CIRCLE OF LIFE

TRADITIONS IN ESTONIA

VARRUD Accoring to the old tradition, it is mother who names the child, invites guests – usually close

relatives and friends. Guests have to bring some food but not the whole bread – one piece needs to be already cut from it. After naming the child, she/he has to pass through everybody’s hands, everyone gives something or makes a wish and

after that the feast starts. People sing and dance and the more they do that the better for the

child’s future. After the celebration, mother cleans the whole

house.

NAMING THE CHILD

NOWADAYS… We call it KATSIKUL KÄIMINE – it usually

happens when the child is one month old. Parents invite their relatives and friends who usually bring gifts for the baby. A warm and soft baby blanket is the most common one, followed by practical things to take care of

the baby. Parents have to register their child during the first month after birth in statistics office. They

can choose a name of their own choice but they cannot use certain names and the name

cannot be unsuitable or contain any non-alphabetical signs. It can consist of three

separate names in total, needs to comply with Estonian and has to correspond to the child’s

gender.

Religious traditionsQuite similar to the rest of the world is the tradition

of BAPTISING or CHRISTENING RISTIMINE

Only truly religious people follow the tradition. Estonians usually go to Lutheran church and the process of baptising follows the lutheran

procedure. The number of baptised children is very small and we actually cannot call it a

tradition. Estonians were never really religious people, they had their own religion called

MAAUSK

Lutheran church Russian

Orthodox

Russian Old Believers

ENGAGEMENT or KIHLUSPurely optional for non-religious people. Religious

couples have their own traditional ways which depend on their religion.

Engagement rings of old believers

As non-religious nation we don’t have any traditions left in use connected to

engagement

KOSJADTradition, known to the rest of the world as a proposal,

is called KOSJASKÄIK in Estonian. If the parents thought their son to be

ready to bring home a wife, they found a suitable

candidate and sent their boy to ask for the girl’s

hand. It was customed to bring vodka – called

KOSJAVIINAD – and if the girl’s family agreed with the proposal, the future groom was sent back home with an empty bottle… We don’t do

that anymore.

WEDDING - PULMADWedding traditions keep changing.50 years ago it used

to be almost the most important event in a person’s life, nowadays it is usually just a ceremony in a local

authorities office followed either a big wedding party in a picturesque place or small party for the closest friends. Estonian wedding traditions are very varied and have a

local flavour, it would take the whole book and an endless presentation to introduce them all. Some old

ways are still in use among those who value their ancestors’ traditions. In old times bride and groom

usually wore national costumes or some special clothes made for the wedding, nowadays it is just a white dress

just like in most of countries.

They way of getting dressed for the wedding in old times

Some old traditions still in use

The bride gives away her headdress and becomes an actual wife – PRUUDPÄRJA

MAHAMÄNGIMINE

Pruudikimp – bride’s bouquet – is made of real flowers,

usually white

The most important person in the wedding is still the best man

who has been called ISAMEES MÕÕGAISA, SAAJAVANEM,

RAUDKÄSI, depending on the region. His duty was to organize the wedding and follow all the traditional procedures. In old

times it was customed that the best man carried a sword –

MÕÕGAISA means father of the sword.

Dowry was very important to Estonians in old times – the bride herself made the most of it and during the wedding ISAMEES (the best man) showed to the groom’s family what their new family member brought with her

SOME WEIRD TRADITIONS♥ It is common for the wedding procession to encounter

roadblocks on the way to the ceremony. The couple must bribe the culprit with a bottle of strong spirit before they can proceed on their way.

♥If the bride is kidnapped at the wedding, the groom has to try and save her and is given various tests by the kidnappers. He has to take a stone with him to give to the kidnappers once he has saved her.

♥If a guest accidentally steps in a cow pat at the wedding, he or she will automatically be invited to the christening of the couple's first child.

♥Often in an Estonian wedding guests are given roles by the Best Man (Isamees). These are just for fun, and range from Flower Girl and Bride Security to 'The Stamp' and the Dancer.

♥During random intervals of an Estonian wedding, you may hear the words 'kibe kibe'. This translates to 'bitter bitter', and refers to the drink getting too bitter. The Bride and Groom then must kiss, in order to make the drink sweet once more.

FUNERAL – MATUSED

The body of the deceased is placed for ‘calling’ either at home, at church or nowadays at

funeral service’s parlour. People bring flowers, say farewell wishes and sing funeral songs. Ceremony is called ÄRASAATMINE – sending

away

In old times people were always buried in coffins, nowadays they can also be cremated. Estonian traditions include wearing black or

dark clothes, carrying the casket and throwing three handfuls of dirt into the grave. The wake – PEIED – takes place after the funeral and only closest friends and relatives are invited. The place of the grave is usually marked with a

headstone or simple cross.

This presentation has been compiled in the framework of Comenius Multilateral School

Partnership project Let’s First Understand our National Heritage in order to Define and Build our European Identity by Lohusuu School in Estonia

November 2013

some useful links: http://estonia.eu/

http://www.estonica.org/en/