Christmas and New Year
Five generations ago, there was no prayer house in Kastre-Peravalla, and the Christmas Eve sermon was held in the threshing room of Mäha farm, which was also the living room. Straw was brought to the floor, food for the oxen was put in a trough, and the oxen, who came home from the forest wet from hauling wood, were also placed in the living room to eat. The people gathered for a prayer meeting, sitting down on the straw floor to listen, and the sermon was delivered by Mäha Jakob, who had held the position of schoolmaster for 40 years, teaching children in the threshing room of his farm and preaching on Sundays and during the holidays.
So it also happened that people prayed on Christmas Eve in the room where the oxen fed themselves from the trough, because they had no warm place elsewhere.
Viis inimpõlve tagasi ei olnud Kastre-Peravallas veel palvemaja ning jõululaupäev peeti jutlust Mäha talu rehetarõn1, mis ka ühtlasi oli elutuba. Toodi õled põrandale, ka pandi härgade toit moldi, asetadi härjad, kes metsast puuveolt märjad koju tulid, ka elutuppa sööma. Rahvas kogus jõulu õhtul palve tunnile, istus õlgede pääle põrandale kuulama ja jutlust ütles Mäha Jakob, kes 40 aastat koolmeistri ametit pidas, oma talu rehetares õpetades lapsi ja pühade ajal, samuti pühapäevadel jutlust pidades.
Nii on siis ka ette tulnud, et rahvas jõululaupäeva õhta palvetas tuas, kus veohärjad molli pääl ennast toitsid, et neil mujal sooja ruumi ei olnud.
1 rehetares