Estonia has many wonderful cultural traditions but the one that is the most practiced around the world is the public Christmas tree. The tradition of the public Christmas tree dates back to the year 1441 when the Brotherhood of Black Heads put a Christmas tree up on Tallinn Town Hall Square. The evergreen spruce tree symbolises rebirth and was decorated with small edible items.
It is not known exactly when it became commonplace to place a tree in a home in Estonia. Calendars and newspaper
reports show Estonians have brought spruce trees into their homes since
at least 1845. Christmas trees were also hung from the rafters in farmhouses. Up
until the 1920s, straw was also brought into houses during the festive
period.
It has been a tradition to give Christmas gifts in Estonia since at least 1845 and they were normally placed on the table. In other countries Christmas presents are put under the tree, but tradtionally, in Estonia, a gift
has to be earned. Memoirs from the end of the 19th century reveal people often sang for their presents, or were worried about forgetting
the words to a poem.They had to get it right!
Glass baubles and other decorations were seen on trees during the last
decades of the 19th century. Candles were replaced by lights and tinsel
came into fashion.
Today, Tallinn is not only the location where the Christmas tree tradition began, but it's also home to one of the finest Christmas markets in the world. The Tallinn Christmas Market has been voted the best many times. Merry Christmas everyone! Häid jõule!
