EASTER IN FINLAND
Easter is one of the Christian seasonal festivals, which is celebrated on the feast of the resurrection of Jesus and it is the oldest church function and the most important festival. Easter is preceded by a quiet week and that ends on Long Friday, when Jesus was crucified. The Easter begins on Easter Sunday and it doesn’t end not until after the second Easter day. These days are public holidays in Finland and many other countries. Easter festivals is every years a different time. Easter comes at a time when winter gives way to the springsun wake up the nature. TRADITIONS
The children dress up and go to neighbourhood to ‘virpomaan’. Willow branches was blessed in the church, so that they could be "virpoa" family happiness and health Palm Sunday. The children decorate the willow branches with feathers and other decorations. With decorated branches waved in tact while the pronounced bored. End of story being recited, the children hand over to decorate the willow branch from a neighbour and receive a reward of chocolate eggs and other sweets.
Easter mood also include some traditional dishes as well as ryegrass breeding and painting Easter eggs. The grass symbolises the arrival of spring and the self-grown grass can be set for Easter decorations, such as hares and colourful painted eggs. Ryegrass breeding became a part of Easter traditions in the 1960s. Prior to this, typical of the Easter ornaments were of willow branches, the willow in Northern Finland is the only plant that germinate during the Easter period.
EASTER FOOD
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The most interesting easter food is "mämmi" whitch is a desert. "Mämmi" is brown, moist and solid. "Mämmi" often consumed in sugar and milk or cream. "Mämmi" are generally bought in the store, because it takes a long time to prepare. Lamb, "pasha" and chocolate eggs are other easter food. Muttons eaten usually a main course. An other common desert is sweet "Pasha" - "Pasha" is orthodox easter food. And chocolate eggs are… well chocolate eggs.
SYMBOLS
Eggs, chickens, chicks and bunnies are symbols of birth and life. Yolk colour is an important colour of Easter, even if the eggs were originally stained with the resurrection, therefore, of red colour. In Finland, there are popular cooking eggs with shells of the bulb, wherein the stain red-brown.
Photos from: Wikipedia commons
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