Christmas traditions in Estonia are very different than for example in the United States. Join me in this video where I share the Estonian Christmas traditions with you. I also interviewed my 80-year-old grandmothers and my mother to listen how they celebrated Christmas when they were little.
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47 Comments
Great video! Thank you!
In Stalin times christmas trees were completely forbidden. anyways people just close the curtains and had a christmas tree as the jews hanouka in the nazi gemany in secret. My granny was a war nurse and knew people ever so well, a warrior indeed. As or me? She wished I only loved everyone, as adviced by my granny: Climb the trees and make no shy to a warm kiss ☺
Merry Christmas 🎅🎄❤
I loved that you shared and had your Grandmothers and Mother share as well the traditions they remember experiencing. It was beautiful. Thank you so much! It was heartwarming! ♥️🙏 Bless you.
Enjoyed this.video.so much! ❤
Hi….my mum died nearly 50 years ago..at Christmas we always had a fish called "kilu" does that make sense..what kind of fish is it….Mum was from Tallinn…maye more fish than inland:)
Thank you for sharing your families traditions, I found it to be very interesting! I loved hearing the generational differences and likenesses. You are blessed to have both your grandmothers to ask these questions to.
God Bless
Thank you very much hope you had a good Christmas
Hi Estonian Hiker, I would love to hear tales from your family of what they thought was good or better about the Soviet times against now, please.? Kind regards.
I've come to the conclusion that i was born in the wrong country. You have shed good light on Estonia. Hopefully i can visit there someday.
love the video….
I miss christmas with my grandparents….those were the best. it seems like here in the USA so many people have forgot the true meaning of christmas. It is very sad…
simple is always the best
Thank you so much for the beautiful and interesting video!! I loved it. In Finland we have many similar traditions, like going to sauna, wearing fresh bed sheets, big dinner with family and usually having Santa come in person and talking or singing to him. We don't have an elf who brings us stuff in the slipper though but they observe kids if they are good during christmas time and tell Santa if they are bad. Our Christmas food is very different though and many people go to Christmas mass on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day morning.
Thanks a lot for sharing ! I love your grandmother memories, they are so precious and sweet ! In my family ( France ) We spend christmas eve as a family and we do a " fondue " its a hot cheese pot were we dip piece of bread in it. It's cosy and we talk late by the fire, and we put the present secretly before going to bed ( so many people need to go to the toilet at night… weirdly … ) so in the morning there is presents around the christmas tree with chocolate in the shoes <3 ! We are not very religious but my dad often tells me that when he was a kid they went to the church at midnight for the christmas service, and then they came home and there wasn't much present, very much like your grandma it was a home made toy or a candy.
i dont believe in coca cola klaus
Thank you!
Thanks for the nice video!!!
Just guessing; Näärid perhaps means "Nativity" – a theatrical play to re-enacting the birth of Christ. Nativity in English is a Romance word, rather than of Germanic origin. In Latin, the verb "to be born" is "natus"; or in Spanish, it is "nacer" (says Google Translate!). To act the Nativity would be to re-enact 'historical' events, whereas Christmas means literally a 'Mass for Christ', a religious church-led activity. This might explain the difference?
I love your post
What a sweet/wonderful video. The part of about the Soviet Union and closing the drapes was particularly touching. BTW, various traditions in the US come not from the US but various countries in Europe, for instance the Christmas tree is German, afaik. Thanks again for doing this.
Hi Maiu, belated Merry Christmas and i hope you and your family have a wonderful New Year. Looking forward to more of your videos next year and seeing where your wanderlust takes you. All the best from Northern Ireland x
This is just lovely! Much thanks to your mother and each of your grandmothers for sharing with us and to the rest of your family for allowing you to film.
That was fun. Thank you for sharing. Yes. the United States (in my humble opinion) goes way over board with Christmas. Too many gifts and lots of money spent. I think the traditions you talked about are more special than just gifts, and how many you get. When I was little (many years ago) I could not wait for Christmas morning to open my gifts. But, when I look back I remember grandfather and grandmother being there, and a nice family dinner more than what I got for Christmas. In fact I couldn't tell you but very few gifts that I remember getting. Again, Thank you for sharing this with us. I also shared this on my facebook page. I hope that is okay. God Bless.
In Canada, some families follow the advent calendar is followed .each day on the calendar has its own pocket with a treat. Thank you for bringing so much of your rich heritage to me. Merry Christmas & God bless. Brian 78
Last days warning! JESUS is coming! Repent from all sin and seek JESUS with all your heart!
HEADS UP!
The trouble is that all there old ways and values are disappearing especially my country "UK" but its good to hear the mature generations ways and traditions especially from another country like your own country nice to see this video of your's , truly love this video. Merry Christmas To You And All Your Family.
So we all have tales where children are bribed to behave themselves. We have been seeing stories about Krampus recently. I am a Pagan so I have traditions a lot similar, in fact other faiths use our traditions of Christmas. Here we just have either good kids who get a present …or just spoilt brats demanding gifts.
I do miss seeing you and Luna out hiking, well, or you skating and Luna trying to follow. But I hope you are doing well and Luna is happy w your mother's dog. Note*: Lots of drawing and watercolor leads a person to refinements and discovering new techniques!
Very interesting. Hope you all had a great holiday. It would be nice to see your sauna setup.
Nicely done, I enjoyed it very much and woof to Luna!
great video,HAPPY HOLIDAYS,good hiking and be safe 😉
I LOVE this!! Thank you so much for sharing bits of your country with us! I live in the States and unfortunately because of the "greed" of manufacturers & merchandisers the Christmas Holiday arrives earlier & earlier every year. 🙁 However, in most cases we start to see Christmas trees appear in home windows the day after Thanksgiving (the fourth Thursday in November), and Christmas music is played most radio stations from then until Christmas. For me & my little family – I wait until December 1st to put up a tree and that tree is decorated with lights & many, many ornaments that I have accumulated from vacations, gifts from friends/family, pieces from old collections of family members who no longer want/need their's and I enjoy thinking about the memories that goes along with each as I place them on my tree. And there is always a nativity scene setup somewhere in a prominent place. When my son was younger (and still believed there was a Santa, he's 38 now lol) Santa Claus (an older family friend) always made a visit to our home, he would talk to my son about his school, sport enthusiasm, video gaming or whatever happened to be the interest that year (Santa was always given a letter with that information and a gift to present prior to his visit so he could prepare). To this day my son does not know who that Santa was in real life! 🙂 Christmas Eve was church service & then home to bed – Santa would come into our home after everyone was asleep and in the morning when we awoke our tree was all alight with surprises & presents under the tree! At noon it was off to my parents house for a buffet Christmas dinner & afternoon games & conversations with extended family.
Absolutely amazing video – what a clever idea and so amazing to hear from your Mother and Grandmother. I enjoyed this so much and thanks for sharing your version of Christmas with us all!
Hi Maiu, ingeresting video and beautiful done to make your familys traditions important. I'm sure that your mother and grandmother appreciate to tell their stories. How do You say "Merry Christmas" in Estonian? In Sweden we say "God Jul". Interesting with the elf tradition, we have something like that I Sweden, but not in the same way. We call the elf a "vette" or in plural "vettar". They does not really have a kind character, lives at the farm. One tradition that we had in the family was to put rice porridge (julgröt) outside your house entry the day before Christmas eve. Of cause a lot of different dishes on the Christmas table (Julbord), both cold and warm dishes. I recognise the glass balls and figures that you hang on the Christmas tree (julgran) that you showed. Merry Christmas or God Jul Maiu!
Beautiful video! Thank you
Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions. I really enjoyed this video and would like to learn more Estonian traditions. I’ve learned so much about your country from your videos on hiking. Thank you for taking the time to make them.
Thank you so much for the time you spent creating this wonderful video. I know many hours go into these things. And thanks also to your mother and grandmothers for the view into history. Please expand a little on this sauna idea. Do all homes, both rich and poor, have saunas? In America only more affluent homes have them.
I wish you a very happy new year!
Loved it!!! Thank you for sharing your family’s traditions.
A Great insight into your traditions. Merry Xmas..
I am watching your video with Estonian 8% dark beer Jõuluöö 🙂 🍺
(in Slovakia)
I don't have Christmas traditions. Best wishes from the Netherlands.
Merry xmas to you all. This is the best xmas video this year. The wife loves the socks I got from you tell granny thanks Have a lovely day.
Thank you for sharing with us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Wishing you, Luna & your family happy festivities Maiu. Amazing culture, enjoyed learning. And much better than paedophilic hollywood tripe. Christmas in the west (UK, US etc) is SO fake & commercial now – i hate it! It should be about simplicity, simple inexpensive things, community & caring. Kids of today are too spoilt! Weird how we punish kids for lying, yet we sell them the biggest lies – Santa Claus, Easter bunny, tooth fairy, etc….kinda hypocritical.
I hope Estonia doesn't sell it's soul to the US & UK (zionists), like tge rest of Europe has.
Merry Christmas to you and your family
Great lovely story,
Maiu merry Christmas for you and familie, lovely and peaceful greats from Belgium 💖
Nice video!! thank you so much!
Merry Christmas.