The Christmas season has officially begun in Tallinn with the placing of the Christmas tree on Town Hall Square last Friday. Sadly many of us won't be able to visit Tallinn this Christmas due to the coronavirus pandemic but at least we can be kept up-to-date online. This year, due to the pandemic, the Tallinn Christmas market will be configured a bit differently, more spread out throughout the Old Town.
Estonia was the first country in the world to have a public Christmas tree. It's a tradition that dates back to 1441 when the Brotherhood of Black Heads put a Christmas tree up on Tallinn Town Hall Square. An official document found in the city archives dated 1441 reveals that the city council paid for musicians to play music by the tree on 25th December. Now the tradition of having a public Christmas tree in city centres can be seen all over the world!
