Christmas in Estonia: gnomes, blood sausage and a sauna in the snow

Estonian Christmas begins long before Christmas Eve. From early December, shop windows glow, päkapikud gnomes appear on windowsills, and a market unfolds in Tallinn on Town Hall Square. Estonians wait for this holiday quietly but thoroughly.

We have gathered five traditions that set Estonian Christmas apart from German or Scandinavian ones. Below: where the Christmas tree in the house comes from, what goes on the holiday table, and why people here run out into the snow after the sauna.

1. Advent: päkapikud gnomes and the Christmas tree

💡 In short:

• The best day to put up the Christmas tree: the first Sunday of Advent.
• Päkapikud gnomes leave small gifts for children from early December until Christmas Eve.

The first Sunday of Advent is the best day to put up the Christmas tree. Stores sell both artificial and live trees, but in a forested country a natural spruce is more familiar and often cheaper. Estonia is roughly half covered by forest, so most trees come from state land (according to RMK).

RMK, the state forest management center, has made an app with a map of plots. You choose a tree that can be cut without harming nature, and you also find care tips there. The service is paid, but no more expensive than market options (according to the forest management center).

Päkapikud gnomes are the second symbol of Advent. These little helpers of Jõuluvana come to children from early December and hide gifts in a small bag or stocking. The value of the surprise depends on the parents' budget: from a chocolate and a mandarin to a building set. Children count down the days with a chocolate Advent calendar.

2. Christmas Eve: Jõuluvana and the holiday dinner

The main gifts in Estonia are given on Christmas Eve, not on the second day of Christmas. They are brought by Jõuluvana, the Estonian Santa Claus, but for a gift a child recites a short poem or sings a song. That same evening the whole family exchanges gifts, and you will also have time to prepare your surprise in advance.

© Ireen Trummer · CC BY-SAPhoto: Ireen Trummer, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

Dinner in Estonia is hearty and very traditional. The table always includes verivorst, blood sausage, with potatoes and mulgikapsad, stewed sauerkraut with pearl barley. They are served with pork, sült (head cheese), pickled vegetables, and piparkoogid. Without these dishes the holiday is not considered real in an Estonian family.

Another detail is connected with the ancient cult of ancestors. On Christmas Eve Estonians light candles on the graves of relatives. The fire in the cemetery on Christmas evening remains part of the family ritual, and you will see such candles in almost every cemetery in the country.

3. Christmas market on town hall square

The market on Town Hall Square in Tallinn opens in early December and runs until the first days of January. It is considered one of the oldest Christmas markets in Europe and has repeatedly made it into best-of rankings. Concerts take place between souvenir stalls and food stands, and a line of children with memorized poems forms at Jõuluvana's "office."

© Aleksandr Abrosimov · CC BY-SAPhoto: Aleksandr Abrosimov, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0), Wikimedia Commons

The city takes the choice of the main spruce seriously. Every autumn the central district administration announces a competition: height, symmetry, and an open location away from power lines matter. A tree that is too tall cannot withstand Estonian winds, so the winner is chosen with a margin. The main Christmas tree is installed on the square in late autumn, and concerts sound by it in the evenings.

Holiday markets exist not only in the capital. Tartu, Pärnu, and Narva set up their own fairs, but the Tallinn one remains the main one for atmosphere. Come on a weekday evening: the lights, mulled wine, and choir sound calmer here than on Saturday, and you will not have to push through lines.

4. Piparkoogid: pepper cookies

Piparkoogid, or pepper cookies, are Estonia's main winter dessert. They taste like a European gingerbread cookie, but with a real peppery kick. In winter the shelves have dozens of varieties: traditional, marzipan, orange, cardamom, and apple.

© Pikk de Päkk · CC BY-SAPhoto: Pikk de Päkk, CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), Wikimedia Commons

You do not have to bake them at home. Dough and icing are sold ready-made, and the family then decorates the cookies together. Every year Tallinn hosts the Gingerbread Mania exhibition, where everything is made of gingerbread. In the 2026/2027 season it is open from December 3 to January 6 (as of 09/2026, Gingerbread Mania exhibition website).

Admission costs €5 for adults and students, children under six get in free (as of 09/2026, exhibition's official website). The exhibition is open daily from 11:00 to 18:00, but it closes earlier on Christmas Eve and December 31 (as of 09/2026, exhibition's official website).

The display is put together by about 100 Estonian artists, and the exhibition itself has been running continuously since 2006 (as of 09/2026, Gingerbread Mania page). Hot glögi and warm cookies are sold right in the halls, so you can easily spend an hour there.

5. Sauna and winter sports

Estonians love the sauna all year round, and in winter it becomes a ritual. Here is the picture: a wooden house in the forest, a hot steam room, and a tünnisaun barrel with hot water in the yard. Once you have warmed up, you run through the snow to the barrel, then back into the heat. That is a typical winter evening on a farmstead.

In Tallinn, year-round spa centers are located in different neighborhoods, for example Kalev Spa or Mustamäe Elamuste Keskus. Outside the city you can book a spa hotel. The most popular options are Noorus, Meresuu, and Wagenküll.

Wagenküll occupies three historic buildings in South Estonia. Guests can choose from 75 rooms, including 10 suites (as of 09/2026, Visit Estonia). The hotel operates year-round, and the castle spa also has a steam room you can reach directly from your room.

Winter sports in Estonia are primarily cross-country skiing, ice skating, sledding, and ice fishing. In Tallinn, almost every residential neighborhood has an outdoor ice rink, and the most picturesque one is in the Old Town, near Harjumägi. Kids go sledding down the hill at the Song Festival Grounds, where a park opens in winter. A ski trail runs through the forest in Pirita.

There are also places for downhill skiing. For that you will need to head south from the capital, toward Otepää. After a day outdoors, you will want to get back in the sauna.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

When do people give Christmas presents in Estonia?

The main gift exchange happens on Christmas Eve. Presents are brought by Jõuluvana, the Estonian Santa Claus.

What should definitely be on an Estonian Christmas table?

Verivorst, blood sausage, with potatoes and mulgikapsad, stewed sauerkraut. It is all washed down with hot glögi, and piparkoogid are served for dessert.

How much does admission to the Gingerbread Mania exhibition cost?

A ticket for adults and students costs €5 (as of 09/2026, exhibition listing). Children under six get in free.

When is the Tallinn Christmas market open?

The market on Town Hall Square opens in early December and runs through the first days of January. Come on a weekday evening, it is calmer then.

Can you cut down a Christmas tree yourself in Estonia?

Yes, but only in areas approved by RMK, the state forest management center. An app with a map will show you where you can cut a tree without harming nature (according to the RMK website). Cutting one down without permission in a protected area can lead to a fine, so check the map first.

In short: what to book

If you are traveling to Tallinn in December, plan an evening at Town Hall Square: the market runs until the first days of January. If you want to see the gingerbread exhibition, set aside a separate morning for it. For a quiet winter evening, choose a countryside spa hotel with a sauna. Check dates and tickets before your trip on the exhibition's official website.