Kadri (Kadri)

Street in Kadrioru park. Probably a diminutive of the honorable Tsarina, Catherine I of Russia, although Estonia used to have (still has?) an old tradition of Kadriks käima (‘Katieing’ or ‘Catterning’): on Nov. 24th, St Catherine’s day (see Katariina), ‘kadrisants’ (mainly young women, but some reports say men too, although they had their similar day on the feast of St Martin’s) dressed up in masks and light-colored women’s clothing go from door to door asking gifts (food, wool, etc.) in exchange for songs and good wishes, although it may be a hotchpotch including references to Queen Catherine of Aragon, reputed to have introduced or saved the lace-making industry. But that’s the schtick with religion: hijack any vaguely recollected story and palm it off to your rubes.