Aizgavēņa or Metea celebration in Colnasat

Burn, daughters, gunguns,
Rotating the room:
Bridges, guys sound,
Matthen drove over Kalniņa
The sun's reins in his hand.
As the short winter days stretched longer, the ancient Latvians believed in the natural force, so they celebrated Aizgaveans or Meters. It was done loud and fun, with dances, songs, games and masks. Even though the winter winter is still trying to show our strength, but the dark time of the year gradually reigns, and the days become longer and warmer.
The Meters are the last holidays of winter. A new year of sunlight starts with the girls.
These spring festivals are known in all Latvian provinces, also in the neighbouring people of Latvia, in many European peoples it is a carnival time, but despite their different names and forms, the festival meaning for all nations is one: winter absence, land waking, spring waiting.
The ancient Latvians went to visit each other in festivals. As a result, Franz Tradog's museum “Colnasate” was also welcomed by his Methday villages. This year it was a huge crowd – from the smallest children of Uļjanov PII “ants” and finally with Sakstagala J. Kco's primary school students, teachers, babies and parents.
Thanks to the members of the folklore “Colnasate” who woke up the spring with children, playing in toys, scandalous and beautiful masks dancing!
When there was a lean in toys and games, the songs and beliefs of the People, laughing and fun, all the bad years of the year had been collected and burned in the fire, all the guests gathered in the crowd sat down at the festive table.
It was only to wish that a sunny spring, a rich summer, a productive autumn and a prosperous next winter!
Ilona stone,
Director of THE Tradog Museum “Colnasate”
Photo: Inta Decree