Folk calendar and calendar customs
Peasant agrarian calendar is seen as the Estonian folk calendar. That was the oral calendar, developed mainly for the needs of a farmer and cattle breeder, framing up people’s work with the rhythm of nature. The Estonian names of the holidays come mainly from the Catholic calendar, but a few can be older, for example, kolletamispäev ’fading day’, Oct 14, or taliharjapäev 'winter peak day', Jan 14. The calendar holidays were annually recurring periods or days, that marked the changing of the time periods, particularly the changing of seasons.
Old folk had a cyclical sense of time, that is typical of people close to nature. The cyclical time is sensed turning like a wheel: everything that has been will come again. The people organised their everyday life according to the time cycles, because it matched the rhythms of nature. Linear time with its succeeding years was not important.
Timekeeping is based on permanent natural rhythms, such as the movement of the Moon and the Sun, but also the movement of the stars.
The time periods are also based on changes in weather, seasons, climate, etc. The equinox and solstice and their surroundings were typically sacred times – calendar holidays. Those periods were suitable for telling fortunes and influencing the future. The main content of the calendar rituals was fertility and protection magic, to ensure a fruitful year, good health and blessing for the household.
The Christian calendar also reflects the cyclical sense of time, as both the birth and rebirth of Jesus Christ symbolise the rhythms of nature, coinciding with the winter solstice (Christmas) and the vernal equinox (Easter).
In the Estonian modern calendar, the ancient pagan, Christian and national-political traditions occur side by side. Many ancient agrarian holidays are still celebrated, but some have been forgotten, and newer Western traditions have been added. In the Estonian folk calendar the winter and summer solstice, i.e. the Christmas and St. John's day, are the biggest holidays. Also St Martin’s Day (Nov 10), All Souls’ Day (Nov 2), and Dead Souls’ time before it, Shrovetide, Easter and some other ancient holidays are still celebrated.
A calendar is a system for counting time, especially days and holidays. The ancient year probably had 12 lunar months of the same length, corresponding to the natural Moon cycle. One lunar month lasts approximately 29.5 days, so the year's length can be 348, 354, or 360 days, correspondingly for the months of 29, 29,5, or 30 days. Many peoples have had this kind of time estimation. However, the length of the solar year is approximately 365 days, and in order to align the lunar and solar calendars, the remaining days were set aside for the New Year celebration. Another option was to add an extra month every few years.
In the Orthodox areas of South Estonia, especially in Setomaa, calendar holidays are celebrated according to the old (or Julian) calendar, which is why they arrive 2 weeks later compared to the regular (Gregorian) calendar. The times of these holidays are indicated in parentheses below, in the list of holidays. Even today, many calendar holidays are related the lunar cycle, which is, why their dates are not added. The calculation of their time is written in the introduction to the holidays.
The wheel of the year
In the ancient year, there were 12 lunar months. with a duration of approximately 29.5 days. In this case, according to the length of the month, the year could be as follows:
12 x 29 = 348 days
12 x 29.5 = 354 days
12 x 30 = 360 days
January – Vahtsõaastakuu – New Year's month
February – Radokuu – Month of Running Wolves
March – Urbõkuu – Catkins' month
April – Mahlakuu – Juice month
May – Lehekuu – Leaf month
June – Piimäkuu – Milk month
July – Hainakuu – Hay month
August – Põimukuu – Harvesting month
September – Süküskuu – Autumn month
October – Mehekuu – Threshing month
November – Märdikuu – Martin month
December – Joulukuu – Christmas month
Christmas time and New Year
Talvine nigulapäev, December 6 (December 19) / St Nicholas' Day
Luutsinapäev, December 13 / Lucia day
Jõulud, December 25.-27. (January 7. –9.) / Christmas
Süütalastepäev, December 28 / Holy Innocents Day
Vana-aasta õhtu, December 31 / New Year's Eve
Uusaasta, January 1 (January 14) / New Year
Kolmekuningapäev, January 6 (January 19) / Epiphany (Three Kings Day)
The heart of the winter and Shrove Tuesday
Tõnisepäev, January 17 (January 30) / St. Antonius Day
Küünlapäev, February 2 (February 15) / Candlemas
Vastlapäev / Shrove Tuesday (~ Fast Day)
Tuhkapäev / Ash Wednesday (Ash Day)
Maaslenits / A week before Lent (Butter Week)
Paabapraasnik / (Women's feast)
Poornapäev / (Poorna day)
Late winter
Ulasepäev, February 11 (February 24) / (Ulase day)
Madisepäev, February 24 / St. Matthias Day
Lisapäev, February 29 (February 13) / Extra day
Käädripäev, March 17 / St. Gertrude's Day
Paastumaarjapäev, March 25 (April 7) / Feast of the Annunciation (Lenten Mary Day)
Easter and the arrival of spring
Urbepäev / Palm Sunday (Catkin Day)
Lihavõttepühad / Easter (Taking Meat Holidays)
Külvinädalad / (Sowing weeks)
Karjalaskepäev, April 1 / (The day of letting cattle out)
Künnipäev, April 14 / (Plowing day)
Jüripäev, April 23 (May 6) / St. George's Day
Volbripäev, May 1 / Walpurgis Night
Nigulapäev, May 9 (May 22) / St. Nicholas Day
Tsirgupäev / (Birds Day)
Suur ristipäev ehk Maa hingamise päev / Ascension (A Big Cross's Day, The Earth's Breathing Day)
Midsummer and St. John's Day
Nelipüha ehk suvistepüha / Pentecost or Whitsunday (Fourholiday or Summer holiday)
Viidipäev, June 15 / St. Vitus Day
Jaanipäev, June 24 (July 7) / St. John's Day, Midsummer
Seitsmemagajapäev, June 27 / (Seven Sleepers Day)
Peetripäev, June 29 (July 12) / St. Peter's Day
Heinamaarjapäev, July 2 / The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Hay Mary Day)
Seitsmevennapäev, July 10 / Seven Brothers Day
Ripe summer
Päätnits / Friday before Ilya Day
Ilja, July 20 (August 2) / St. Ilya's (Prophet Elija's) Day
Jakobipäev, July 25 / St. James' Day
Annepäev, July 26 (August 12) / Feast of St. Anne
Lauritsapäev, August 10 / Feast of St. Lawrence
Rukkimaarjapäev, August 15 (August 28) / Assumption of Mary (Rye Mary Day)
Pärtlipäev, August 24 / Feast of St. Bartholomew
Ussimaarjapäev, September 8 (September 21) / The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Snake Mary Day)
Madisepäev, September 21 / St. Matthias Day
Late autumn, time of dead souls and masked guests
Mihklipäev, September 29 (October 12) / Michaelmas
Pokrov, October 1 (October 14) / The feast of Our Lady of Protection
Simunapäev, October 28 / The feast day of Saints Simon and Jude (Thaddeus)
Hingedeaeg, hingedepäev, November 2 / Time of dead souls, All Souls' Day
Mardipäev, November 10 / Martinmas
Kadripäev, November 25 (December 8) / St. Catherin's Day
Andresepäev, November 30 / St. Andreas Day
References: Hiiemäe 2006
Taive Särg