One of the biggest Seto events is the annual Kingdom Day (Kuningriigipäev). On this special day Setomaa declares independence and chooses a new king amongst Setos (well, king’s substitute to be precise – the actual king Peko is still very much alive and sleeping in Pechory’s monastery caves).
Wait what? Declares independence? Chooses a new king? Is this yet another separatist movement rising its head in the European Union?
Nope. This Kingdom Day, independence and king-stuff isn’t some separatist-nationalist declaration of war, but merely a ceremonial reminder that Setos exist and celebrate their traditions and roots.
Over the years the Kingdom Day has transformed itself from a small venue to a huge event with booths and hanza, handicraft and beer. This year a whopping 5000 people were inside the Kingdom area (on a relatively small grass field). Not only Setos, obviously, but tourists too. All nibbling the same handicraft from booth to booth, all queuing to Seto Bank to buy the ”official” currency of the kingdom.
All kinds of booths and hullabaloo seemed pretty suitable for this Kingdom Day event. More suitable than to the mass church event we visited the day before in Saatse.
I’m going to steer away from the subject in hand and tell you a bit more about this event.
You see, in Seto tradition visiting graves with a picnic basket is not unusual. Families gather around and sit around the family grave, eat, socialise and drink, and remember the deceased. There’s nothing abnormal in this event – but combining holy and sacred with hullabaloo on the other hand is.
Päätnitsapäev is an annual big church event. Priests and other dudes roam around blessing people, people gather around the graves and spend the day with their loved ones. A nice, peaceful and holy event, one could say.
One could. But one shouldn’t.
We were quite stunned to see a Hello Kitty -balloon waving to us right next to the cemetery gates. Every kind of commercial merchandise surrounded the whole event. Some people were drunk as hell. Even we saw the contrast to be quite disturbing, even though we’re just mega-pagans from Finland.
Anyhow. Back to the subject and to those booths in Obinitsa, which were in a more suitable environment, so to say.
The king is chosen every year by a democratic way: by voting. The two candidates stood on the stage and gave speeches to the public on how they would be the best king for Setomaa. After the brief speeches the audience forms a queue in front of the person they want to vote.
I went too. And my candidate won by a landslide. YES!
Even though the tradition of the Kingdom Day (and choosing the king) is quite young (established in 1994), the ceremony of choosing the king is no small matter. The King holds a huge symbolic role and represents Setomaa for the next year, and is well established in whole Estonia.
Hooray for the new king (queen), Jane Vabarna! We left Setomaa to good and caring hands.
– Jonne
