Known as “Pancake Tuesday” in the UK, Ireland, Australia and Canada, Estonians celebrate Shrove Tuesday or Vastlapäev instead – and eat lots of buns with whipped cream. Like many other traditions, this movable feast is anchored to Easter and rooted in the Christian calendar. The term Shrove Tuesday derives from shrive, meaning to grant absolution […]
Estonians celebrate Shrove Tuesday by eating whipped cream buns Read More »
Along with Christmas, jaaniõhtu (Midsummer Eve – 23 June) and jaanipäev (Midsummer Day, St John’s Day – 24 June) are the most important holidays in the Estonian calendar – people all over the country will gather with their families, or at larger events to celebrate with singing, dancing and lighting the bonfires, as Estonians have done for
Estonian beliefs and rituals continued by jaanipäev Read More »
Estonia may be one of the least religious countries in the world, but when it comes to religious holidays, Estonians usually nod or combine it with one of their own folk traditions. Easter, which commemorates the crucifixion and celebrates the resurrection of Jesus – a Jewish preacher and religious leader who became the central figure
Easter in Estonia – cleaning, predicting the weather and painting eggs Read More »
Christmas time is still the most important holiday celebrated in Estonia. For Estonians, Christmas is a mixture of the traditional, the modern, the secular and the religious. Like in other Nordic countries, Estonia’s celebration of Christmas mostly falls on Christmas Eve; however, Christmas season starts from the first Advent with people buying Advent calendars or
Christmas traditions in Estonia Read More »
In Estonia, the countryside has always meant a lot more than a rural area where some people prefer to live; the countryside determines identities, the national cuisine and family relationships – at least it used to.* The Estonian language – often ranked as one of the most difficult languages in the world – does not
Of potatoes, land and Estonian grandmas Read More »
The Estonian Song Celebration (Laulupidu) is a unique event, which every five years brings together a huge choir of 25,000 people for a weekend in July. More than 100,000 spectators enjoy the concerts and sing along to the most popular songs.* The festivals have become the main anchor of Estonian identity. Twice the song celebrations
Estonian Song Celebration timeline Read More »
Ever wish you could be a fly on the sauna wall? Well, thanks to a new Estonian reality television series, now you can.* Reality television fans and channel surfers, take note. The relatively new Estonian production company, Rumal Productions, is premiering a new series tonight on the BBC. Entitled “Sauna Secrets”, the show exposes the inner workings
Estonian reality television series, Sauna Secrets, premiers on the BBC Read More »
The high-profile former English professional footballer, David “Golden Balls” Beckham, has instantly made igloo-style saunas manufactured by the Estonian company, Iglucraft, more well-known. The former soccer star bought the Estonian-made sauna for his mansion in the Cotswolds area of Oxfordshire, England. “Thank you to @iglucraft. I’m loving it with this cold weather right now,” Beckham
David Beckham buys an Estonian-made sauna to keep warm Read More »
The fifth European Estonian Song and Dance Festival took place in Leicester, the UK, as part of Estonia’s centenary celebrations. By Katrin Puutsa, Reet Järvik, Toomas Ojasoo The festival, taking place from 7-9 September, brought together Estonian choirs, singers and dancers from 14 European countries. The main objectives of the event were to introduce Estonian
100 years of Estonian song and dance showcased in Leicester Read More »
The European Estonian Song and Dance Festival in the English city of Leicester in September will feature performances by choirs and singers from Estonia and the Estonian expat communities from 14 European countries. After the Second World War, tens of thousands of Estonians, who had been forced to flee their country amid the imminent threat
A song and dance festival in the UK to celebrate Estonia’s centennial Read More »
