The Integration Foundation, in cooperation with Targa Eesti Instituut OÜ, invites people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds to participate in free training on the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia and the Citizenship Act, which will help them prepare for the exam required to apply for citizenship.   

We welcome adults from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds who have lived in Estonia for more than five years and whose Estonian language skills are at least at A2 level to participate in the training.  

‘Many people who have lived in Estonia for years feel like they are part of society, but the process of applying for citizenship can still seem complicated. Our main goal is to make the journey leading up to applying for citizenship smoother – to provide clear knowledge, support, and confidence in preparing for the exam,’ said Jekaterina Gvozdeva, Head of Civic Education at the Integration Foundation.   

The aim of the training is to provide participants with the knowledge they need to pass the citizenship exam, which is a prerequisite for applying for Estonian citizenship in addition to passing the B1 level exam.  

The training covers the Constitution of the Republic of Estonia, the Citizenship Act, and the areas of life in Estonia regulated by these laws. In addition, participants will gain a better understanding of how the Estonian state functions, as well as the rights and obligations of citizens and the meaning of citizenship.   

The training course consists of 18 academic hours and takes place on two consecutive weekend days between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. There will also be breaks. 

The training courses will take place:  

14– 15 March 2026 – online, registration open in the self-service portal. 

11– 12 April 2026 – Tallinn, registration open in the self-service portal. 

25– 26 April 2026 – Narva, registration open in the self-service portal. 

16– 17 May 2026 – online, registration open in the self-service portal from 16 March 2026. 

22– 23 August 2026 – Tallinn, registration open in the self-service portal from 13 April 2026. 

19– 20 September 2026 – online, registration open in the self-service portal from 18 May 2026. 

3– 4 October 2026 – Tallinn, registration open in the self-service portal from 24 August 2026. 

14– 15 November 2026 – Tallinn, registration open in the self-service portal from 1 August 2026. 

5– 6 December 2026 – online, registration open in the self-service portal from 21 September 2026. 

The training is carried out with the support of the European Union’s 2021–2027 cohesion and internal security policy funds and in the framework of the Minister of Culture’s Order No. 80 of 15 March 2023, project No. 2021-2027.4.07.23-0006, ‘Conditions for granting support for the implementation of activities supporting integration, including adaptation, in Estonian society’.   

Eating sweet buns is a wonderful tradition, but do you know the real history of Shrove Tuesday?

Helena Haller

Head of Communications at the Estonian Open Air Museum

The custom of celebrating Shrove Tuesday is centuries old, but it is still very much alive and has remained largely unchanged.

Shrove Tuesday is a holiday that we celebrate every year. It is a moving holiday, falling on the Tuesday of the new moon seven weeks before Easter and one day before Ash Wednesday. Shrove Tuesday marks the eve of the seven-week fast before Easter, which is celebrated with dancing and frolicking, hearty meals, and outdoor fun.

One thing is certain: Shrove Tuesday cannot be celebrated without sledding. This wonderful tradition is still upheld by both young and old. According to folk wisdom, the longer the slide, the longer your flax stems would grow. But what did that mean?  In the olden days, it was believed that a long slide meant a good flax harvest. The longer the flax plant, the more beautiful the fibre it produced, the finer the yarn that could be spun from it, and the higher the quality of the fabric that could be woven from the yarn. This would allow the family to make better clothes and accumulate wealth from selling the flax. Or, in today’s terms, the longer the slide, the bigger the bank account.

Shrove Tuesday cannot be celebrated without sledding

If you go to the Song Festival Grounds in Tallinn or the slopes of Toomemägi in Tartu on Shrove Tuesday, you will see crowds of people. After all, a long slide on this day holds great significance and importance for the success of one’s work and activities throughout the coming year!

In the second half of the last century, people used to slide down hills on large sleds and even on sleighs, and go sleigh riding with horses. A century earlier, a handful of flax or a linen bag would have sufficed for this purpose, but today, plastic bags, plastic boards, and all kinds of sleds are suitable for sledding.

Shrove Tuesday is also accompanied by the tradition of spinning whirligigs. The whirligigs made from pig’s trotters make a characteristic whistling sound when spun, which was believed to ward off evil spirits. Nowadays, you can also make a whirligig from a button if a pig’s trotter seems too extreme.

In the Estonian Open Air Museum, you can also try a traditional game called kada ajamine

Shrove Tuesday is a women’s holiday, when spinning and weaving is forbidden. Traditionally, women had to go to the tavern and taste a red drink that would give them a clear complexion and rosy cheeks for the whole year. What woman wouldn’t want that? It was believed that combing and cutting hair on Shrove Tuesday would ensure long and thick locks of hair. However, cut hair should not be left scattered around, as this can lead to memory loss!

Over time, ancient Shrovetide customs and beliefs have evolved into fun Shrovetide games, such as kada ajamine and driving pigs into the field – all with the aim of ensuring that the coming year would be a good one and that filth and laziness would not creep in.

The sweetest part of Shrove Tuesday is, of course, eating Shrovetide buns

Pea soup is also a popular Shrovetide dish. Traditionally, people also cooked barley porridge on Shrove Tuesday morning, which was a festive meal for our ancestors. For lunch, pig’s trotters were prepared – as by Shrove Tuesday, only the trotters and tail remained at the bottom of the barrel from the pork reserves that had been put there for Christmas. After Shrove Tuesday, people gave up hearty dishes.

Although the Lutheran tradition does not require fasting, the springtime still meant a more meagre diet for the peasantry. Fresh milk and eggs were only available again at Easter. Our modern-day favourites – light and fluffy Shrovetide buns with whipped cream – were introduced in the 1930s. Before that, Shrovetide treats were made from barley flour.

This year, there will also be a particularly tasty event: the Tallinn Bun Fest. It is a unique winter food festival that combines Estonia’s vibrant Shrove Tuesday traditions with Tallinn’s world-class café culture. The festival takes place across the city and involves most of the cafés and bakeries in Tallinn, which offer delicious Shrove Tuesday buns – both classic and contemporary variations.

Article was published in the Settle in Estonia newsletter, which is designed to support new migrants in their adaptation process and help them feel at home in Estonia more quickly. The newsletter helps make adaptation easier and keeps readers informed about important information needed for everyday life in Estonia. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.