“Each farm has its own brew,” Estonians used to say in olden times, meaning that every place had its own customs. This saying serves as a good characterization of Estonia, a small country whose folk culture comprises a great number of different local features. Regional peculiarities originated in ancient times and are reflected both in language dialects, archaeological finds and the more recent material and spiritual culture. Due to serfdom, a number of parochial peculiarities developed, which manifested themselves especially conspicuously in folk costumes and folk art. However, the peculiarity of the Estonian peasant culture as a whole is mostly expressed in the old folk poem in the form of the old Estonian folk song as well as the barn-dwelling.

The western Finnish common elements as well as the contacts with Central European, Scandinavian and Eastern European cultural traditions play a certain role in the development of Estonian folk culture. Owing to their numerous common features, Estonia together with Latvia and Lithuania constitutes one integral historic-cultural area.

In Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish and Estonian folk culture we can see differences, first and foremost, between the western and eastern parts of the countries. These are partly due to different geographical preconditions and economic peculiarities, partly to long-standing connections with the western or eastern neighbours.

According to the characteristic features of traditional folk culture, Estonia can be divided into three parts: northern Estonia, southern Estonia and western Estonia. In the treatment of folk costumes, the mainland part of western Estonia and the islands are viewed separately. In addition, the areas inhabited by Estonian Swedes on the western seaboard and by Russians on the shore of Lake Peipsi are quite different.

Northern and southern Estonia are economically well-developed areas, with eastern influences manifesting themselves, first and foremost, in old popular agricultural implements and means of transport. Hence in the 19th century and in places even at the beginning of the 20th century, people used the forked plough, the brush harrow, the sickle with a serrated blade, and a sledge of Eastern European type. The survival of cultural differences between northern and southern Estonia was promoted by the long-standing division of Estonia into the guberniyas of Estonia and Livonia.

Owing to the trade contacts of its larger towns, particularly Tallinn and Narva, northern Estonia has been receptive to all kinds of innovations. It is especially remarkable in the changes in fashion and in the development of folk costumes in the 18th–19th centuries. The northeastern Estonian coastal area has been quite peculiar with its Finnish and, in the eastern part, Votian-Izhorian influences.

Southern Estonia has been conspicuously conservative, preserving its cultural traditions especially in Mulgimaa and Setumaa. Mulgimaa, which used to be a wealthy area, preserved old clothing traditions even in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Partly the peculiarities of the Mulgimaa area were also due to the presence of Latvian settlers. The old-fashioned culture in the Setu area with its strong Russian influences is quite unique.

The western Estonian cultural area is made up of the western part of the mainland and the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa together with the smaller islands. Here we can find numerous old influences of Central European and Scandinavian origin, which were partly brought along by the Swedes who began to found their settlements in the coastal areas from the 13th century onwards. In the 19th and the early 20th centuries western Estonia was an economically backward region, where land cultivation was only of secondary importance after fishing, seafaring, and migrant working. Several agricultural implements that elsewhere had fallen out of use long ago were still used here, for example, the primitive wooden plough, the smooth-bladed sickle, and sleds tied up with switches. On the other hand, however, due to close contacts with other peoples, several new techniques of work also spread faster, which is especially vividly reflected in the ornamented objects made by western Estonian craftsmen.

Every island has its own characteristic features. Particularly remarkable is the western part of Saaremaa island, which has been influenced by its close contacts with Gotland and Courland.

Old traditional culture still survived in the first half of the 20th century on the western Estonian islands (in Kihnu partly even today) as well as in Setumaa.