Tradition and Youth in Estonia

Taavi RõivasKristi JeenasLiisi Bucht

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

General data

Population 1 439 197 (01.01.2000)

Total area 45 227 km2

Currency Estonian kroon (EEK)

1 DEM = 8 EEK

1 EUR = 15,6466 EEK

Polity Parliamentary Republic

Head of state President - Lennart Meri

Official language Estonian

Ethnic minorities Russians 28%

Ukrains 2,5%

Belorussians 1,5 %

Finns 0,9%

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

Colleagues or competitors?

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

Cultural events that represent more or less traditions:

National singing and dancing festivals

First held in 1869

Approx. 35 000 singers

Approx. 10 000 dancers

Folk music festivals in Viljandi

Folk music festivals in Võru

Beersummer

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

National holidays celebrated by most young people:

Independence Day (24.02)Estonia´s firstgained independence (1918) is celebrated all over the country

People go to parades and churces

Shrove Tuesday (varies)People eat pea soup and pig´s legs

If possible, people compete in sledging

The night of volber (30.04)Celebration of winter turning to summer

People get very drunk

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

National holidays celebrated by most young people:

St John´s Day (24.06) Celebration of the year´s longest day

Fires are lit all over the country, people party till dawn

St. Cathrine´s Day (25.11)Young people (mostly kids) run from house to house to perform acts (songs and dances) in order to get candies and stuff

Kids are dressed up (as women, mostly in white)

Christmas Eve (24.12)International holiday with some additional (local) traditions

Very special food: sauerkraut, special kind of sausage (made of blood etc)

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

Tradition and Youth – threats and possibilities:

The United States of Europe – what are the chances of Estonia´s traditions to survive?

Young people are more into changes and new possibilities

Computerizing world

No one imagines MS Windows in Estonian – kids speak “copy and paste language” in everyday life

Tradition and Youth Swizerland, 13.-20.08

Thank you for your attention!

This presentation is also available for downloading via Internet:

www.local.ee/tr/iynf.html