New Year: Estonia
In winter, when the New Year holidays come, Estonia simply transforms, turning into a real embodiment of the northern winter fairy tale.
Everyone who goes to celebrate New Year and Christmas in Estonia will surely be captivated by the bewitching beautiful nature with its snowy forests, neat European streets and beautiful architecture.
By the winter holidays, the cities of Estonia begin to shine with thousands of colorful lights of festive garlands, colorful Christmas markets unfold on the squares, and various goodies appear on sale in small shops on the streets.
In all the cities of this amazing country during the holidays, the streets become very bright and elegant. Right on the pavements you will see beautiful Christmas trees decorated with New Year’s toys, and in each window burning candles flicker, creating an amazingly bright festive atmosphere.
Before the New Year and Christmas in Estonia, all residents in advance prepare gifts, decorations and treats for the festive table. Each family stocks up just a huge amount of snacks and sweets. Earlier in Estonia, Christmas trees were decorated only with home-made straw toys that the whole family wove before the holidays. But since modern Christmas-tree decorations are now very popular here, the tradition of family preparation of festive decor has remained only in weaving wreaths of needles and making wooden figures.
In Estonia, it is generally accepted that a chimney sweep met on the street is a good fortune, so do not be surprised when you see a lot of clay chimney sweep figures of various sizes – here it is a very popular souvenir for winter holidays.
In Estonia, Santa Claus is called Jiuluvana. He is very similar to the Finnish Joulupukki: he has the same long snow-white beard, a red sheepskin coat trimmed with white fur, and a cone-shaped hat with a white pompom. Estonian Santa’s assistants also have fairy-tale characters – good little gnomes in funny pointed hats.
January 1 is a special day for Estonians, because they believe in the belief that as you meet this day, the whole year will pass, so everyone tries to spend the first day of the new year as bright as possible.
But besides the New Year festivities, there are many other options for celebrating New Year and Christmas in Estonia.
If you enjoy an active winter holiday, you will definitely enjoy the ski resort of Otepää, which bears the proud title of the winter capital of Estonia. In the Käiriku and Tekhvandi ski centers, favorite places for winter sports fans, visitors can enjoy a variety of ski jumps, ski slopes and, of course, equipment rental.
Tallinn’s Nõmme and Pirita districts, which also have ski slopes of varying difficulty, are equally popular with skiers. In addition, every tourist can use the services of professional instructors here.
If you decide to spend your winter holidays in Estonia, be sure that you will definitely not be bored here, because here you will find a variety of entertainments – skiing, snowboarding and sleigh rides, winter hiking, fishing at the ice hole and much more. In addition, many festive performances, exhibitions and fairs will always create for you a magical holiday atmosphere. New Year and Christmas tours to Estonia will surely bring you just a lot of fun!
