Culture in a box

An e-twinning Project

Our flag and arms

Estonian national symbolsEstonian national symbols::

swallow

flag

cornflower

limestone

arms

Estonia

2010 45 200 45 200 kmkm22 1,34 mln people1,34 mln people

capital

TallinnPopulation ~500 000

Greetings in our language

Hello! = tere! Good morning = tere hommikust Good afternoon = tere päevast Good night = head ööd Goodby = head aega How are you? = kuidas käsi käib? Please = palun Thank you = tänan Sorry = vabandust Friend = sõber

A landscape that we love

Estonia is a flat country. Our highest hill is only 318 m from the sea. This is Suur Munamägi (The Big Egg`s Hill). We have many lakes and rivers, forests, islands. We think we have very nice country.

Traditions: song and dance festival

We have song and dance festivals, where sing and dance a lot of people together. These festivals were starting more than hundred years ago.

Traditions: St John`s Day

St John's Eve (Jaaniõhtu) and St John's Day (Jaanipäev) are the most important days in the Estonian calendar, apart from Christmas. The short summer seasons with long days and brief nights hold special significance for the people of Estonia. Jaanipäev is celebrated in the night between 23rd and 24 June, a few days after the summer solstice, when night seems to be non-existent.

Traditions: Christmas

Christmas is a

holiday observed mostly on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus , the central figure of Christianity . We allso celebrate the date of the winter solstice. We decorate our homes and Santa Claus gives the gifts to everyone who sings, dances, reads a poem or do something else.

Traditions: tug – of - war

Historical fighting is tug – of – war (köievedu): one team try to pull or tug the other team with the big rope.

Traditions: Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday (vastlapäev) is a funny winter day: we are sledding. Long sliding meens good flax harvest next summer. We eat bean or split pea soup and special cakes (vastlakukkel).

Traditions: St Martin`s Day and St Chaterine`s Day

St Martin`s Day (Mardipäev) is on the 10th of November and St Chaterine`s Day

(Kadripäev) is on the 25th of November. These days are similar of Halloweens.