Estonian History, Culture and National Symbols
Dates that carry the marks
24 February 1918 - the Manifesto to the Peoples of Estonia, Independence Day. 1918–1920 War of Independence, ended by the Tartu Peace Treaty of 2 February 1920. 1940 Soviet occupation, 1941–1944 German occupation, 1944 renewed Soviet occupation; mass deportations on 14 June 1941 and 25 March 1949. 23 August 1989 - the Baltic Chain; 20 August 1991 - restoration of independence; 1992 - the Constitution; 2004 - EU and NATO; 2011 - the euro.
Symbols
The blue-black-white flag was consecrated on 4 June 1884 by the Estonian Students' Society and became the state flag in 1918; 4 June is Flag Day. The coat of arms shows three blue lions passant. The anthem “Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm” uses a melody by Fredrik Pacius with words by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. National bird: barn swallow; national flower: cornflower; national tree: oak; national stone: limestone; national animal: wolf.
Culture
The national epic Kalevipoeg was compiled by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1857–1861). Lydia Koidula shaped the national awakening, and Anton Hansen Tammsaare's Truth and Justice is the canonical novel. The Song Festival began in Tartu in 1869 and is held every five years. Sauna culture, including the smoke sauna, is inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Worked example
A question asks which public holiday commemorates the events of 1991. Reasoning: 24 February commemorates 1918, so the answer is 20 August, the Day of Restoration of Independence. Both are flag days, but only one marks the end of the Soviet occupation.
Traps
Conflating 1918 with 1991, or calling 1991 “independence” rather than restoration. Swapping Victory Day (23 June) with Midsummer Day (24 June). Attributing the anthem to a single composer instead of Pacius's melody and Jannsen's words. Mixing the 1941 and 1949 deportation dates, or placing the Tartu Peace Treaty in 1918.