Shrove Tuesday

21 February 2023

Activities on the farms from 14.00 to 17.00
Corporate programmes from 13.30 to 17.40

Sledging slope (provided there is snow) and Kolu inn are open from 11.00 to 19.00
Ticket office and museum shop 10.00-18.00


Sassi-Jaani farm yard – Shrove Tuesday games
Farm folk would put aside pig trotter bones during the feast on this day and later take these to the pigsty or out to the field or grazing land. This was supposed to draw good luck to the pigs on the farm, ensuring their good health and safety in the summer. In Western Estonia, they would make a ball of rags and straw, which symbolised all kinds of bad things, and banish it from the land, chasing it away with sticks.

Over time, these traditions transformed into fun games of rag ball chasing and “chasing pigs to the field”, which the folks on Sassi-Jaani farm will gladly show to anyone who wants to know. Another old pastime you can try there is skiing on wooden skis.

Köstriaseme farm – flax to linen
In olden days, Estonians believed your flax plants would grow long if you managed a good long sledge ride downhill on Shrove Tuesday. The longer the plant, the nicer fibers it would yield, the thinner thread could be spun from it, and the higher the quality of resulting linen fabric. Linen would be sold at a high price, making the family more prosperous.

The hostess of the farm will show you the nine stages of flax processing, and her son will be teaching visitors to make linen rope.

Härjapea farm – beauty tips
Shrove Tuesday was also considered to be the ‘women’s day’, so the girls of Härjapea farm will be sharing the most popular beauty tips dating back to 1930s.

Kuie school – bone spinners
When spinners made of pig trotter bones spin, they make a distinct buzzing sound, which was believed to scare away evil spirits. Feel free to join the workshop in the school building and make a spinner to protect you from evil!

Kolkhoz apartment building – semla rolls ‘vastlakukkel’
In the 2019 apartment of the Kolkhoz dwelling, the owner will be baking ‘vastlakukkel’ rolls, a traditional Shrove Tuesday dessert, which has been a favourite for a century.

Windmills hill
If the weather allows, there will be slopes for sledging and an ice merry-go-round at the windmills.