Day 3 - Victory Day & Midsummer Magic in Southern Estonia

​Today was a day I have been really looking forward to since I started planning my trip to Estonia. It is the day you make flower crowns, pick flowers and have fires! Victory Day is celebrated because in 1919 Estonia won the war against the German’s in a town in Latvia. It is also known as the Battle of Võnnu or Cēsis. But more on this later. This morning we woke up and had some delicious Estonian food again, or as they might call it, food, then Dad, Kaija and I went for a walk to a part. It was not just any park, it was a beautiful accident with Estonian Designs AU. I had gifted Kaija a mug and a coaster and when she looked at the design she said there was a park close by that had this design on the little hut, so I just had to see it. So off we went and when we arrived, I was amazed, IT DID! Dad of course had to check my design to see if they matched the one on the roof, lucky we brought the mug and coaster to verify that I in  fact had done the right thing, turns out I did! I was so delighted by this I had to take some photos of course!

​After we packed up we started heading south, to Southern Estonia. This is where I feel I am home, in the deep south, full of forests, traditions and really friendly people. On the way we had to stop for lunch at a beautiful service station with some lovely traditional folk art. We saw a little kiosk with Setomaa design on it and we had to look. Of course, the first Estonian belt my mum saw, she just had to buy, plus it was a good price, PLUS it was from Setomaa, there was no way mum was leaving it there. We then had some lunch, and kept driving. We headed for a town called Antsla, which if you had been following me in 2023 you might remember our comic views on this area and why we were headed there back then, not ever hearing about this town and then ended up going there a number of times in the few days. On the way there however, I was a little cold, and mum was now driving so I turned on the seat warmer to relax a little. After some time, my dad just casually said to me, “I don’t know what is happening but I am getting a little warm back here, I might have to take my jumper off”. Well that set me off. Mum knew what was happening, and I couldn’t stop laughing so I had to calm down a little and explain what was happening so dad did not gaslight himself into thinking something was wrong with him. It still makes me giggle thinking about it! When we got to Antsla we saw the Victory Day celebrations where they were doing some speeches and a little parade. It is here people take their flames to light their midsummer fires. I love this, the community flame is carried and lights all the fires around Estonia. This was a new bit of information for me and I really felt grateful learning something new again with Estonian Traditions.

​Once we were finished collecting a few things from the supermarket, we were headed to our friend Argo’s house, who has an old house, build in the 1930’s with no shower or toilet. He does have an out house though!! Nothing like roughing it for a few days. We were delighted to see Argo had organised a little dinner party with his family, to celebrate with us. It was wonderful reconnecting with them and I was very grateful they were trying to speak English with me, and very well I might add. We had some wonderful conversations over dinner, not before being eaten my millions of mosquitos! And that is not an over statement! I had asked one if his sisters if we could make a flower crown, something traditionally made and worn by women on midsummer, so she took me to the area behind the house and picked the appropriate flowers. While she was doing that I picked 7 different flowers to have under my pillow because they say if you do this you will dream of your future husband and love. The person who I dreamed about will remain a mystery! I was then taught how to make a flower crown in the correct way, which was wonderful and can’t wait to take this skill back home for next year! I did go and pick one big pink flower because what is a flower crown without a pink flower!

​After dinner, we went to a village party where they had already lit a smaller fire, not an overly traditional one but it was still a fire, lit by the traditional flame from the community flame earlier in the day. When we arrived it was wonderful, we saw people singing and dancing and really just enjoying themselves. However it was about 10.30pm and the sun was just starting to set! This blew my mind, every time. You really lose track of time when you are here in summer. We saw some of the men start to play a game where they had to balance themselves on a log and then hit the other person off. It was interesting watching the different techniques in this, plus they were mostly drunk. Argo’s son and his cousin were really watching and trying to work out the best way to do it and then challenged each other. It was entertaining for sure, something we can do next year for the Sydney midsummer celebrations. They then had a competition of who could hold a “case” of beer up the longest and if you could you won the beer. Argo’s sister won last year and they re-entered her this year! Overall it was a wonderful day and I just loved being in southern Estonia for midsummer!
Until tomorrow
Marissa xx