Picture: Raigo Tõnisalu

Dates

Saturday 28 December 2024 - Wednesday 1 January 2025

Who can participate?

The meetings is for young adults of between 18 and 35 years. Group leaders may be older. All residents of Tallinn are invited to take part in the common prayers and afternoon workshops.

Accommodation

Some forty Christian communities in Tallinn and the surrounding area are getting ready to welcome guests. They are looking for host families for the four nights, four breakfasts and lunch on 1 January. If the number of participants exceeds the capacity of the host families, group accommodation will be offered in sports halls or schools. Young adults with a disability need to register before 1 November in order to receive suitable accommodation.

How can I take part if I already have my own accommodation?
If you have already arranged your own accommodation during the meeting, it is essential that you indicate the address of your accommodation on the registration form. You must also come and register at the arrival point to receive the programme, tickets, etc. Your hosts should contact the nearest host community and explain that you will be attending during the event.

On Arrival

Participants will be welcomed directly in the host communities. This year, there will be no centralised reception on 28 December. From 20 November onwards, the preparation team in Tallinn will send registrants the contact details of the person(s) responsible for welcoming them in the community(ies) that will be allocated to them. It will be up to each participant (or group or sub-group leader) to contact the host community in Tallinn by email or telephone from the end of November to finalise arrival and hosting details before Christmas: GPS coordinates of the host community, arrival time, last-minute changes to group composition, special needs for a group member, departure time, etc. Participants will receive receipts for meals and public transport, based on the figures given on the registration form and the contribution paid by 8 December.

For leaders registering groups
 So that in each district there be a good diversity of participants, large groups who come to the meeting will be divided between different host communities, in sub-groups of 15-20 participants.
 If you come by bus, it is important to explain to your transport company in advance that there will be a number of stops to make in Tallinn, so that each sub-group can be dropped off at its assigned host community. We can indicate a parking area for buses, but we cannot provide accommodation for bus drivers.

Programme

Saturday 28 December 2024
 08:00 to 11:00: Arrival of participants who are welcomed directly in the local communities to which they have been allocated, and and then by families.
 15:30 meeting in the host communities and departure together for evening meal and prayer.
 17:30 start of meal distribution (a packed lunch is provided for the following day)
 19:00 Evening prayer (until 20:15), then return to the host families between 21:00 and 22:00.

Sunday 29th December
 Breakfast with families
 11:00 Sunday worship in the host community
 13:30 picnic lunch in the city-centre
 14:30 theme workshops in the city-centre
 17:30 start of meal distribution (a packed lunch is provided for the following day)
 19:00 evening prayer, then return to the host families between 21:00 and 22:00

Monday 30, Tuesday 31 December
 Breakfast with families
 09:00 morning prayer and programme in the host communities
 12:30 lunch on the way to the city centre (food distributed the evening before)
 13:00 Midday prayer in city-centre churches
 14:30 Workshops on themes related to faith and the inner life, social commitment, culture and artistic creation
 17:30 meal distribution (a packed lunch is provided for the following day)
 19:00 evening prayer, then return to the host families between 21:00 and 22:00 pm
On Tuesday 31 December: 23:00: prayer for peace in the host communities followed by a ‘festival of nations’, with participants returning to families before 02:00.

Wednesday 1 January 2025
 Breakfast with families
 10:00 morning prayer/celebration and farewell meeting in the host communities
 13:00 lunch with the hosting families
 16:00 departure for the return journey

Catholic Eucharist
The majority of the host communities will be from various Protestant traditions. This will be an opportunity to discover them. A Catholic Eucharist will be offered each day, late afternoon, for those who wish to attend.

Registration

Register here
Registrations will be open until 30 November.

Cost

Participants are asked to make a contribution towards the costs of the meeting (food, transport, logistics, etc.). The amount varies according to the cost of living in the different countries:
For young people from Romania: €60
For young people from Moldova: €50
For participants or group leaders whose professional activity allows them to contribute more, we suggest €90.

If you arrive on 26 December to help, the requested contribution is the same.

Your contribution needs to be paid by card before 8 December 2024 through your registration form. If you prefer to make a bank transfer, please contact meetings taize.fr for the correct account number. Please note: we cannot make refunds! You will automatically receive a proof of payment when you contribute by credit card. If you also need a receipt, please ask for one when you make your contribution, and not later.

Travel

Buses are being organised:
 from Warsaw: https://katolicydlasrodowiska.pl/eu... Return ticket: €135
 from Berlin: https://www.regenbogen-tourservice....

Those who need to travel by air may be able to use an offer made by AirBaltic: those travelling to Tallinn for the European Meeting (travel dates within the period 24 December and 5 January), can use the discount code TAIZETLL24

26 December - Helpers’ arrival

We need some volunteers to come two days early. Do you play an instrument or sing in a choir? Would you like to help in a service team (meal distribution, cleaning, preparation of prayer areas, transport, workshops, etc.)? Would you like to support a local community in welcoming people, organising prayers and the morning programme?

The reception on 26 December will be between 09:00 and 13:00 at a city-centre location. You will receive preliminary information and be allocated to host parishes. Friday 27 December will be spent setting up the work teams, rehearsals for the choir and musicians, and preparing for participants to arrive in the local communities of Tallinn and the surrounding area.

The temperature in Tallinn

Don’t forget to bring warm clothes and insulating footwear. At the end of December, average temperatures are around 0° but you should be prepared for temperatures below 0°. December days last 6 hours. The sun rises after 09:00 and sets well before 16:00. Check the weather forecast before you leave and adjust your equipment accordingly!

Bring

 Check that you are covered by civil liability insurance
 European health insurance card or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)
 Identity document (ID card or passport) and photocopy of it
 A pair of slippers (it is customary to take your shoes off when entering a house)
 A telephone with charger
 A square of foam to sit on the floor
 Photos of your family, group, church, etc.
 A small gift for your host family
 A sleeping bag and a sleeping mat
 Any medication you need

Safeguarding

Please read carefully the page concerning Safeguarding. It will be completed and updated as the meeting approaches.

Preparation

On social networks @taizetallinn, you will find news with photos of the preparation.
See a video presentation: Multimedia resources
Read some background: The pilgrimage of trust continues on the shores of the Baltic
Further preparation material will be published on the Taizé website over the coming months.