Victory Day in Estonia
June 23 · Level 8 · #547 of 2238
Estonia's Victory Day commemorates the defeat of the Baltic Landeswehr at the Battle of Võnnu in 1919. It remembers a decisive episode in the War of Independence and the people who fought for the country's freedom.
How it is celebrated: flags are raised, wreaths are laid and a parade features the Estonian Defence League. The president sends a symbolic victory flame across the country to light festive bonfires.
Võnnu is the Estonian name for Cēsis in Latvia: the battle behind this national holiday took place in a neighbouring country.