Since every bit of lunacy that a fevered mind can come up with surely already exists in the world, I'm sure there is a pressure group dedicated to splitting Estonian society somewhere that regularly convenes to think up new ways of driving a wedge between people while regularly falling out with itself over failing to agree how best to go about it.

In the service of these attempts at creating faction is not just the planned marriage referendum but all elections as they are little else than politicians pulling the people in opposite directions.

Every person absolutely needs to be either a conservative or a liberal today, all options in between that until recently seemed universal and humane, being conservative on some issues and liberal on others, will likely be banned together with the next batch of coronavirus restrictions.

The situation is made all the more peculiar by the fact that the government is headed by the Center Party that, according to its very name, should act as a link between the two extremes instead of contributing to the divide. However, Center finds itself at the bottom of the vast cleft between the liberals and the conservatives today.

Of course, all of it is just politics that shouldn't have much to do with everyday life. It shouldn't matter whether the boiler-man is a Christian, Muslim or a homosexual as long as my apartment stays warm. However, this approach has become outdated and is no longer in tune with the zeitgeist and neither is Christmas for that matter.

For a very long time, Christmas was considered far removed from politics. It is a lovely tradition and a meeting point of Christianity and paganism, not liberalism and conservatism.

This fortress of neutrality finally fell on the First Advent Sunday of this year and from here on out, we will probably have to clearly define which side our Christmas is on.

The discourse changed in Rakvere. Eesti Päevaleht reported how actress Ülle Lichtfeldt and Social Democratic Party chairman Indrek Saar sold the city a Christmas tree and donated the proceeds to LGBT+ film festival Festheart and the Rakvere Church of the Trinity.

The city's centrist mayor Andres Jaadla responded by saying that, "Christmas is a Christian and conservative holiday. But we have a social democratic tree in the city square." Jaadla and a group of kindred spirits erected their own Christmas tree outside the local railway station. Rakvere city councilman Allan Jaakus (Center) told Päevaleht that, "here we have a proud Christian spruce, here reside true Christmas peace and true values."

Rakvere has made the news with its Christmas trees or rather Christmas installations on numerous occasions. While fun and bold undertakings have now become a thing of the past, the tradition of putting on a show for Christmas has been maintained.

Rakvere's example could be followed by all Estonian settlements in erecting politically defined public Christmas trees. Cities could have a liberal so as not to say social democratic tree at one end and a Christian or conservative tree at the other.

They would also have two Santa Clauses. A liberal one, wearing a red coat and delivering presents to likeminded individuals and a conservative Santa clad in blue, showering with gifts those who share appropriate views while parrying accusations from deep state elves according to which he looks suspiciously like Ded Moroz.

Therefore, it is no longer recommended to simply wish people "Merry Christmas" and one should definitely specify whether they mean "Merry Conservative Christmas" or "Merry Liberal Christmas." The holidays are drawing nearer, the days will soon start becoming longer and the world keeps getting crazier.

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