There are rabbits and then there are the city rabbits.

We don’t know much about what Toivo does in the summer, but as soon as there are the hints of cold weather, he’s right back in Tartu. He readies his best suits and meets up with his partners in the Department of Communal Services of Tartu City Government (together they need to find a big Christmas tree, check the snowploughs, put a new coat of paint on the carousels, etc.).

However, we can make some guesses based on last summer. It was the home stretch of applying for the title of the European Capital of Culture, and this patriot of Tartu with all of his skills and talent was up to his ears in work.

Toivo is renting a vegetable cellar in the city centre for winter, which means he’s often on Town Hall Square. In the Village of Light, children can practise reciting Christmas poems with Toivo and the city rabbit will reunite lost children with their parents. Toivo will also be providing information about the pony and horse schedules and spinning the carousels. He also knows an unprecedented number of stories to tell to children, some of them are seated deep in our folklore, some… not so much. But hey, it is Christmas.

He always carries extra tissues in his pockets for runny little noses. If parents are, ahem, tired, Toivo will play tag with the children and always volunteers to be the chaser.