Sunday Is Dedicated to Women
Text Timo Raussi Photo Andrei Chertkov
International Women’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, 8 March. In Estonia, the day remains an important annual event during which wives, mothers, daughters, and—in the case of single men—female friends are remembered with flowers and often a restaurant dinner, sometimes accompanied by cake and sparkling wine. During the Soviet times, the day was marked on calendars in red as a public holiday. Although society and working life have made the holiday more ordinary, many employers still acknowledge the women in their communities with small floral or refreshment greetings.
Because this time the date falls right after payday weekend, many entertainment businesses are making the most of the festive Women’s Day consumer atmosphere. Starting already on Thursday, but especially on Saturday, various hobby and craft gatherings, concerts, cabaret and cocktail evenings, themed dinners, and more—marketed as celebrations of womanhood—are held across Estonia. In any case, making a restaurant reservation from Friday onwards is strongly recommended.
According to Facebook event pages, the following Estonian restaurants will hold programme-based dinners—featuring music, storytelling, or a special menu—between 6–8 March, or brunches on Sunday. If you’re coming to Estonia, check your favourite restaurants’ websites or Facebook pages to confirm schedules, so you won’t be turned away at the door with the apology: “We’re already completely full.”
Friday nights in Tallinn’s restaurants are always popular, even though this time there seem to be no advance announcements online about special Women’s Day Eve events. In Pärnu, however, Restaurant Noot and—on all three weekend evenings—Restaurant Kurgo are already in the spirit of the occasion.
Special Saturday programmes in Tallinn restaurants include: Focus, Hiiu Pubi, Horisont, Humalakoda, Puente, Roof, and Swissôtel’s The Quarter, and elsewhere in Estonia: Sinimandria in Tartu, and Raimond in Pärnu.
On Sunday, Women’s Day brunch in Tallinn will be served at least at: A.JU, Fotografiska, Literaat, MEKK, NOA, Paju Villa, Senso, Tchaikovsky, UMA, VõiVõi, and the cat café Nurri. In Pärnu, brunches are offered at Villa Ammende and Villa Wesset, and in Tartu at least at Paber Tiiger, Pazzo, and Ülikooli kohvik.
A special Women’s Day dinner can be enjoyed in Tallinn at least at ISSEI, and in Pärnu at Mon Ami, and the Beach Hotel.
Sunday evening can also be spent with music dedicated to women. In Tallinn, Jalmar Vabarna—known from the band Trad.Attack!—will give a solo concert at the Nõmme Cultural Centre, and a grander event takes place at the Alexela Concert Hall, where Ivo Linna, Marko Matvere, and others will headline the romantic “From Men to Women” gala concert. In Tartu, Estonia’s perhaps best-known a cappella group, Estonian Voices, will perform in the atrium of the National Museum ERM in honour of their new album “For My Dearest”.
To learn more about this and similar topicsBrunch celebration Concert Pärnu restaurant Tallinn Tartu Women’s Day
