TRADITIONS IN ESTONIA

1. TRADITIONS IN ESTONIA CIRCLE OF LIFE

2. NAMING THE CHILD VARRUD Accoring to the old tradition, it is mother who names the child, invites guests – usually close relatives and friends. Guests have to bring some food but not the whole bread – one piece needs to be already cut from it. After naming the child, she/he has to pass through everybody’s hands, everyone gives something or makes a wish and after that the feast starts. People sing and dance and the more they do that the better for the child’s future. After the celebration, mother cleans the whole house.

3. NOWADAYS… We call it KATSIKUL KÄIMINE – it usually happens when the child is one month old. Parents invite their relatives and friends who usually bring gifts for the baby. A warm and soft baby blanket is the most common one, followed by practical things to take care of the baby. Parents have to register their child during the first month after birth in statistics office. They can choose a name of their own choice but they cannot use certain names and the name cannot be unsuitable or contain any non-alphabetical signs. It can consist of three separate names in total, needs to comply with Estonian and has to correspond to the child’s gender.

4. Religious traditions Quite similar to the rest of the world is the tradition of BAPTISINGor CHRISTENING RISTIMINE Only truly religious people follow the tradition. Estonians usually go to Lutheran church and the process of baptising follows the lutheran procedure. The number of baptised children is very small and we actually cannot call it a tradition. Estonians were never really religious people, they had their own religion called MAAUSK

5. Lutheran church Russian Orthodox Russian Old Believers

6. ENGAGEMENT or KIHLUS Purely optional for non-religious people. Religious couples have their own traditional ways which depend on their religion. As non-religious nation we don’t have any traditions left in use connected to engagement Engagement rings of old believers

7. KOSJAD Tradition, known to the rest of the world as a proposal, is called KOSJASKÄIK in Estonian. If the parents thought their son to be ready to bring home a wife, they found a suitable candidate and sent their boy to ask for the girl’s hand. It was customed to bring vodka – called KOSJAVIINAD – and if the girl’s family agreed with the proposal, the future groom was sent back home with an empty bottle… We don’t do that anymore.

8. WEDDING- PULMAD Wedding traditions keep changing.50 years ago it used to be almost the most important event in a person’s life, nowadays it is usually just a ceremony in a local authorities office followed either a big wedding party in a picturesque place or small party for the closest friends. Estonian wedding traditions are very varied and have a local flavour, it would take the whole book and an endless presentation to introduce them all. Some old ways are still in use among those who value their ancestors’ traditions. In old times bride and groom usually wore national costumes or some special clothes made for the wedding, nowadays it is just a white dress just like in most of countries.

9. They way of getting dressed for the wedding in old times

10. Some old traditions still in use The bride gives away her headdress and becomes an actual wife – PRUUDPÄRJA MAHAMÄNGIMINE Pruudikimp – bride’s bouquet – is made of real flowers, usually white

11. The most important person in the wedding is still the best man who has been called ISAMEES MÕÕGAISA, SAAJAVANEM, RAUDKÄSI, depending on the region. His duty was to organize the wedding and follow all the traditional procedures. In old times it was customed that the best man carried a sword – MÕÕGAISA means father of the sword.

12. Dowry was very important to Estonians in old times – the bride herself made the most of it and during the wedding ISAMEES (the best man) showed to the groom’s family what their new family member brought with her

13. SOME WEIRD TRADITIONS • It is common for the wedding procession to encounter roadblocks on the way to the ceremony. The couple must bribe the culprit with a bottle of strong spirit before they can proceed on their way. • If the bride is kidnapped at the wedding, the groom has to try and save her and is given various tests by the kidnappers. He has to take a stone with him to give to the kidnappers once he has saved her. • If a guest accidentally steps in a cow pat at the wedding, he or she will automatically be invited to the christening of the couple's first child. • Often in an Estonian wedding guests are given roles by the Best Man (Isamees). These are just for fun, and range from Flower Girl and Bride Security to 'The Stamp' and the Dancer. • During random intervals of an Estonian wedding, you may hear the words 'kibekibe'. This translates to 'bitter bitter', and refers to the drink getting too bitter. The Bride and Groom then must kiss, in order to make the drink sweet once more.

14. FUNERAL – MATUSED The body of the deceased is placed for ‘calling’ either at home, at church or nowadays at funeral service’s parlour. People bring flowers, say farewell wishes and sing funeral songs. Ceremony is called ÄRASAATMINE – sending away

16. In old times people were always buried in coffins, nowadays they can also be cremated. Estonian traditions include wearing black or dark clothes, carrying the casket and throwing three handfuls of dirt into the grave. The wake – PEIED – takes place after the funeral and only closest friends and relatives are invited. The place of the grave is usually marked with a headstone or simple cross.

18. some useful links: http://estonia.eu/ http://www.estonica.org/en/ This presentation has been compiled in the framework of Comenius Multilateral School Partnership project Let’s First Understand our National Heritage in order to Define and Build our European Identity by Lohusuu School in Estonia November 2013