From the day of the candles to the girls – in the museum “Colnasate”

Juice, leaf or sow, flower, flame or hay, rye, also dog, laundry, frost or frost and wolf. What are they? These are the ancient names of Latvian months. There is a month or February of candles between the winter and the moonlight. It is not only the last month of the year, but also the last of the winter, and it is barely separated into the calendar.
It is not called a candle, a month starts with a candle day. The cause of the candlelight, like many anniversaries, is to be found in nature. Candlelight is considered the first day of winter and spring. Then these seasons will meet again until the fight is finished and the day will be longer. Candlelight is the middle of the winter, and it has had its own songs, games, customs, beliefs and food. Until today, the traditions of candles have remained little. Among those who are still known can be the prophecy of time and the casting of candles, which was one of the most important works, because it was believed that in the day of candlelight the candles were the most brighter and used in the closest way.
This year, the candles were also covered BY F. Tradog's museum “Colnasate”. His fiction, luck and artistic sparks, also a small failure in his candles, was made BY Sakstagala J. Kco's primary school students. Not only did the candle candle tightly, carefully stirred the melting wax and rub the chalks to get color, but also met the candle-day beliefs and the importance of the candles. As any light, the candles could not be filled with anger, because they believed that such angry candle burned and gave little brightness. That's why the pupils were cheering and laughing, while the whole wax was melted and folded in a variety of shapes!
The short and lightning month of the year in the museum was concluded with Metea or Aizgaret celebrations, which are the last festival of winter time. The celebration of Methday also has his own traditions, beliefs, folk songs and performances. Here in the talks came Sakstagala J. Kco's primary school students and folklore set “Colnasate”. The main nature of the festival is one: the absence of winter, the waking of land and the coming of spring, as a new year of sunlight starts with the girls, when there is definitely a winter resignation. It was done loud and fun, with dances, songs, games and masks. It was these traditions who were happy to demonstrate that, as anyone, but masked, they jumped into toys and games, scraped the People's beliefs, laughed and fun away the last snowflakes of the winter.
I can only wish that the lightest month of the year is a sunny spring, a summer of sacrifices, a productive autumn and a real next winter!
 
Ilona stone,
Director of the F.Tradog Museum “Colnasate”
Photo: Ilona stone, Evita Kubecca