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editorial

T H E B A LT I C G U I D E ™ J U N E 2 0 1 6

Secrets of Midsummer

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f you happen to be in Tallinn for Midsummer, you’ll probably be wondering why it’s so quiet. Midsummer or St John’s Eve and St John’s Day are celebrated on June 23 and 24 in connection with the summer solstice, a day where the sun almost doesn’t set. Many locals leave for the countryside, to their cottages in the forest, by a lake, or at the beach. According to legend it is the night when the young girl Eha meets the young boy Koit. Eha means evening twilight and Koit morning twilight. On Midsummer’s night the two youngsters only meet for a short kiss, then they part and have for a whole year to meet again! Midsummer’s Eve is celebrated outdoors and nobody goes to sleep. People gather, sing and dance. Activities are centred around a big bonfire and food is prepared on a BBQ. There is also the tradition of jumping over the bonfire, which according to the legend is a

guarantee for prosperity and to avoid bad luck. Others claim that it is a symbol for a connection with the past. But if you see one of these bonfires, you’d wonder how anyone could jump over something so big. The good fortune must come from not falling in! Another tradition is a try on the big wooden village swings. You stand up and increase your speed until you make a 360-degree turn around the bar. Midsummer’s Eve coincides with Victory Day, which goes back to the defeat of German Landeswehr on June 23, 1919. Victory Day celebrations start with a joyous military parade, which has become a popular family event. The President lights a torch and fires are then lit all over the country as a symbol of independence and of free spirit.

Contents 3 editorial

restaurants Happy travels! Kristina Lupp, Editor-in-chief

4 restaurants: Tallinn's best terraces Wok to Walk Restaurant news

June Highlights 01 STREET FOOD TAKES OVER TALLINN Tallinn Street Food Festival brings thousands of foodies to the Telliskivi area 11-12 June. Tens of street food vendors, restaurants, and food trucks will be taking part from Estonia and abroad.

02 SUMMER IN THE CULTURE GARDEN

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Pada Creative Hub Garden will offer all kinds of interesting programmes this summer, with everything from outdoor yoga to dance parties that last until morning. A café is also open in the garden and the entrance is from the Kalasadam side.

03 MIDSUMMER FAIR The annual Midsummer Fair (Avinurme tünnilaat) takes place in Avinurme in Ida-Virumaa 23 June. It’s an event for the whole family offering handicrafts, music, dance, food and drink.

04 MIDSUMMER BONFIRE AT THE OPEN AIR MUSEUM Familiarise yourself with Estonia’s bonfire tradition on 23 June at the Estonian Open Air Museum in Rocca al Mare. The programme will include folk music, dance, a children’s programme, and of course the massive Midsummer bonfire.

6 shopping 8 summer event calendar alendar 9 outside of Tallinn n 10 nightlife 12 beauty 13-19 summer travel vel special 22 sightseeing 23 transport 24-25 visitor information mation and maps

Your Comments Y C t

This year’s theme at the Tallinn Flower Festival is terrace flowers and passion for the garden. In addition to Estonians, there will be participants from Finland, Germany, Hungary, and Latvia. The festival takes place in the Tower’s Square Park until 26 August, so it’s worth a few visits to see the garden in different stages of bloom.

■ We always appreciate your feedback. Tell us your thoughts on our content, layout, things you think we should add -- good or bad. Write to: kristina@balticguide.ee. or send a letter to: THE BALTIC GUIDE Põhja pst. 25, 10415, Tallinn.

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Managing Director: Kirli Lembinen Editor-in-Chief: Kristina Lupp kristina@balticguide.ee Contributors: Stuart Garlick Design: Evelin Linholm Photography: Andrei Chertkov Printing House: AS Kroonpress

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05 A COLOURFUL FLOWER FESTIVAL