(Swiftie’dest sõnadeni: mida Taylor Swift meile uhkeks eestlaseks olemise kohta õpetab)
Join Estonian-Canadian sisters Kaili and Kaarin—moms of young kids and co-founders of Sõnad: Esto Words, a learning resource company—as they share creative ideas and heartfelt reflections on staying connected to their roots.
In a world where traditions risk fading, they explore meaningful ways to keep the Estonian spirit thriving. Whether you’re Estonian by heritage, reconnecting with your roots, or discovering the culture through family or curiosity, their insights inspire fresh ways to celebrate and cultivate a sense of pride and belonging.
When tickets for Laulupidu (the Estonian Song Festival) recently went on sale, one of our friends in Estonia texted Kaarin, “Don’t worry, it’s not Taylor Swift.” At first, we laughed. But by 7:00 a.m. EST, as the best seats vanished and we were frantically refreshing our browsers, it felt a lot like chasing Taylor Swift tickets. The stress was real—and eerily similar to when Kaarin’s husband refreshed Ticketmaster every five minutes for days trying to make our Wildest Dreams come true. But we digress.
Kaili’s nine-year-old daughter, Berkeley, is a suur (big) ‘Swiftie’ and she actually dared us to write a column for Eesti Elu about the pop star. Challenge accepted, Berkeley! Let’s dive into what Taylor Swift can teach us about being proud Estonians.
1. Evolving While Staying True to Yourself (Muutumine, kuid enda olemuse säilitamine)
From country sweetheart to pop-kuninganna (queen), Taylor has stayed true to herself through every era. Similarly, Estonians have weathered countless changes—war, occupation, diaspora—but we’ve always held onto our core values and juured (roots).
Swifties are like a global family—one that feels like home no matter where we are. We get that. Whether it's a Jõuluvana (Santa) visit or a laager (camp) hang, Estonians flourish when we celebrate traditions together and lift each other up.
2. Power in a Global Community (Võim globaalses kogukonnas)
As Taylor sings in “You Belong With Me”: “If you could see that I’m the one who understands you…” Like Swifties, Estonians share a deep, unbreakable bond.
Swifties are like a global family—one that feels like home no matter where we are. We get that. Whether it's a Jõuluvana (Santa) visit or a laager (camp) hang, Estonians flourish when we celebrate traditions together and lift each other up.
3. Resilience Is Everything (Vastupidavus on kõik)
Taylor has faced her share of challenges, using them to fuel her growth. Similarly, resilience runs deep in the Estonian spirit. From enduring Soviet occupation to becoming global innovators as e-Estonia, we’ve done more than survive—we’ve thrived.
Resilience isn’t just part of us—it’s our superjõud (superpower).
4. Storytelling through Music: The Heart of Our Culture (Lugude jutustamine muusika kaudu: meie kultuuri süda)
Taylor’s music tells lugusid (stories) about love, heartbreak, and triumph. Remember the Singing Revolution? That was us. We hold onto our history All Too Well and pass it down through songs, folk tales, and traditions that remind us who we are and where we come from.
5. Be Proud of Your Identity (Olge oma identiteedi üle uhked)
Taylor is unapologetically herself, and that’s something we can all aspire to. As Estonian-Canadians, we know the balancing act of living between two worlds, but our uhkus (pride) in our heritage grounds us.
It’s our Love Story, and one thing’s for sure: we are never, ever, ever letting go of our Estonian roots.
We did it, Berkeley! Your turn—you owe us sinine, must ja valge (blue, black, and white) friendship bracelets for Laulupidu. And yes, they’d better match our rahvariided (folk costumes). No pressure.
