The sacred and the silly: Estonia at Christmas

I really enjoy travelling to a place. Trains, planes, automobiles. Sometimes I enjoy it just as much as the place you visit. I think because it's like you're in a space that is outside your normal life. And being a visual person I love seeing the changing panorama especially on the train or bus. I've got better at flying but I still basically feel sick being in the air for longer than an 1 hour. The quality of the airport- the staff, nice cafes to sit in while you're waiting, free wifi, all make a difference if you really don't like flying. It all calms you. Stockholm's Arlanda airport and Tallinn airport in Estonia, which we were recently sitting in again, I'd thoroughly recommend to lounge around in. As long as you're not stuck in them for days because of weather delays. Luckily we weren't.

On the way to the city square. Hiie went through a blizzard to light a candle for her grandmother and father at their graves. It's an Estonian tradition to visit your ancestors on Christmas eve and light a candle in their honour.

Tartu city square. There was an old boat sitting in the middle, the mast decorated with fairy lights. The smell of burning beech hovered in the air.

Tartu university. Founded in 1632. The kids in Estonia have a very demanding curriculum compared to Australia.

This time to Estonia we took the ferry across to Tallinn from Stockholm. It was fantastic. I'd always heard of ferries sinking over the years so I was ever so slightly tense. I imagined this crappy old ferry with an alcoholic sailor asleep at the wheel. And Titanic. Instead it was luxurious like an ocean liner and it was all smooth sailing through the ice. Plus fantastic food. Well if blood sausages are your favourites you would've loved it. You cannot be a vegetarian in Estonia or Sweden really. But Estonia's worse. Meat and more meat. Nobody eats vegetables much except for the ubiquitous cucumber which basically accompanies everything. And tomatoes. And of course the humble potato.

The view walking over the Emajogi bridge in Tartu, Estonia. Kind of a desolate beauty.

The Estonian flag flying on a local street. 

I was looking forward to skiing for the first time in Estonia but alas not to be. My back went out because trudging through the incredibly heavy snow is like climbing the Himalayas. The streets and footpaths are piled high with snow. The councils do some snow clearing but it seems most homeowners are responsible for clearing and ensuring the safety of the footpaths in front of their houses. Which is a bit rich I reckon. But everyone gets on with it anyway.

Some Estonian

Hello: Tere

One language is never enough: Ühest keelest ei piisa kunagi

I love you: Ma armastand sind

Goodbye: Head aega

Everywhere looks like it's been iced like a cake or with dollops of icecream.

Estonia joins the euro zone on the 1st January 2011 and they're really worried about it. I don't blame them judging by the experience of other euro countries recently like Spain. The government just decided to go with the euro without a referendum. I suppose they knew that if they asked the people they would've said no. Like all the Scandinavian countries except Finland, which has the euro.

I was given a CD of Jaan Tätte who is very famous in Estonia and currently on tour around the world. Like many people in Estonia they work in multiple mediums. He's a well known actor (not very good I'm told), a playwright (great supposedly) and you can judge for yourself as a folk singer/songwriter. Don't know if he's ever been a politician. Every public figure in Estonia whatever their talent seems to end up as a politician at some point. Certainly they have a variety of backgrounds in their politicians unlike Australia where nearly everyone's been a lawyer or union leader at some stage.

Jaan Tätte singing 'Ojalaul', which is about a small stream.

Everyone sings and plays an instrument from young to old too. On the ferry from Sweden a deadly serious Estonian choir singing Christmas songs entertained us before the can-can dancers who came onstage dancing to 'Pull up to the Bumper'. Interesting combo. Still love that song and the 'Nightclubbing' album by Grace Jones. Only the kiddies were gutsy enough to dance on the dancefloor.

Some of the singing in Estonia's almost unearthly in it's perfection. We went to this concert the other night at St John's medieval cathedral in Tartu. It was a famous handbell group called Arsis. Didn't move me much but it was interesting. They were the best handbell ringers I'll ever see. Then at the end they sang the most perfect version of Silent Night (in Estonian of course) which was incredibly moving. The perfection of the harmonies and effortless of it was like magic. I'll never forget it.

A peaceful break in the weather at the Tallinn airport. It snowed most of the time.

Arvo Pärt is Estonia's most revered composer and another musical magician. You may have heard of him. Though probably not unless you listen to classical music radio. It's very ethereal and cosmic music and well worth a listen. I received his Symphony No. 4 CD for a Christmas present. Nice. Arvo dedicated the symphony to the Russian entrepreneur Mikhail Khodorovsky in jail presumably for political reasons since 2003, (he funded opposition parties to Putin). I listened to it the first time on the day the Russian 'justice' system decided to keep him jailed a bit longer. Awful and moving.

If you're interested in reading more on Estonia take a look at these posts:

My Estonia 2: Land of the late night party

My Estonia 1: Land of the singing revolution
Summer swimming in Estonia

The delicate landscape of Estonia.

Season's Greetings

Thanks to everyone who's visited my blog and who's especially made comments over the year. I really appreciate it and it makes blogging a lot more interesting actually knowing people read it. I hope it's inspired you all sometimes. Next year we'll be going to a few new countries, so that'll be great. Including the land of Oz at some point. But I'll still be posting all about Sweden too.

Here's a you tube clip from the recent winner of Swedish Idol, Jay Smith. Yes not a very Swedish name. And yes they have Idol here too. He's singing a Nirvana song 'Heart Shaped Box'. We were actually voting for the runner up Minnah Karlsson but there's a million teenage girls voting so whoever gets the teenage girl vote wins.

Seasons greetings to you and your family. See you all in 2011.

Ho, Ho, Ho: Christmas time (Jul) in Sweden

The last couple of weeks Sweden's had it share of shocks- the Wikileaks affair, terrorists, Nobel prize boycotts! But luckily there's still Christmas to focus your mind on something a bit more heart warming which we all need as we get to the end of the year. And to counteract the cold.

Unfortunately we won't be in Sweden for Christmas Eve so I won't be able to observe how it's done here. Instead we'll be in Estonia partaking of family and friends in an even colder climate. Australia where are you!

Christmas time in Stockholm’s an interesting affair. I didn’t know what to expect coming from Australia where we have Christmas in summer. There it's usually hot and nerves are frazzled as the whole country not only has to buy presents but school finishes for months and many people have their long holidays. You really have to chill out to get through it all!

Here it’s easy to chill out cos it’s bluddy cold. The weather definitely puts a damper on the shopping frenzy and the children aren’t as hysterical too. Nice!

Recently (13th December) they had St Lucia's day in Sweden and other nordic countries. It was kind of interesting. Kind of pagan to me. Though it seems to derive from Christian history. On television throughout the day were processions of young girls all over the country illuminating the screen with their candles.The leader (who symbolises St Lucia) wears a white gown with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head. They all sing the Italian St Lucia song but in swedish. The candles symbolize the fire that refused to take St. Lucia's life when she was sentenced to be burned. All the schools all over Sweden have their St Lucia processions.

The crowning of a Lucia in Sweden.

The view on the way to the local shop. Love it. You could hear a pin drop in the snow it's so quiet.

At Drottningholm Castle market a horse and cart entertained the well behaved Swedish kiddies. I've heard parents leave them out in the cold as babies so that they get used to the weather!

Drottningholm market. Where you can buy authentic Swedish foods like reindeer! Ugh -though I've eaten some to be honest and it's very nice. Though I decided that was the first and last time. I don't want to eat one more animal than I already do, especially a reindeer.

It’s all about santa in Stockholm. Santa is absolutely everywhere. On television, in the mall, on the radio, at the movies, in the streets, in people’s front gardens. There is absolutely no mention anywhere of Jesus or anything remotely Christian about Christmas here, except for St Lucia day. That is a surprise. (Possibly it's different in the country.) Even the Christian churches don’t display anything much. There are no birth of Jesus displays out the front of churches. It’s quite different in Australia. Even though the churches in Australia complain every year about how commercial it is and how the true meaning of Christmas has been lost. There’s still a lot more religious stuff going on in the land of Oz.

Everyone has lights in their windows. Not many coloured lights though. I love a coloured fairy light.

One of the Christmas trees around the streets.The local councils put Christmas lights in many pine trees.

The same Christmas tree trying to survive a snowfall.

There doesn’t seem to be as many community based Christmas events either in Sweden though they do have a lot of markets with traditional food and drinks. We went to Drottningholm Castle Christmas market and drank glögg (mulled wine) and ate the local fresh ginger biscuits. Lovely.

In the city (stan) at night. The Swedes are brilliant at lighting design I've discovered. It's very subtle and soft like snowflakes that have been electrified.

Market stall at Gamla Stan (old town) night market.

In Australia a real feature of Christmas is the local community coming together for carols in the park which you can do there of course as it’s hot. It happens in every district all over the country. You‘ll see young musicians everywhere entertaining the public singing carols too. Here it seems the emphasis is more on family and cooking a great dinner. Which it is in Australia too, it’s just that it’s such a huge event down under.

Sergel's torg. The main city square. They have a lot of demonstrations here. It's always a hive of activity.

Sweden really does look like the picture books you read as a child though. Santa gnomes in the gardens, snow covered pines, Christmas trees lit up with lights at the corner of the street. Cosy windows full of beautiful, fairy lights in red and white. Behind which you can see families eating and drinking joyfully. I hope.