls of Easter wisdom
No matter what grade you’re in, the teacher will explain the meaning of Easter to everyone at 11:30, 12:30, 13:30, and 14:30. Those who prefer hands-on experiences can try some crafts or egg tapping. There will also be a beauty pageant of the dyed eggs our guests bring with them. The most beautiful egg will be announced at 15:00, and after that, egg cracking will take place.
Spring and chirping birds are inseparable. Birdsong makes us happier, and eggs from bird nests made people’s food options more versatile in the spring.
We welcome you to take part in bird-watching tours that start near Kuie school at 12:00 and 14:00. The tours will be guided by Tiit Vohta from the Tallinn Bird Club.
Härjapea farm – curd cheese and setting the table
Paskha is ready on Härjapea farm, and curd cheese biscuits are baking in the oven. The farm wife will gladly share her favourite recipes of Easter foods. The festive table is set in the main room, and it is a perfect illustration of how one was supposed to set the table properly a hundred years ago.
Sutlepa chapel – the service
Easter is the most important Christian holy day because it celebrates the miracle of a human becoming divine. One of its names, Resurrection Sunday, is a direct reference to the resurrection of Jesus. On this day, people go to church, get together with friends and acquaintances, and celebrate the spring.
Kolu inn – Easter eggs and a nice meal
If your stomach is rumbling with hunger, Kolu inn is the place for a delicious meal. The Piibarid will perform a real instrumental piece from 12:00 to 12:20 and from 13:00 to 13:20.
You can see a display of paskha moulds from the collections of Estonian museums.
In front of the inn, there is a large cauldron for boiling eggs. You can use onion peel to dye your eggs and boil them there.
Lau village shop – colouring and sending Easter postcards
The tradition of Easter postcards came to Estonia from Europe more than a hundred years ago. They featured the images of rabbits, eggs, baby chicks and willow catkins. Joyful coloured photographic postcards were popular, but the ones for Easter could be handmade. Nice postcards and stamps were usually sold at the village store. You, too, can send best Easter wishes from Lau village shop.
Kolkhoz apartment building – curd cheese patties and garden on the windowsill
Although Easter could not be officially celebrated during the Soviet times, nobody would forbid you to make curd cheese patties. It was not easy to get cut flowers for important celebrations, so all kinds of magic tricks were supposed to help them stay fresh longer. Seeds have to be sorted before the gardening season, and house plants need to be replanted in new pots. Come by to see if you can pick up any useful tips!
Village swings fly high
One of traditional names for Easter in the Estonian language comes from ‘swings’. Youngsters started mingling at Easter, and their pastimes included swinging. How high the swings flew also meant how bountiful the harvest would be, how tall flax would grow, and how much good luck in general could be expected. You, too, can try and fly the museum swing for good luck.
Barn-shed building on Kolga farm – animals in the shed and making ribbons
Rabbits and birds in the barn-shed on Kolga farm get special attention at Easter. You can ask the farm wife how to care for rabbits at home, what they eat and how they bring eggs to kids at Easter. The tours take place at 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, and 15:00. The group size is 20 people.
The exhibition ‘Every little step counts’ is where you can try weaving colourful ribbons using strips of fabric. Such ribbons were taken to the young men building or pushing the swing, who would tie them on the swing, and you can do so as well.
Russian house from Peipus
Old Believers will still be observing the Great Lent, celebrating Easter
a whole month later. Still, farm animals need to be fed and cared for every day, whether it’s the most important religious festival or fast of the year. The farm wife can tell visitors about the farm goats and rabbits.
Seto farm
Setos will also be observing the Great Lent. The farm wife will tell you about the traditions important during this period, and she has made healthy and delicious black radish salad, one of the appropriate Lent dishes.
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