Laulupidu was first started in 1869 to commemorate the "Great Awakening" of the country, or a surge in the production of native art, literature and composition. Today almost 200,000 people come together every fifth summer to sing in concerts for two or three days while dressed in exquisite folk costumes. These people represent the largest choir in the world. The song festival is considered part of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in an effort to conserve and preserve Estonian song and dance.
The song festival provides not only a point of national pride but also a symbol of resistance and rebellion. The songs sung at the festival were first performed in the late 19th century to advocate for Estonian independence and to rally people to the cause of self-rule while the country was run by the Russian Empire. After only twenty years of independence from Russia, Estonia was occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II and eventually fell under the control of the Soviet Union for many decades. For many years during periods of occupation, the song festival Laulupidu was either canceled or used to promote Communist propaganda. However, in the second half of the 20th century, Estonians started to use the song festival to voice discontent with Soviet rule and to speak out for the rights of Estonians everywhere.
