Tallinn Christmas Market opens Friday
With the tree in place, lights going up and stalls taking shape, Tallinn's Town Hall Square is buzzing as crews race to ready Estonia's most famous Christmas market by Friday.
Late autumn rain hasn't slowed the decorating in recent days — Christmas lights are already glowing on the capital's showcase spruce, which arrived last Thursday.
Aigar Palsner, city environment director at Tallinn's Department of Urban Management, said crews had strung five kilometers of wiring and installed more than 34,000 LED bulbs by Monday.
He added that 300 gold ornaments of various sizes would be hung on the tree, along with 70 cluster lights.
As Friday approaches and with rain increasingly turning into snow, vendors are scrambling too.
Rätsepa Farm is back for its 19th straight year and working hard to finish setup in time. Owner Allan Aujärv said they're introducing grilled chicken to the menu this year — and a new grill is being shipped in from Greece for the occasion.
"I hope it gets here in time for the first day," he said, noting that tracking showed it hadn't even reached Estonia yet.
Seasonal hiring keeps shifting year to year. Aujärv said some years they've recruited for six weeks only to lose half the staff right before opening day. But the past two years brought a surge in applications.
Taken together, cooks and servers submitted around 700 CVs over the past month, he noted, adding that "this time we've actually had candidates."
About a quarter of jobseekers look for seasonal work around Christmas, but employers are hiring less.
Karl Oder, marketing manager at the popular job portal cv.ee, said the trend tracks with the wider economy. Job postings have declined as businesses cut back.
"The economic situation is difficult," he said.
Running a stall at Tallinn's Christmas market doesn't come cheap either — vendors say renting a single lot costs €13,000 before VAT. And with the longtime market operator's contract ending this year, the city now has to decide what comes next.
Palsner said planning for 2026 needs to start right after New Year's, and the City of Tallinn must choose whether to bring in another private operator or run the popular holiday market itself.
"Those decisions are still being made," he said.
Open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., the 2025 Tallinn Christmas Market runs from Friday, November 21 through Sunday, December 28.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Aili Vahtla
