A festival as a way to unite ethnic groups in modern Estonia
The article points out that a festival in Estonia is an event that attracts a large audience, where this audience consists of not only passive listeners, but also active participants in festivals. Music, in particular singing in groups, is viewed as an important element in the tradition of the Estonian people. People can express their political and civic position through singing. The factors of the communicative function include a text, singing and music, they create an active interaction. The tradition of the Estonian people includes singing as an important mechanism for self-expression and influences social behaviour. Estonian song festivals are cultural performances when ethnic identity is expressed. Modern researchers divide a festival into two components - rituals and spectacles. The article is devoted to ethnic festivals, spectacles and rituals taking place in Estonia. The author of the article makes an attempt to identify the features of three festivals: the Estonian Song Festival ( Laulupidu ), the most popular one, a festival of celebration of Estonian identity; Setomaa’s song festival Leelopäev , a smaller-scale festival, a festival of the Setos, one of the small-numbered peoples of Estonia; the festival of Slavic songs and dances Slavic Wreath , which is celebrated by the numerous Slavic community of the republic.