Kihnu Kadripäev
Throughout the ages, the people of Kihnu have kept old traditions, which may seem unbelievable to many today, as they are considered differently in Kihnu. One of these is Kaddar Day, which ensured the good fortune of the herds. This is a day in the national calendar, which is officially 25 November. In Kihnu, Kadri's Day is celebrated on 20 November this year. It is named after the day commemorating St Catherine of Alexandria. St. Catherine's Day was considered a women's holiday, because it was the time when women finished the external autumn work of herding cattle. The Kadrishants were girls dressed in pure white robes, which is believed to symbolise milk (legend has it that when the saint was executed, milk flowed from her body instead of blood) and the virginal purity of Catherine's thoughts. Milk was also associated with livestock and women in childbirth.
How is Kadripäev celebrated in Kihnu?
Kadripäev is traditionally celebrated in Kihnu in each village separately. The most active in the village will find a shelter to hold the party and help organise the celebrations. In recent years, Kadris has been held mostly in cafés (in Kuras and Metsamaa). As a rule, kadri days are held in two villages at the same time. A date is agreed on, whichever is most convenient. The women make the necessary preparations before the party. They prepare the tables and dishes, wash the floors, prepare the meals and heat the rooms. The party is kept alive by the pipers, who play as long as they can. They eat and drink their fill and then start dancing. Afterwards, they put on their kadris clothes, which are not the newest and prettiest, but old ones, and go to another village to make kadris. To the other village they go in cars, in the old days in horses. On the way to the kadri day in the other village, there is dancing, singing and playing. There is also singing behind the door:
"Ui-ui-ui-ui behind the door, kadri-kadri!
Let the cadres come in, cadre cadre cadre!
Kadri has come from far away, Kadri-kadri!
Kadri's nails are freezing, Kadri-kadri!
Kadri's toes are aching, Kadri-kadri!"
Foreign cadres are offered bread, which doesn't look very good and may not be the tastiest. When the cadres from the other village have been visited, they go back to their own place of celebration, where the party goes on for a long time and they wait for the foreign cadres to be served.
Ancient beliefs
While it is thawing on St Katherine's Day, it is cold on St Andrew's Day (30 November).
If winds and storms on Midsummer Day, beautiful weather for Christmas.
If it's freezing cold or snowy on Kadri Day, with snow in the garden, you'll have a good harvest next year.
While there is plenty of frost between Midsummer and Christmas, the weather is fine during the rye harvest in the New Year.
On Kadri's day, the winter boat has to throw a cold stone into the sea and a warm stone into the spring.
On Kadri's Day, autumn turns to winter.
Kadri waters down and melts what makes Andres (St Andrew's Day, 30 November) cold.
The weather on Candlemas (2 February) is likely to be the same as it is on Midsummer Day.
Other ends and customs:
On St. Katherine's Day, you were not allowed to spin, sew, knit, mow sheep or hunt wild animals.
If a strange man comes to the house on Kadri, the sheep bring rams, if a woman, ewes.
You couldn't cook chicken soup on Kadri day, the chickens would eat the cabbages.
Winter events in Kihnu
07.11.2021- Mardilaat
18.11.2021- Overwhelming at the museum
20.11.2021- Kadripäev parties in every village
28.11.2021- 1st Advent workshop at the museum, Advent lights and fair in the harbour.
06.12.2021- Niguliste Day at the Museum
12.12.2021- Advent Concert at the Folk House
31.12.2021- New Year's Eve celebrations and fireworks display
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