May Day!

Hello there readers!
How are you on a fine day like this? K, good.
Anyhow, a sunny day saturday here in Finland, grass is getting greener day by day and 'em flowers and whatnot are startin' to bloom. A sure sign of of the upcomming summer is near, Walpurgis Night aka Vappu - a public holiday and celebration. During this celebration, Finns tend to go nuts. An article on scandinavica.com depicts the holiday quite well: "Vappu means in Finland an opportunity to match the traditional springtime revelry with the modern street carnival and the Finnish enthusiasm for drinking. Vappu is the holiday when Finns do their utmost to behave contrary to their reserved image, screaming through the streets with masks in their faces and drinks in their hands." :) It indeed is one of the biggest celebrations, along with New Years and Juhannus (midsummer).


Every year on Vappu, Manta serves as a centrepiece for the celebrations. Students of the local universities put a cap on the statue on an elaborate ceremony. For many it is a "must see" event.

Whats it all about then? Historically the Walpurgisnacht is derived from Pagan spring customs. In the Norse tradition, Walpurgisnacht is considered the "Enclosure of the Fallen". It commemorates the time when Odin died to retrieve the knowledge of the runes, and the night is said to be a time of weakness between the living and the dead. Bonfires were built to keep away the dead and chaotic spirits that were said to walk among the living then. This is followed by the return of light and the sun as celebrated during May Day. Due to St. Walpurga's holy day falling on the same day, her name became associated with the celebrations.

Vappu can seem a little chaotic to foreignors, but should one be in Finland during Vappu, just think of it as venting of steam or a wacky (costume) party, one of the days when Finns "let go", join the fun! :)

Sima (mead) is often brewed for Vappu, which happens to be one of my favourite soft drinks (along with ginger ale). One can buy ready made and bottled Sima in local stores, but it isnt as good as homemade. Unfortunately I didn't have time nor a proper vessel to make Sima, but I might make some a little later on. Here's how (from recipesource):

10 qt Water;fresh pure
2 Lemons;fine
2 1/2 c Brown sugar
2 1/2 c White sugar
1/3 c Dark corn syrup;optional
1/4 ts Dry yeast
Raisins
Shave the yellow peel from the lemons, cutting very thinly so that as little of the white underlayer as possible is attached. Set the yellow slices aside. Then peel the bitter white underlayer off and discard it. Slice the lemons into very thin slices. Place them into a container and cover them so they don't dry out. Boil the water in a large kettle. Remove it from the heat and stir in the yellow lemon peel, the sugars, and the syrup. When the sugars have
dissolved, cover the kettle and let the contents cool to room temperature (25'C or 75'F). Then add the lemon slices and the yeast.
Leave it to stand overnight.
Place 4-5 raisins and a teaspoon of white sugar in the bottom of each of several clean bottles (wine or soda pop). Pour the sima into the bottles, straining it through a sieve to remove the lemon. Cap the bottle tightly.NOTE: use plastic bottles, exploding glass isnt healthy.
The sima will be ready to drink when the raisins rise to the top of the bottles, about 3-7 days depending on the temperature of the room where they are stored. Serve it well chilled.

So, do try Sima! Yum, I might have to by bottle or two of the ready made stuff, vappu without sima is no good :) Anyhow, a few pics from Finland to fuel your imagination, the first pics are taken while having a stroll, by myself. See you again after Vappu, Ill try to grab a few pictures and post about how horrible my hangover is :)


Statue from the harbour.


Cannon of sorts midst housing..


War Memorial statue near the shore..


Sama statue, diff. angle..


And finally a picture of the senate square in Helsinki (not taken by me), a bit out of context - I know, but I like the picture! Definately a place to visit when in Finland/Helsinki. :)