Florida Estos

Jõuluvana (Santa Claus) visited 47 members of the Estonian Society of Central Florida (Kesk Florida Eesti Selts) — our largest December number ever — at our luncheon on Sunday, December 8, 2013, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in our holiday location in the private room at Midtown Sundries Sports Bar, 200 First Avenue South, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Children of all ages were invited to sing to Jõuluvana (Santa Claus) in exchange for a gift. The older children (adults) got off easy this year: lovely gift bags were distributed to everyone without a test of their memory of Christmas poems and songs. Six children were especially good this year and appeared on Jõuluvana’s list: Annika and Logan Karr, Liisi Nei, Arabella and Aramis Richards, and Will Toomepuu. Jõuluvana (Santa Claus) gave them an especially warm welcome with special gifts just for them.

In anticipation of Väino Aare’s 91st birthday on December 11, everyone rose to their feet, raised their glasses and sang, “Ta elagu!” to honor the birthday celebrant.

The highlight of our Christmas season will be the Estonian community’s church service on Christmas Eve officiated by Pastor Priit Rebane. The service will start at 2:00 pm, December 24, 2013, in Trinity Lutheran Church, 401 5th Street N, St. Petersburg, Florida. Directions can be found by clicking on the Church’s web link here: Trinity Lutheran Church. If you are in the area, please join us!

Jõuluvana is making his list, checking it twice, gonna find out who’s naughty or nice — Sunday, December 8, 2013

For information about the Kesk Florida Eesti Selts, please contact:
Mr. Rein Raja at (727) 866-2614, raja77@verizon.net
or
Ms. Maare Kuuskvere at (941) 795-6835, jaank@verizon.net

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On Saturday, December 7, 2013, a small group from the membership of the Estonian Society of Central Florida (Kesk Florida Eesti Selts) gathered once again to make traditional Estonian verivorst at the home of Leena and Väino Aare in Bradenton, Florida. Five pairs of sausage-makers took turns in the kitchen, stuffing casings with fillings individually prepared according to secret recipes. Allspice? sage? marjoram? ham? bacon? fresh ham? salt pork? Yum! Bring on the traditional Estonian Christmas feast! Our labors concluded with our annual celebration of Väino Aare’s birthday, 91 years young this year. The birthday kringel was scrumptious! How many Estonians in the United States had a day like the day we had today to make verivorstid: 83 degrees and a clear blue sunny sky?!

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