Many of us have wonderful memories of the Christmas celebrations from our childhood. Maybe you remember a beautiful Christmas card, a nice gift, an attractive Christmas decoration, or a merry Christmas poem. Children look forward to the Advent Season, which brings along elves who leave candy in our shoes, and later expect the visit of a real Santa Claus. Father Christmas may visit some children himself but for some he leaves a bag with presents at their doorstep. Santa Claus probably started to visit Estonians in their homes in the 19th century. At first, only servants and children got the presents, which were simply left under the Christmas tree. During the 20th century, it became customary to give presents to all members of the family, and by the end of the century, even household pets received gifts made just for them.

The idea for a “Christmas Nostalgia” exhibition was inspired by Katrin Kaljuvee’s little collection of Christmas decorations. One of the items in the collection is an elf house that has been used for decoration since her childhood. It is important to follow a simple rule when placing the decoration – the house must be hung on the lower branches of the tree for the elves to find it.

In addition to decorations, several other Christmas-related items are on display: books, postcards, animal figures and other fascinating things.

We wish everyone a wonderful Advent Season!

The exhibition was compiled by Katrin Kaljuvee, 620 3556, and designed by Tiia Eikholm.