NordenBladet —
Tomorrow, on 4 June 2019, the blue, black and white flag of Estonia will be 135 years old. On this occasion, the Riigikogu and the Estonian Flag Association invite everybody to the ceremony of raising the national flag of Estonia at 7 a.m. in the Governor’s Garden at Toompea, at the foot of the Tall Hermann Tower. In the afternoon, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., the Tall Hermann Tower will be open for visiting.
The national anthem of the Republic of Estonia will be performed when the flag is raised. The flag raising team is made up of the representatives of the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration Foundation, the Institute of the Estonian Language, and Gustav Adolf Grammar School.
President of the Riigikogu Henn Põlluaas and Chairman of the Estonian Flag Association Jüri Trei will speak at the ceremony. Archbishop of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church Urmas Viilma will say the words of blessing.
Head of the Danish Flag Society Erik Fage-Pedersen will greet Estonia on the occasion of its National Flag Day. This year, we mark the 135th anniversary of the national flag of Estonia and the 800th anniversary of the national flag of Denmark.
The honour guards of the Defence League, Women’s Home Defence, Young Eagles, Home Daughters, Scouts, Guides and academic organisations, and the flag hoisting units of societies, associations, and schools will attend the flag raising ceremony in the Governor’s Garden.
The orchestra of the Defence Forces, and the choirs of the Estonian Female Song Society and the schools of Tallinn will perform at the ceremony. The choirs will sing “Hoia, Jumal, Eestit” (“God Save Estonia”, music by Juhan Aavik, words by Aleksander Leopold Raudkepp) and “Eesti lipp” (“Flag of Estonia”, music by Enn Võrk, words by Martin Lipp).
From 3 p.m., the Tall Hermann Tower will be opened for visiting. In order to ensure smooth entrance, visitors will be given free tickets indicating the time for entrance to the tower.
The National Flag Day is celebrated on the anniversary of consecration of the blue-black-and-white flag of the Estonian Students’ Society. The first blue-black-and-white flag was made in spring 1884, and was blessed and consecrated at Otepää parsonage on 4 June. This year we celebrate the 135th anniversary of the consecration of our blue-black-and-white flag.
Riigikogu Press Service
Marie Kukk
+372 631 6456; +372 5821 3309
E-mail: marie.kukk@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee
Source: Parliament of Estonia