This year's theme is Vana (old) Tallinn and there are replicas of churches, the famous Vana Toomas tuule/lipp (weather vane), a dragon-head gargoyle vee/süliti (water spout), katku/mask (plague doctor mask), ukse/koputid (door knockers) and other vanalinna (Old Town) treasures.
With no stately, old department stores like Hudson's Bay or Macy's, kids in Eesti don't have the tradition of marvelling at big city animated Christmas window displays, although the closest examples are not far away in Helsinki (Stockmann) and Stockholm (Nordiska Kompaniet (NK) and Åhléns).
In the photo, you can see lights shining on the Draama/teater across the street, above the admiring faces contemplating stepping inside to be a mutter masina/värgis (bolt in the machinery) or outright actor within the artworks of the Christmas window display. No lack of old-fashioned jõulu/maagia (Christmas magic) here either. (See more at piparkoogimaania.ee)
Riina Kindlam, Tallinn
