For our new year’s celebrations, Kristi and I (still being in Estonia from Christmas) went round to some friends, laden with booze. We kicked things off with making various cocktails and eating the food put out by our host.

A few drinks later, and out came the board games. Several more drinks later and it was nearing midnight. Being situated on a hill over looking Tallinn town centre, we made our way to a vantage point, champagne bottle in hand, ready for the ensuing firework display. It even started to snow, giving that typical Christmas feel (even if it was a little late). We were joined by many of the neighbours, who, between them it seemed had spent a fair bit on said fireworks.

Then the feast of light and noise commenced. All across the city plumes of colour lit the sky from not only the cities official display, but many corporate displays adding to the spectacle. This was however overshadowed by the display going on behind and around us. Display of blatant disregard for health and safety that is.

There were people setting fireworks off from the middle of the road, in between cars passing by. Some were being fired from apartment balconies. Two groups of particularly dense individuals repeatedly placed rockets in the ground, a little too far, and instead of shooting into the sky, the fireworks exploded amongst the crowd. One particularly “caring” father allowed his two kids to help light some rockets, and only took them a few feet back to watch as it fired.

Twenty minutes later and the fireworks were still going strong as we walked back. Just outside the apartment a couple of fairly drunk fellas were jumping over a box of rockets as they shot into the sky, and their backsides. We decided against waiting in the cold to see if they caught fire, although I was tempted, and headed in to proceed with the next Estonian tradition.

We were each handed a horse shoe made of tin. Placing a bucket of cold water on the kitchen floor, we took turns to heat the tin in a ladle over the gas stove, and once melted quickly dropped it in the bucket. The resulting lump of metal was then held in front of a candle as everyone attempted to identify the shadow it cast. The idea being the tin represents your luck for the new year, and it will take the shape of something significant to you in the upcoming months. Worryingly enough, Kristi’s tin eerily formed the shaped of a Scott terrier, just the sort of dog she’s wants to get. Mine was a little less distinctive.

Once the formalities were out of the way, we got back to the drink and attempted a game of Cluedo. Once Colonel Mustard was finally caught (he was a tricky one) we called an end to the night.