Several songs were performed twice during the Estonia Song Festival. Juhan Liiv's 'Ta lendab mesipuu poole (he flies to the beehive) was one of them. So many Estonians came back to the homeland to take part in the XXVIII laulupidu. Many people experienced the song festival for the first time, including 80 year old Esta from the United States. Her parents were Estonians who fled the country during WWII and it was her dream to always visit Estonia. This finally eventuated when her son bought her a ticket to Estonia for her birthday. It was Esta's first time visiting her ancestral homeland. The Estonian Song Festival is a beautiful display of Estonian unity and it was wonderful to see so many Estonians come together to celebrate.
