Traditions vary from country to country. Christmas time is certainly no exception.

In Estonia, Christmas is typically celebrated on the 24th of December rather than the 25th as it is in the UK. This goes back to the Soviet occupation, where it was prohibited to celebrate any religious events, and in order to throw the sent off any scrutiny, the Estonians moved it to the previous day.

Another tradition is the reciting of a poem or sometimes performing a dance, in order to prove your worthiness to Santa before receiving your presents.

The food is another area that differs. In the UK we all expect our turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes with mince pies and Christmas pudding. However in Estonia the typical food eaten at Christmas are Verivorst, or blood sausages, with sauerkraut, followed by mandarins and plenty of Piparkook (pronounced “pipper-cork”), a kind of gingerbread.