Arizona local Estonians with an intermix of American family members celebrated "Eesti Vabariigi Aastapäeva" in Mesa, Arizona, adjacent to Phoenix on Sunday, February 26.

The group sang the Estonian National Anthem and then commenced to dine. There was plenty of delicious food including treats like kartulisalat (potato salad), sült (pig knuckle gelatin), mulgipuder (mulk porridge), verivorst (blood sausage), suitsukala (smoked fish), must leib (black bread) and especially delicious kringel.

Many of the first generation Estonians are aging but still look forward to the 100th Anniversary of Estonia in 2018.

Photo and text by

Peter Vaga Feldmann