Well, it has finally happened. Kalev confectionary company in Eesti began producing both Hallowe'en AND mardi- and kadri/päeva (St. Martin's and St. Katherine's Day) kommi/segu, candy mixes this fall. Pictured here are the latter, good for use on 2 täht/päevad (celebratory days) and unisex at that. This makes it somewhat easier to hand out treats to kids on Estonia's two traditional masked holidays of “running” as beggars, well-wishing, singing, dancing and fortune telling on the eve before mardi/päev (9. nov.) as dark, lurking-in-the-shadows boys and on the eve before kadri/päev (25. nov) as snow-white girls. The third similar “feast day” (literally) is the new, scary, masked, with tons more dress-up-variation tradition of Hallowe'en, which has reached all shores thanks to social globalization. Do Estonians know when to open their doors to feverish pounding in the fall? 31. oktoober, 8. november and/or 24. november? The first one is the most unexpected for older folks. And in our apt building in Tallinn, our neighbours of Russian descent seem shocked and surprised on the other two evenings as well. Location, location, location… (Asu/koht, asukoht, asukoht.) I currently find it just as confusing knowing which bins and bags to put out on garbage day in Toronto.
Riina Kindlam
