In Estonia, as in other Baltic nations, Christmas is associated with the winter solstice, which was celebrated before the Christian aspect of the holiday prevailed. While Advent is observed, Estonians actually start the Christmas holidays on December 23 and celebrate until Christmas Day. If you are in Tallinn during the month of December, you can celebrate with Estonians at the Tallinn Christmas Market, where even Santa likes to hang out regularly.
Pagan associations
Estonians really feel their pagan heritage during the Christmas season, with the winter solstice festivals a reminder of why December was chosen to celebrate the birth of Christ. The winter solstice, as the shortest day of the year, is called Jõulud in Estonia. The word is also used for “Christmas.” The first day of the solstice, known as St. Thomas’s Day (December 21), traditionally marked a period of rest after lengthy preparation that included brewing, slaughtering animals, and preparing food. After St.
Thomas Day, activities were limited so as not to scare away the beneficent spirits associated with the solstice. An effigy was also made on this day to pass from house to house to ensure energy and luck for the next few months.
In fact, superstitions and fortune telling surround this holiday, with certain factors predicting good harvests or weather conditions for the following year. The demons could use the brooms to spread mischief, so it was important to keep them clean. Jouluvana, the Estonian Santa Claus, is an elderly gentleman responsible for bringing gifts to good children during this time. Pakapikk is another “Christmas elf” character who has the same purpose, to distribute gifts, in Estonian tradition.
Estonian Christmas Heritage
It has been a centuries-long tradition for the Estonian leader to declare Christmas peace on Christmas Eve.
Other long-standing Estonian Christmas traditions focus on food, which is left on the table for visiting spirits. Blood sausage, sauerkraut, and other foods are traditional for Estonian Christmas, and beer is also drunk as part of the Christmas festivities. For dessert, gingerbread is a popular dish, often prepared collectively by the family.
Some ancient traditions are observed symbolically or not today. For example, covering the floors with straw or hay, a practice that used to be part of the Estonian holiday celebration is not practical for people living in city apartments with modern flats. Furthermore, Christmas “wreaths” are part of Estonian Christmas decorations. These are made of straw, but the practice almost died out with the waning celebration of Christmas during the Soviet era. However, recent decades have seen a resurgence of Christmas customs in Estonia, just as new ones are being established and borrowed from other cultures and world culture.
