kolmapäev, november 24, 2004
Kadripäev
November 25, Kadripäev (St. Catherine's Day)
St. Catherine’s day has retained its popularity throughout the centuries and is still widely celebrated in modern-day Estonia. It marks the arrival of winter and is one of the more important and popular autumn days in the Estonian folk calendar. Historical meaning of Kadripäev St. Catherine’s Day commemorates the martyrdom of St. Catherine. St. Catherine was beheaded by Emperor Maximinus Daia in approximately AD 305 in Alexandria. November 25 became the commemoration date in the 10th century, and many churches and particularly nunneries in Europe were dedicated to St. Catherine....
St. Catherine’s day also marks the arrival of winter....
The customs for the Estonian St. Catherine’s day are generally associated with the kadrisants (kadri beggars) or kadris, which give the whole day a unique quality ... dressing up and going from door to door on the eve of the holiday to collect gifts, such as food, cloth and wool, in return for suitable songs and blessings....
St. Catherine’s day has retained its popularity throughout the centuries, including the half-century of Soviet occupation, during which no direct official obstructions to the celebrations were made, probably due to the apolitical nature of the holiday. Thus, St. Catherine’s day is still widely celebrated in modern-day Estonia. It is particularly popular among students and the rural population.
St. Catherine’s day has retained its popularity throughout the centuries and is still widely celebrated in modern-day Estonia. It marks the arrival of winter and is one of the more important and popular autumn days in the Estonian folk calendar. Historical meaning of Kadripäev St. Catherine’s Day commemorates the martyrdom of St. Catherine. St. Catherine was beheaded by Emperor Maximinus Daia in approximately AD 305 in Alexandria. November 25 became the commemoration date in the 10th century, and many churches and particularly nunneries in Europe were dedicated to St. Catherine....
St. Catherine’s day also marks the arrival of winter....
The customs for the Estonian St. Catherine’s day are generally associated with the kadrisants (kadri beggars) or kadris, which give the whole day a unique quality ... dressing up and going from door to door on the eve of the holiday to collect gifts, such as food, cloth and wool, in return for suitable songs and blessings....
St. Catherine’s day has retained its popularity throughout the centuries, including the half-century of Soviet occupation, during which no direct official obstructions to the celebrations were made, probably due to the apolitical nature of the holiday. Thus, St. Catherine’s day is still widely celebrated in modern-day Estonia. It is particularly popular among students and the rural population.
