Lentorama 2019: Resurrect My Globe!

Day 4: Estonia

Not surprisingly, many cultures combined local/pagan traditions with Easter traditions as Christianity spread. In Estonia, one of these traditions is the construction and use of large wooden swings. Each town or village would have one in a public space, constructed by the young men (who would get small tokens of appreciation for doing so). People swung for health, happiness, and success (for themselves, livestock, crops, etc.).

The practice is actually common in the Baltic and Eastern European regions, but I chose to mention it with Estonia given the country's passion for swinging. This is probably best seen in the sport of kiiking, which is sort of like pole vaulting, but with the athlete trying to swing around a bar rather than just clear it. Honestly, it looks a little nuts, but you do you, Estonia.