Florida Estos

On Sunday, December 4, 2022, more than 60 members and old and even more new friends of the Estonian Society of Central Florida/Kesk Florida Eesti Selts welcomed Jõuluvana (Santa Claus) to their annual holiday lunch.

We were especially thrilled to welcome our families, growing in numbers.

This year, Astrid and Heinar Normet hosted us in the community center at their new home in Bradenton, Florida. Thank you, Astrid and Heinar! Current and former members of the KFES Juhatus/Estonian Society of Central Florida Board did yeoman’s work that led to such a successful afternoon. Thanks especially to Moonika Mägi, Monika Orumaa, Astrid and Heinar Normet, Heikki and Inne Joonsar, Anneliis Kuusik and Rein Allikberg, Triin Karr, Reet Cabrera, Vincent and Birgit DeLaidatti, and so many others who contributed helping hands and delicious foods!

Traditional holiday fare for our meal, thanks to good scouting by Monika Orumaa, included mouth watering Cuban roast pork and German verivorst. Members complemented the meal with mashed and roast potatoes, hapukapsad (sauerkraut), cranberry sauce and pickled pumpkin, and cucumbers in sour cream. Appetizers abounded.

Desserts filled a table all on their own. The centerpiece was a birthday cake to celebrate KFES Treasurer Heikki Joonsar’s birthday. Märten Vaikmaa surprised us by ordering a large selection of custom European and Estonian tortes and desserts made from scratch by the very talented Krislin Kreis, who runs Krislin’s Cakes, a cottage bakery from her home. You may also find Krislin offering tours at her home, the Wonder House, in Bartow, Florida. We were delighted and certainly grateful that Inga and Veiko Kreis, Krislin’s parents, made the journey from Ft. Myers and Bartow to deliver Krislin’s scrumptious goods!

In addition to the many adults with busy hands this afternoon, our children were also put on task. Decorating gingerbread cookies is now an annual highlight!

Though a traditional Estonian holiday dinner with our growing Estonian Kesk Florida Eesti Selts family is a highlight for us each December, the stars of the show were Jõuluvana himself, assisted by his trusty päkapikk. Persuaded the room was filled with good girls and boys, Jõuluvana distributed special gifts to each child. In return, we serenaded Jõuluvana with a song or two and filled the room with good cheer until the sun set and it was time once again to go home.

Enjoy these holiday photos of many of the members of our Kesk Florida Eesti Selts family who joined us today.

We look forward to seeing you again in the New Year! In the meantime, we wish you all Rõõmsaid Jõulupühi and all the joys of the holiday season as you celebrate in your own special ways.

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