Flag of Estonia consecrated at Otepää

Background. In 1870, the predecessor of the Estonian Students' Society, the first Estonian-speaking student organisation, was established at the University of Tartu. In 1881 it adopted a set of three "colours": blue, black, and white. The first tricolour flag was made in the spring of 1884.

Consecration. The consecration occurred on 4 June 1884 at Otepää. The flag was dedicated in the Nuustaku Church as the flag of the Estonian Students' Society. This event established the blue-black-white tricolour as the society's symbol, which later became associated with Estonian nationalism.

Symbolism. A symbolic interpretation popularized by Martin Lipp associates the blue band with the sky, the black band with the soil, and the white band with purity, hard work, and commitment. This interpretation was established through poetry and song, though it post-dates the 1884 consecration.