These ancient sailboats have their own webpage (www.lodi.ee), that of the Emajõe Lodjaselts or Ema (Mother) River Lodja Association, where we can read that Emajõe-Lake Peipsi lodjad were one of kind puust kauba/purjekad (wooden freight sailboats), that were used on Peipsi järv and larger rivers for transporting kaup (cargo) for over 600 years – from the days of the Hansa, the Hanseatic League in the 14th century, until the mid-20th century. The majority of lodjad were destroyed in WW II. The lodi named Jõmmu, currently gracing the heart of Tartu, was built in 2006.
An entire jõulu/linn or Christmas city is open on Tartu's Raekoja plats throughout detsember, also called jõulu/kuu. This includes all kinds of events, laadad (fairs) and performances. Follow the Facebook pages: Tartu linn, Tartu kultuuri/aken, Jõululinn Tartu and Emajõe lodjaselts to find out more.
Visitors are invited to seek shelter from the chill in Jõmmu's warm trümm – no, not trumm (drum) – a TRÜMM is a ship's hold, also called the laeva lasti/ruum, used for storing cargo. Jõmmu's trümm is heated with a puu/pliit (wood stove) and you can drink tea and send jõulu/post from within, since there is also a post/kontor (post office) in the lodi! If you want to hear and sing along to a great song by Väikeste Lõõtspillide Ühing (the Small Accordians Society) about a ship's trümm, then go to www.vly.ee The first song is Laevatrümm and the lyrics are alongside.
Häid pühi! Happy holidays! Riina Kindlam, Tallinn
