Estonia recognizes Flag Day, recounting brief historical highlights:
Festive Flag Day in Estonia 🇪🇪!
Ever wondered about the stunning blue, black, and white colors of the Estonian flag? Let's uncover the history behind this well-known tri-color, and why it's celebrated as a symbol of the Estonian people's spirit!
The roots of the Estonian flag run deep in the national movement. On June 4, 1884, the Estonian Students' Association adopted blue, black, and white as the colors of its student fraternity – the very same day now known as Flag Day in Estonia! The flag became the nation's official symbol in 1918 during Estonia's struggle for independence.
The Estonian tricolor is entwined with the country's awakening. The flag, as old as their political history, found its birth at the politically charged University of Tartu in the late 19th century, in the midst of academic and romantic national fervor.
A First Glance at the First Ever BannerThe unique combination of blue, black, and white first saw the light at the founding of the "Vironia" Society (known today as the Estonian Students' Society) at the University of Tartu on September 29, 1881. A handcrafted flag, made by Paula Hermann, the wife of doctor Karl August Hermann, an honorary member of the student society, was made in her Tartu home kitchen in the spring of 1884.
Several theories exist about the national colors' symbolism. Blue is said to represent resilience, "till the sky lasts." Black symbolizes the earth and the black cloak worn by Estonians. White embodies the people's longing for light and purity.
A Hushed BlessingIn Tartu, under the rule of Imperial Russia, outings with the flag had to remain in secrecy. The blessing of the flag occurred at a semi-clandestine church service in Otepaä on June 4, 1884.
A Symbol of UnityThough exhibiting the flag openly was restricted due to tension from both the local Baltic Germans and the Russian central authorities, the Estonian tricolor held a beloved position in the hearts of Estonians and the entire nation.
During the 1905 Russian Revolution, the flag's political meaning strengthened at the Estonian demonstrations. In 1910, houses embellished with national flags were seen everywhere before the Estonian Song Festival, even as local authorities tried to remove them.
The Estonian student organizations' and soldier groups' flags graced the parade demanding Estonian autonomy in 1917 in Petrograd (present-day St. Petersburg). Estonia was the only country granted autonomy by Imperial Russia following this demonstration, boosting the tricolor's popularity.
Freedom and IndependenceOn February 24, 1918, Estonia declared its independence under the tricolor. The flag was officially adopted as the national flag on November 21, 1918, and hoisted for the first time as a national symbol on December 12, 1918, atop the Pikk Hermann Tower in Tallinn.
A Hidden EmblemWith Soviet occupation in 1940, Estonian national symbols were forced to give way for Soviet ones. The mere possession of the tricolor was considered a crime. despite the risk, tens of thousands of Estonians in exile kept the colors alive during World War II. The 100th anniversary of the flag was celebrated in exile communities in Sweden, Canada, the US, and Australia.
The flame of independence was rekindled in the era of Soviet perestroika (political reform within the Communist Party of the Soviet Union). Massive open-air rallies and concerts in 1987 and 1988 once again brought the national tricolor to the forefront.
The "Singing Revolution" of the late 1980s and the weakening of Soviet power paved the way for the raising of the blue, black, and white Estonian flag on top of the Pikk Hermann Tower on February 24, 1989, before Estonia officially regained its independence in August 1991.
Happy Flag Day, dear Estonians! Let's always remember the colors that have bound us, and may the spirit of independence live on! 🇪🇪✨
- The Estonian Students' Society, linked to the roots of Estonia's flag, was established in 1881 at the University of Tartu.
- People can trace the history of Estonia's flag back to June 4, 1884, when the Estonian Students' Association adopted blue, black, and white as their colors.
- A handcrafted flag, symbolizing the spirit of the Estonian people, was first displayed in Tartu, Estonia, in June 1884, during a semi-clandestine church service.
- Estonian demonstrators showcased the tricolor during the 1905 Russian Revolution, strengthening its political meaning.
- The Estonian flag, flown atop the Pikk Hermann Tower in Tallinn on December 12, 1918, symbolized the country's newly gained independence.
- In exile during the Soviet occupation, Estonians kept the Estonian flag alive, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the flag in communities across Sweden, Canada, the US, and Australia.
