Sunday 4 June 2023

Today we celebrate Estonian National Flag Day!

On this day, 139 years ago, the first Estonian flag was consecrated in Otepää. Estonia’s ‘sinimustvalge’ was made in a kitchen, blessed in secret during Tsarist rule, hidden in a farmhouse chimney during the Soviet occupation, and is now kept securely in the national museum. Few countries still have their first ever created national flag but Estonia does and it's one of the oldest original flags in the world.

Happy 139th birthday to our beloved blue-black-and-white (sinimustvalge) flag! 

Blue is the colour for the clear sky, black for the fertile soil and thick forest, and white for winter snow. Today we decorate our homes with our beautiful national colours. Head Eesti lipu päeva!

Estonian Flag Song - Eesti Lipu Laul

English lyrics:

Let's decorate the houses of Estonia
with the three colours of home,
under which the sons of Estonia
could unite as one.
May their endeavour be united
with brotherly love.
May our cry be heard loud:
Estonia, Estonia, live long!

Blue is the colour of your sky,
my dear homeland, Estonia.
Should you be in danger, trouble,
look up there.
Black is the colour of your soil
that has been toiled in sweat.
Black is the coat that has covered the chest of Estonia
since the old times already.

Blue, black and white,
may you decorate the land of Estonia!
May the grain sprout well here,
may they be fully grown!
May the houses of Estonia
echo of bravery and brotherly love!
From the dust, may the loud cry be heard towards the sky:
Estonia, Estonia, live long!