We are going to get to know one of the sister nations of Estonians, i.e. the Maris, and learn about their history, traditional crafts, food, music, and tales.
Estonian and Maris are people who speak Finno-Ugric languages. Although there are few Maris in Estonia, they know how to preserve their language, mentality, and national characteristics. In 2010 the number of Maris was 547,000, of whom according to the 2021 census 225 people live in Estonia (71 in Tallinn). Estonia has two registered Mari associations – one in Tartu and the other one in Tallinn.
Maris are divided into three groups: Forest Maris, Meadow Maris, and Eastern Maris. They live between the Rivers of Volga and Vetluga on the current territory of Mari El which is in the foothills of the Urals. Maris also live in a very large area on the banks of the branches of the River Volga. Some of the Maris belong in the Russian Orthodox Church; however, most of them have remained true to their native religion where prayers are delivered in holy groves. The Maris have two written languages.
At the Mari party, we will cook together, do crafts, and listen to Mari stories and songs. The event is in Estonian.
- Language level: A2
- Time: 05.11 from 15.00-18.00
- Location: Pärnu Maarja-Magdaleena Gild (Uus 5, Pärnu)
- No of participants: 20
Contact person: Silja Joon
Registration: (27.10 at 12.00) https://iseteenindus.integratsioon.ee/service/view/11837?lang=en
NB! You can register for the events through the Integration Foundation's self-service, which you can enter using an ID card, Mobile-ID or Smart-ID. Please see the user guide: https://integratsioon.ee/iseteenindus
