National Symbols of Estonia Quiz
February is an important month in Estonia and there’s a lot of celebrations because the 24th of February is Independence Day. Let’s learn about some symbols of Estonia and Estonian culture to help you decipher all of the visuals that can be found on Estonian food and art, as well as the decorations at many celebrations.
If you want to learn more about the traditions surrounding Independence Day, have a look at the dedicated blog post here.
In order to make it more fun, try to guess the following symbols of Estonia! Don’t worry, you will have multiple options. Each answer will be revealed after the picture.
Let’s start with one of the easier questions. What is the national flower of Estonia?
a. daisy
b. tulip
c. blue cornflower
Source: Unsplash
The answer is C - the blue cornflower. You may have seen this flower on many clothes and especially souvenirs from Estonia. The blue cornflower has been the national flower since 1969. As many Estonian national symbols were suppressed during the Soviet times, the blue cornflower and the national bird became ways to express the struggle for independence without getting into trouble with the authorities.
In connection to that, which of these is the national bird?
a. barn swallow
b. dove
c. goose
Source: Unsplash
The answer is A - the barn swallow. Just like the blue cornflower, the motif of barn swallows can be found in various logos, art pieces, awards and comics. The barn swallow was chosen as the national bird in 1962 to raise awareness of the need to protect all birds and their habitats. The barn swallow is also the national bird of Austria!
What is the name of the national anthem?
a. Ood rõõmule (Ode to Joy)
b. Mu isamaa on minu arm (My Fatherland is My Love)
c. Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm (My Fatherland, My Happiness and Joy)
Source: Unsplash
The correct answer is C - The national anthem is Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm. It was adopted as the national anthem in 1920. The lyrics were written by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. Jannsen was a key figure in the national awakening in the late 1800s. He sadly passed away before Estonia gained independence in 1918, but his legacy lives on through his words.
The song “Mu isamaa on minu arm” (My Fatherland is My Love) is based on a poem by the renowned poet Lydia Koidula - who was coincidentally Jannsen’s daughter - which became an unofficial anthem before Estonia re-gained independence. This song has been proposed as a new anthem because it has a very strong message and the fact that the current anthem “Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm” actually has the same melody as another country’s anthem!
So can you guess which country’s anthem shares the same melody?
a. Sweden
b. Finland
c. Latvia
Source: Unsplash
The correct answer is B - Finland. The melody was composed by Fredrik/Friedrich Pacius who is considered to be the father of Finnish music.
The next question may be a bit trickier, but you may also recognize this person from the famous chocolates sold everywhere in Estonia. Who is the national hero of Estonia?
a. Kalevipoeg
b. Kalev
c. Kama
Source: Unsplash
The correct answer is A - Kalevipoeg. And this is a bit of a trick question! Kalev is the father of Kalevipoeg. Kalevipoeg means son of Kalev. And kama is an Estonian dish but since they all start with the same letters and are names of chocolates, it’s okay if you got tricked. ;)
For the last question, you can quickly check any change you may have lying around the house. What is the back of the Estonian euro coin design?
a. blue cornflower
b. an outline of the country
c. the national hero Kalevipoeg
Source: Unsplash
The correct answer is B - an outline of Estonia! All of the Estonian Euro coins have the same design, so it will be easy to figure out if you are carrying around Estonian coins. Estonia joined the Eurozone in 2011. Did you know 2024 will also mark 20 years since Estonia became a member state of the European Union? There’s lots to celebrate this year!
Let us know how you did on this quiz and if any of these quiz answers really surprised you! You can head over to the dedicated forum threads here and here to share some of your country’s symbols.
Ingrid, OLS Community Manager – Estonian