Tell us about the music, food, holidays, traditions, costumes, language and other qualities that make Estonians so special.
From Kalevipoeg: An Ancient Estonian TaleAga ükskord algab aega
kus kõik piirud kahel otsal
lausa lähvad lõkendama;
lausa tuleleeki lõikab
käe kaljukammitsasta-
küll siis Kalev jõuab koju
oma lastel' õnne tooma,
Eesti põlve uueks looma.
But one day an age will dawn,
when all spills, at both their ends,
will burst forth into flame;
and this stark fire will sever
the vise of stone from Kalevipoeg's hand.
Then the son of Kalev will come home
to bring his children happiness
and build Estonia's life anew.
After centuries of Danish, Swedish, German, and Russian rule, Estonia attained independence in 1918. Forcibly incorporated into the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US - it regained its freedom in 1991, with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since the last Russian troops left in 1994, Estonia has been free to promote economic and political ties with Western Europe. It joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. (facts courtesy of CIA World Fact Book)
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