Christmas in Estonia is a special time.
TALLINN — I remember when I was a little child, decorating a Christmas tree was my favorite part, and when someone else, my mother or father or whoever was visiting at that time did that without me, one can’t imagine what trouble came out of it… oh and trust me, I was loud!
Nowadays I don’t think of the Christmas tree as so important, and I haven’t decorated one for years but at those times I couldn’t wait to decorate my tree with fir cone-shaped decorations in different colors, covered with imitation white snow.
And of course the presents, starting from candies and ending with all sorts of toys. I don’t remember what gifts I received at those times, but I remember two. When I was around six or seven years old I wished so much to receive my first Barbie doll, and there it was under the Christmas tree. Of course it was the last gift I was handed, so you can imagine the excitement a child can feel when one sees the most desired gift under the tree wrapped up and the depression when one just can’t open it. Watch but don’t touch.
It was such torture, I was nearly crying and no other gift could comfort me. But then I held it on my hands, wearing a pink dress and pink shoes. The second gift was not so long ago, only about 15 years ago. That was a dalmatian. Fake dog of course, but still laying on my bed waiting for me to arrive home.
Well, that was then, but now things don’t seem to be so different after all. About an hour ago I watched my little cousin receive her Christmas presents, and one was a Barbie doll. And she’s how old? Nearly two.
At first she was afraid of Santa Claus. Last year she started crying when she saw the man with a red coat and long white beard in a mall. But this year after her second Christmas, she didn’t seem to mind him so much anymore.
Pork, blood sausage and potatoes is traditional Estonian fare for Christmas.
The traditional food is always great. There is blood pudding, sauerkraut, potatoes, pork, meat jelly, I can’t really see it changed over the years. Oh, and how can I forget my favorite — salted herring with sour cream.
But what do other kids think? I made a little survey in Tallinn about what kids now think of Christmas.
Marilyn, 12: I like a white Christmas and when it is possible to spend time with friends and family. If the presents are being given in the evening then there’s the anxiety of waiting. The presents are important and all kinds of gifts are good. My best Christmas was 2-3 years ago and when we got so many presents, I remember this because then the anxiety was the greatest. It was at the countryside with my mom, dad, brother and pets, a cat and a dog.
Several Estonian children mentioned the traditional Christmas dinner as a favorite part of the holiday.
Chatrine, 12: Our Christmas is like this, that we don’t have a Santa Claus. We still receive the presents but everybody will make a gift to those they want. Mostly adults make gifts for children, but the children don’t have to give presents. Some Christmases are at my aunt’s place where all our relatives gather. I like Christmas because then all the family is together, there’s so many decorations, then we receive a lot of new things and then it’s school recess. Gifts are very important for Christmas but the family is more important. My best Christmas so far was at my aunt’s place when so many people gathered, and when the gifts were handed out then everybody had to read poems, which was so funny. Some people didn’t know the poems and there were two poem books, if someone made a mistake reading a well-known poem then it was so funny! Christmas food is very special and the choice is more varied than usual. There’s a lot of different salads, meat and a lot of stuff. Blood pudding with sauerkraut and potatoes are my favorite.
Oliver, 13: The gifts are important. I don’t know what’s special about Christmas, every Christmas is the same. Maybe the recess, and then Santa Claus comes.
Laur, 10: The Christmas about two or three years ago was the most memorable. Then I received a cool gift, but I don’t remember what it was. Christmas is cool because then we receive gifts, meet the close ones, be with family. The Christmas decorations and snow create cozy feeling. Then I can build a snow man, have a snow fight with my brother, build snow fortresses. Then I have to push the snow from the road, but that I don’t like so much. Roasted pork with potatoes is my favorite Christmas food. The best gifts are related to technical, such as movies, computer games. I haven’t given much thought about this year’s present, usually my parents give pretty good ones.
