Estonia is a country that’s rich in tradition and folklore. Throughout the year you can find many unique – and in some cases rather peculiar – festivals across the nation. Estonians, like the rest of the Baltic nations, enjoy a good celebration. From bringing in New Years to the ancient Pagan custom of Midsummer, you can expect their national holidays and events to be celebrated with fervour by everyone.
Estonian festivals are not to be missed and, as well as more traditional events, there are many more modern cultural celebrations to attend too.
To inspire your trip to this Baltic nation, here are the most unmissable events to visit in Estonia.
- St John’s Day
St John’s Day is the continuation of an ancient Estonian tradition that can trace its roots back to the Pagan era, long before the arrival of Christianity, and the saint for which the day is now named in the Baltics.
St John’s Day is the celebration of Midsummer, and it’s one of the biggest events on the Estonian calendar. If you can only visit one festival, then make sure you’re in the country on 23rd June, as the entire nation celebrates the longest day of the year in true Estonian fashion.
Locals celebrate with families or at larger public gatherings that carry on into the early hours of the next day, and you can expect lots of music, singing, dancing, drinking and feasting. The real highlight though is the lighting of bonfires and the tradition of jumping over the burning stacks of wood to scare off evil.
- Estonian Dance Festival
The Estonian Dance Festival is an event of significant cultural importance. Because it’s only held every five years, you can expect it to be an event of epic proportions, with tremendous build-up and anticipation leading towards its opening.
The next event is scheduled for July 2019 and is to be held in Tallinn, the capital city. The festival first began in 1934 and is recognised by UNESCO as an event that aims to preserve local traditions. You can expect lots of traditional clothing, outfits and dance routines in front of large local and international crowds.
- Estonian Song Festival
The Estonian Song Festival is held every five years too, at the same time as the Estonian Dance Festival. But the musical side of the event has been held since 1869, making the next incarnation in 2019 its 150th anniversary.
The festival is important enough to have its own Estonian Song Festival Grounds, a dedicated outdoor arena that plays host to the event. The festival is a source of national pride, as not only is it a way to preserve local music but, in the past, it has helped the country to assert its independence. In 1988 for instance, the song festival was used to peacefully protest Soviet rule in the Baltics. The next event will be the biggest ever, and you’ll likely be in attendance with the entirety of the country, too.
- New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve is one of the biggest celebrations anywhere in the world. In Estonia, you are guaranteed to have an unforgettable night, wherever you are in the country. Tallinn is particularly lively, being the capital and home to the largest population in Estonia, and you can expect all kinds of events to be taking place across the city.
You can attend dinners, upmarket shows and balls, or simple parties and gatherings in bars and restaurants. Whatever your style, you’re sure to find an outlet on New Year’s Eve in Estonia, but just be prepared for a long night.
- Estonian Independence Day
Independence is a big deal for Estonians, as the country has long suffered under the rule of foreign powers, having to toil tirelessly to assert their national identity.
While there are several national days and flag days, the biggest event is held on 24 February each year, to mark the nation’s declaration of independence in 1918 from the Russian Empire – despite the fact they went on to be occupied again several times again during the remainder of the 20th century.
It’s a public holiday, and you’ll find parades and speeches held across Estonia, with the biggest occurring in Tallinn.
- Black Nights Film Festival
The Black Nights Film Festival is the premier cinema event in Estonia, running for two weeks every year in November and December. Thousands of people across the capital watch screenings of both local and international films throughout the festival, with the focus, of course, being on productions from across the Baltics and Scandinavia.
As well as the screenings, you can also attend Q & A sessions with directors, actors and producers, with the festival culminating in a glamorous awards ceremony that recognises the best of the work on show each year.
- Hard Rock Camp
Lovers of hard rock music will want to book their tickets to Estonia in July for the biggest event of its kind in the Baltics. This is one of modern Estonia’s best music events, as rock lovers from around the world congregate in the small, rural village of Vana Vigala for an unmissable hard rock festival.
You can expect plenty of Baltic bands to be playing as well as more international acts too, and the two-day festival is a great way to see a different side of the country while you are visiting and to discover some great music.
- Wife Carrying
One of the stranger events you might catch in Estonia is the national tradition of wife carrying. Yes, you did read that correctly.
Estonians consistently win the world championships – which are actually held each year in Finland – because for some reason, the country has mastered the art of this bizarre sport.
Competitors race across obstacle courses, with the classic Estonian Carry – the wife holding on to the husband while upside down, with legs clasped around the neck – becoming the signature move in events across the world, and a true testament to the prowess of Estonians in this event.
To learn more about this intriguing country or to book your holiday to see some of these unmissable Estonian events, contact Baltic Travel Company today.