The Estonian Cultural Garden was dedicated June 19, 1966. Each year, the Estonian community and friends gather to celebrate Estonian Victory Day (võidupüha) and St John’s Day (jaanipäev).
This year local Estonians celebrated võidupüha and jaanipäev on June 26th, 2022.
Toomas Tubalkain served as MC. Pastor Peeter Pirn led a prayer in Estonian and then English. Toomas gave remarks about the current situation in Ukraine and then Judge Ralph Perk Jr., president of the American Nationalities Movement, gave his remarks about freedom. Bill Cook entertained with a few clarinet songs. Toomas read a poem he wrote and then the group gathered in front of the Estonian monument where they sang the Estonian national anthem.
Toomas described the story behind their monument which commemorates ‘Kalevipoeg’ or as Toomas likes to call it, the Estonian Creation Myth. As he said, “The story of our Creation Myth is relevant today, as it has been for millennia. Kalev and Estonia suffered for centuries under foreign occupation, but the culture of the Estonian people never faltered and proved to be their salvation”.
Watch a video of the ceremony in the Estonian Cultural Garden, and enjoy the photos: tinyurl.com/5dza8bze
