Maslenitsa

March 16, 2024

from 11.00 to 15.00

Winter has nearly outstayed its welcome, and it’s about time we sent this cold season off with a celebration and welcome spring in.

The rituals of Maslenitsa (the Shrove week of Orthodox Christians) are for everyone to make sure that spring arrives at last, and the sunlight starts warming the land. Orthodox Cristians believe that one needs to fry and eat a lot of pancakes during this festive week because they are round and yellow like the sun so that the sun understands it’s time to chase winter away.

The week of Maslenitsa is also the time for eating hearty dairy foods, singing, dancing, playing games and having fun so that you have the strength for the 40-day Lent that is about to start.

Our museum also gives you an opportunity to have a lot of Maslenitsa fun on 16 March. Listen to folk musicians play, drink tea brewed in smoking samovars, play traditional games, tell the fortune by the shape of pancakes, make straw dolls for good luck, and chase away winter by burning down its straw figure.

The meadow between Setu farm and the Russian house from Peipus

Traditional games

Hot pancakes straight from the pan

Skiing on old-school wooden skis

Pancake throwing competition

Tea brewed in samovars

Maslenitsa bonfire

12.00 Setu traditional choir ‘Sõsarõ’

13.00 Slavic ensemble ‘Kvitka’

14.30 Burning the straw doll of winter

Old building on Setu Vanatalo farm

Making pancakes with melted butter in the oven

Telling the fortune by the look of pancakes

New building on Setu Vanatalo farm

Making straw dolls

Barn on Setu farm

Shrove buffet prepared by Kolu inn

Russian house from Peipus

Baking vatrushka pastries

The sponsor of the event is Cultural Endowment of Estonia