What to do with the holidays?

Mental health counsellor Reet Lõpu's suggestions for international students on how to spend Christmas in Estonia. 

What to do with the holidays? 

End of the year in Estonia can be very dark and depressing. Sunshine is rare and the weather is often unpleasant. Many students look forward to going home for Christmas… but some cannot. Maybe your home is too far, maybe there is no family waiting to see you again, maybe travelling costs too much. Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, it may feel weird when most (or even all) of your friends spend these days with their families – or at least, away from Tartu.  

Maybe you are a shy person… maybe you manage very well being all alone… maybe you are not interested in social gatherings… maybe you plan to use these days of peace to catch up with all the things you haven’t had time before. But maybe… just maybe… you need some ideas. 

If homesickness is possible or you could feel lonely, try to plan something nice into the days when everybody is away. Reading a book just for fun… playing on the computer all night… just sleeping very long… hoping to see a movie or going to some event is a bit tricky because not much happens on Christmas Days. Shopping can also be complicated, some (smaller) shops could be closed. You will not starve because supermarkets are open – check the opening times, on holidays they close 1-2 hours earlier than usual -, but visiting that cute shop on the corner… maybe another time.  

In Estonia, traditionally the most important day of Christmas is Dec 24th. This day is usually for family. In the evening, presents are given, maybe Santa Claus comes into the house to listen all the songs and poems that children recite. This is a quiet day, not a day for loud parties. Dec 25th and 26th are already more open, often friends meet at someone’s house and exchange presents.  

But what else to do on Christmas Eve when your dorm is nearly empty and nothing is going on? Unless you have personal aversions or the weather is really bad… go for a walk on the cemetery. Yes, really. It is probably a Nordic thing to go to the cemetery on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, to lit candles on the graves of loved ones. Between 5 and 7 pm the cemeteries on Christmas Eve are very well-lit and there are many people. Like, more than any time on a workday on Raekoja Plats. Especially when there is snow, this is a really nice thing to see and also gives some insight into Estonian culture. The overall spirit is quiet and serious, but usually not dramatic, for crying and mourning there are other times. Most families go with children, elderly people go if their health allowes… Raadi and Pauluse cemeteries are both big and old enough so that there will be many people, a lot to see and for you it means a couple of hours used from this otherwise lonely day. If you choose Raadi Kalmistu, there are signs directing you to many graves of former university professors and the grave of Julius Kuperjanov, a hero of Estonian Independence War, the latter is quite a sight already at 6 pm on Christmas Eve.  

On Christmas Day there is not much going on, but if you have no other plans, bundle up and go for a walk. The different parts of Tartu are all quite… different, so there could be interesting places to explore. Or of you prefer to stay inside, try to watch an old Estonian movie. They are free on this site: https://arhiiv.err.ee/video/kategooria/film There are classical comedies like „Siin me oleme“, „Noor pensionär“ and „Mehed ei nuta“, but there is also historical action „Viimne Reliikvia“ and the ultimate classic „Kevade“ – most Estonians know these at least partly by heart and the quotes get used in conversations. 

Anyway, the quiet days only last so long. Your flatmates will soon come back, there will be New Year’s parties and the regular madness of studying in this strange place will return. Soon after Christmas you will notice that the days are longer and there is more light. Even with the winter lasting 2-3 more months and the schoolyear lasting even longer – but sometimes not long enough to get everything done – this promise of springtime does help.