The Finno-Ugrian Days tradition dates back to 1931, Fenno-Ugria Foundation adviser Jaak Prozes said on ETV's "Terevisioon" Wednesday morning.

That year, delegations from Estonia, Finland and Hungary decided at the fourth World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples to start simultaneously celebrating Finno-Ugrian Day.

During the Soviet occupation in Estonia, Finno-Ugrian Day could not be celebrated publicly, however people did so privately.

"I've spoken with the late [Estonian translator] Linda Viiding, for example, and during Soviet times, the Finnish flag would still be pulled out from the back of the closet, and people would say, 'Today is Finno-Ugrian Day,'" Prozes said. "That's how it was celebrated then."

Nowadays, Finno-Ugrian Days are marked by various events across the country. This year, however, the main focus will be on Ida-Viru County in Northeastern Estonia.

"A significant part of the population there has Finno-Ugric roots," he highlighted.

The foundation adviser also emphasized the important role schools play in the celebration of Finno-Ugrian Days.

"The main celebrations are in schools, either during language arts class or as more formal assemblies," he explained.

Among other events this week, an event at the Chamber Hall of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theater (EMTA) on Thursday evening will be dedicated to "airing," or pulling out and wearing, Finnish folk dress. According to Prozes, the point of the event is to showcase folk dress more prominently.

"The folk dress tradition in Finland is quite conservative, and there are very few opportunities to pull this folk dress out," he explained. "But they're dusted off for Finno-Ugrian Days."

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