On 4 June 1884, in St Mary’s Church in Otepää, the blue-black-white silk flag of the Estonian Students’ Society was consecrated as the society’s flag. This seemingly student-centered ceremony became one of the key moments in the growth of Estonian national consciousness: colors that first belonged to student circles later became a national symbol and, in 1918–1922, were established as the flag of the independent Estonian state.

In the late 19th century, the Baltic national movements increasingly used songs, colors, societies, and solemn rituals as a language of political self-awareness. The story of the Estonian flag is closely comparable to the revival of the Latvian red-white-red flag: in both cases, a cultural symbol became a sign of state continuity.