Hungarian-Estonian Shrove Tuesday 2025

We invite again all fans of folk traditions to celebrate the joint Hungarian-Estonian Shrove Tuesday. This time we will again celebrate it in two places: we'll start on Saturday, February 15 at 3.30 p.m. at the Old Town ice rink (on Harju street), where, according to the Estonian Shrove Tuesday customs, we'll slide and skate and try to secure a harvest of flax with long straws in the summer with the longest slides possible! This time according to the weather on flat land :-)

By 4:30 p.m., we will move on to the Liszt Institute - Hungarian Cultural Centre, where we will first of all eat traditional Estonian and Hungarian Shrove Tuesday dish - the pea soup. After that we will prepare traditional Hungarian (busho) masks and do some other handcraft.

In the framework of the Year of the Estonian Book we will also draw illustrations for our favourite Hungarian children's book and make an exhibition of them.

When we have had enough seating at the table, we will get up and move to the hall, where we will have a fun masquerade and play a variety of Hungarian games together! They will be taught and led by volunteer Krisztián Csató.

If possible, bring your skates and a costume as is typical for Hungarian Shrove Tuesday!  Bring comfortable shoes for dancing.

NB! You can also draw an illustration of your favourite Hungarian book at home beforehand and bring it to the exhibition. There will be small prizes for all the illustrators, mask makers and everybody in a costume :-)

If you need some ideas for illustrations, the Institute's library has a nice selection of Hungarian children's literature in Estonian and Hungarian, which can be borrowed on weekdays from 10-16 or by appointment (tel. 6440817).

We offer some traditional Shrove Tuesday pea soup, but also your own participation is appreciated.

We ask you to register for the event via the link on the right side of the page (latest on Feb 12), where you can also check the prices of the skating rink.

We are happy to see also adult hands and feet to assist the small ones, if needed :-)