For the crafty one
In the realm of hand-crafted textiles, Koigu has been family owned and operated by the Estonian Canadian Landra women in Ontario for over 30 years and is committed to providing the highest quality natural fibres and keeping their process as handmade as possible. Koigu yarn is still dyed, hanked, labelled, and shipped by a small handful of local employees. Every skein sent out into the world is lovingly painted by hand and is a truly unique work of art. Koigu strives to provide makers with a wide variety of colour, yarns, and patterns to inspire creativity in knitting, crocheting, weaving, and beyond.
For your special someone
For custom jewellery pieces, visit Anvil, a Toronto-based boutique established in 1965. Anvil offers in-house design, refurbishment, appraisal, and engraving services. They specialize in creating custom engagement rings with natural and lab-grown diamonds, as well as jewellery to mark special milestones in their clients' lives. Anvil’s pieces are created with ethically-sourced precious metals and gemstones. If, for example, you're about to get engaged, the Zigzag Diamond Ring — a handmade 14k gold stacking ring with 25 round brilliant cut diamonds — would be a stunning ring for your spouse-to-be. They also feature one-of-a-kind collections by local Canadian designers in addition to their own ready-to-wear pieces. Anvil invites you to book a consultation for custom orders or shop their ready-to-wear collection at your convenience!
For the foodie
Creating ceramic products is Mud Culture Studio, a studio built in 2021 by Ella Valge-Saar. The studio is located in the territories of the Sinixt, Secwepemc, Syilx, Ktunaxa, and many other people — also known as Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. The studio is located near the confluence of the Illecillewaet and Columbia rivers, between the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges.
Ella creates functional objects that assist in food and drink consumption, sharing, growing, and preserving. She sources as many materials as possible from the Columbia River watershed and nearby valleys. This locally-focused approach to collecting rocks, silts, and plants allows Ella to develop truly unique glazes and surfaces that are specific to the local geography. Mud Culture’s goal as a business in a small city is to make products that keep the community strongly connected to the environment they live within and the food produced and consumed. Speaking of food, if you know someone who loves sushi and sashimi, you could purchase a colourful glazed sushi set, complete with a long plate and a raised dish for dipping in soy sauce.
For the bookworm
In addition to dinners and parties with our loved ones, the holidays are a time to unwind, and that includes reading. Urve Tamberg is delighted to announce that her historical novel, The Darkest Corner of the World, set in Estonia in 1941, is now available worldwide as both a print book and e-book. It’s a perfect gift for overseas family and friends, and is available to order directly from Amazon U.S.A., U.K., Australia, and beyond. Please visit her website www.utamberg.com for more information, as well as a free downloadable teacher’s guide and book club guide.
For the music lover
Of course, a live music experience is another gift with enduring meaning. Gifting an Estonian Music Week Festival Pass is like handing a key to experience a unique northern culture, small in size, big in creativity. Taking place between May 22nd and May 25th, 2025, EMW is offering festival passes to maximize the musical variety and simplicity of attending the festival. With Early Bird pricing, you can snag these passes at fantastic prices before the holidays and gift concerts with some of Estonians favourite artists like Curly Strings, Estonian Voices, Vox Clamantis and more. For $130, you can get their concert pass: use one ticket and attend six concerts spanning avant-pop, folktronica, bluegrass, and contemporary classical. For $237, you can get the VIP pass, accessing these concerts with the best available seating, along with the festival’s swanky Launch Party. Students won’t miss out on the action either, with a $110 student pass giving you entry (using student ID) to all of these concerts.
When purchasing the passes as a gift, just remember to enter the information of the gift recipient but use your own email address, so the surprise is kept safe until you forward/print the email when the festival begins. Sign up to the festival newsletter and grab those passes at estonianmusicweek.ca .
For all Estonians
While you’re here reading Eesti Elu, remember that a subscription to Eesti Elu / Estonian Life makes for an exceptional gift for all those who care about Estonian culture and language. Between December 6th, 2024 and January 15th, 2025, we have a special offer on subscriptions for all first-time subscribers and those whose subscriptions have expired at least three months ago.
Annual print subscriptions cost $135 CAD. Print subscriptions with first class delivery in Canada cost $185 (note: all print subscriptions include complimentary digital access). Digital only subscriptions are available for just $99. That’s excellent value for a publication that will continue your traditions, culture, and ties to Estonia for generations to come!
Eesti Elu subscribers get to enjoy:
-all of the latest Estonian news here in North America and Estonia
-a comprehensive calendar of Estonian events
-a directory of businesses you can trust
-updates from community organizations
-multimedia educational content
-activities for youth
-reviews of music, books, and films
-an inside-look at everything from tech to traditional Estonian recipes
And being in touch with one’s Estonian roots should be available to everyone, of all ages, which is why we’re also offering a 50% discount on annual digital subscriptions for students. You can purchase all Eesti Elu subscriptions at eestielu.ca/subscribe. Get in touch with us by email ( eetalitus@eestielu.ca ), phone ( 416-733-4550 ), in-person, or by mail ( Eesti Elu / Estonian Life, 3 Madison Ave, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 ).
Finally, don’t forget that you can make your mark on our publication by submitting a picture or story to us at eetoimetus@eestielu.ca and digitaleditor@eestielu.ca . As your community hub for all things Estonian, we value all contributions sent our way.
With all of these options, supporting your community is the only way to go this Christmas! By purchasing the above gifts, you’re not only strengthening your community, you’re supporting yourself and your culture.
