Photos: Setomaa locals roll eggs together on Orthodox Easter
Among other communities and parts of the country to celebrate Orthodox Easter on Sunday was Southeastern Estonia's Setomaa, where many Seto cultural traditions remain tied to the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar. Traditional festivities included midnight services and cross processions, dyeing eggs and, notably, getting together to roll eggs.
Egg rolling on specially built sand hills called munaloomkad is Seto Easter's most anticipated and also most traditional custom.
In Mikitamäe, the village munaloomka was built on Saturday already; on Sunday, people of all ages came together and competed to see whose dyed Easter eggs rolled best down the sandy tracks.
"First you have to put one egg in, and then in the second round you start rolling," explained Annabel Kõiv. "And then when you hit an egg, then you get your egg and the other egg too."
Locals also took part in a big Easter egg hunt, which was likewise a hit with young and old alike.
Easter is first and foremost, however, an important liturgical holiday for the Setos, marking the end of Lent and once again being allowed to sing, dance and eat everything that was forbidden during the preceding weeks of fasting.
How strictly do people still adhere to these old customs, including fasting, attending church and the cross procession?
"I observed Lent," confirmed local resident kaja Rõžikov. "I don't eat meat or dairy. Eggs, cheese. I don't eat any dairy whatsoever."
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Editor: Merili Nael, Aili Vahtla
