TALLINN — In an unprecedented move, the Estonian government has declared e-governance outages a national holiday, officially titled “E-Lapse-Puhkus” (E-Lag Day). Citizens are encouraged to celebrate by taking a day off work to visit their local sauna.
The decision follows a tumultuous week where the e-Estonia platform experienced multiple failures, causing the digital nation to momentarily regress to paper forms.
”It’s a wonderful opportunity to disconnect and truly embrace our heritage,” said government spokesperson Mart, who is also a sauna enthusiast.
Across the country, Estonians have taken to social media to organize sauna meetups, competitive leib baking contests, and skills workshops on how to cope without digital solutions for an entire day.
”I never thought I’d see the day when not having access to e-Residency is actually a reason to throw a party. But here we are!” exclaimed Peeter, who runs a startup in Tallinn.
As of now, the government has not specified whether the holiday will include mandatory sauna etiquette lessons, but all citizens are expected to wear their best towels and bring homemade kohv to share.
At press time, a proposal to make sauna visits part of the school curriculum was under consideration.