Estonia
Christmas Customs in Estonia
Christmas time is still the most important holiday celebrated in Estonia. For Estonians, Christmas is a mixture of the traditional, the modern, the secular, and the religious. Like in other Nordic states, Estonia's celebration of Christmas mostly falls on Christmas Eve, however, Christmas season starts from Advent with people buying Advent calendars or lighting Advent candles. Each year on December 24, the President of Estonia declares Christmas Peace, which is a 350-year-old tradition in Estonia.
Administrative divisions of Estonia
The Republic of Estonia is divided into fifteen counties (Maakonnad), which are the administrative subdivisions of the country. The first documented mentioning of Estonian political and administrative subdivisions comes from the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia, written in the 13th century during the Northern Crusades.
Religion In Estonia
Since the 16th century, Estonia has been a predominantly protestant (Lutheran) country. Baltic Germans built most of the country’s churches. Up until the 19th century, the church was the only source of education in the countryside and few villages are without an architecturally impressive church at its centre.