Christmas nativity scenes decorate the shop windows of Tallinn’s Vene Street
Text Susanna Poikela
Photos Andrei Chertkov
The shop windows of Vene Street in Tallinn’s old town have received their traditional Christmas makeover. As with previous years, the shop windows display ornate nativity scenes depicting the miracle of Christmas.
Shop windows on Vene Street are usually full of all manner of products from clothes to souvenirs. However, each Christmas, these normal displays are replaced with festive nativity scenes. The subjects of Christmas nativity scenes include, of course, Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus and Joseph, surrounded by all the animals in the stable and the shepherds observing the Christmas miracle. Somewhere on their way to witness the birth of Jesus are also three wise men from the East – Melchior, Baltasar, and Caspar.
According to Christian tradition, the donkey symbolises non-Hebrew peoples and the bull Hebrew people. The three shepherds symbolise the three stages of human life: youth, adulthood, and old age. In this way, different peoples have metaphorically gathered by the Christmas manger to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
The Estonian Museum of Applied Art and Design will host a comprehensive retrospective exhibition, “Bruno Tomberg: Inventing Design,” that … Read more
8.11.2024 | Culture
Kai Art Center announces a call for applications for its 2025 residency program
Kai Art Center in Tallinn is now accepting applications for its 2025 Kai Residency program, which offers artists, curators, … Read more
7.11.2024 | Culture
PÖFF 2024 will screen over 500 films from 81 countries
The Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) has announced its full programme, featuring 249 full-length feature films and 323 short … Read more
6.11.2024 | Shopping
Shop for Estonia’s finest handicrafts at the St. Martin’s Fair
The St. Martin’s Fair, which is the largest crafts and folkloristic lifestyle event in Estonia, will take place at … Read more
5.11.2024 | Culture
The spooky pickle season begins at museums across south Estonia
Museums across south Estonia are kicking off the annual low season, known as the “pickle season” (hapukurgihooaeg in Estonian), … Read more
4.11.2024 | Culture
Exciting events in Estonia this week
01–07.11 Tallinn Restaurant Week, around Tallinn Tallinn Restaurant Week returns with 88 restaurants offering 2-course lunches and 3-course dinners … Read more
1.11.2024 | Culture
Ryoji Ikeda exhibtion comes to Tartu
The Ryoji Ikeda Solo Exhibition will be held from November 2, 2024, to March 2, 2025, at the Estonian … Read more
1.11.2024 | Culture
New photography pop-up gallery opens in Tallinn
On November 1 at 7 pm, the Estonian Photographic Artists’ Union (FOKU), in collaboration with the Rüki Gallery, will … Read more