Finnish Holiday Traditions | Finland Portrait

Kekri Celebrates the end of the Harvest

Kekri is one of the old Finnish traditions that was forgotten in some point. Before the Christianity, Kekri was the most important celebration of the year.

Kekri was the name of the ancient Finnish god of agriculture, livestock and fertility. Kekri was also the name of the feast that celebrated the end of the harvest season. In different parts of the country Kekri was known by different names. It was also called Keyri and Köyri.

When Kekri was Celebrated?

Kekri has its roots in the old European agricultural culture. Kekri was a celebration of both the harvest season and the end of the calendar year. In the old days it was celebrated in the autumn when the harvest season had ended.

The exact date of the celebration varied by the region, by the village, or even by the house. Celebration could have last for several days. And in the best case, when the celebration ended in your house, the party might just have started at the neigbor.

How Kekri was Celebrated?

Kekri was a celebration of joy. People used to sing, dance, play games and tell stories to each other. Young people dressed up as “kekripukki” (Kekri goat) or “kekritär” (Kekri lady). Kekripukki wore a fur coat and horns, while kekritär was dressed in all-white. Kekripukki and kekritär went from house to house and people offered them food and drink.

Eating and drinking were a big part of the celebration. It was believed that a large amount of food guaranteed the success of the next year’s harvest. If the food would have run out, it would have been a bad omen. The Kekri menu might have included roast lamb, sausages, bread, porridge, root vegetables, beer and alcohol.

12 Day Break

After Kekri celebration followed 12 day break. Which was probably welcomed after a couple of days heavy eating and drinking. This time had to be spent quietly. During this break most of the work was forbidden. If you were going to work, it had to be something quiet.

This was also the time to remember the ancestors. Spirits of the ancestors came to check how you were doing. If you treated them with respect they brought you good luck for the coming year. Ancestors were happy if you heated sauna for them. And before you went to sauna, you first left some food on the table for the ancestors to enjoy. Among the spirits there were also restless souls. Bonfires were burnt to keep these unwanted evil spirits away.

Modern Kekri Celebration

Old Kekri traditions and celebrations were forgotten in some point. However, Kekri has recently made a comeback as an authentic Finnish tradition. Nowadays Kekri is celebrated as public events in many places around Finland, for example in Suomenlinna. Modern Kekri celebrations with bonfires and light shows are a great way to bring joy and light to the darkest time of the year.

Kekritär photographed in 1927. Image by Ahti Rytkänen / Finnish Heritage Agency

Sources:
Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö
University of Jyväskylä
Viaporin Kekri
Images by Finnish Heritage Agency. Featured image is a painting by Juho Rissanen.

Only in Finland – National Sleepy Head Day

National Sleepy Head Day is a yearly celebration of sleeping late…Well, not really, unfortunately. It is actually quite the opposite

National Sleepy Head Day, or “Unikeonpäivä” as it is called in Finland, is a yearly celebration of sleeping late…Well, not really, unfortunately. I wish there would be such a day, but this one isn’t it.

The idea of the is actually quite the opposite. It punishes those who sleep late. Cruel, isn’t it. Traditionally, the last person still in bed is being awaken by loud sounds or by throwing water on him/her. Luckily no one really does this (anymore). People are let to sleep, or at least those who are on vacation.

So if no one follows the old traditions, what is the meaning of this day?
Well, it isn’t completely forgotten. The day is still celebrated in one place in Finland. In the city of Naantali.

Origins of the Celebration

The origin of the Sleepy Head is the story of Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. According to legend, the seven men went hiding in the caves and slept for hundreds of years. In Finnish almanac this Christian holiday has been mentioned since 1652. But the religious roots of the celebration have since been forgotten and the celebration is nowadays quite informal.

How the Sleepy Head Day is Being Celebrated

The city of Naantali is where all the celebrations takes place. The first written mention about the celebrations are from a news article from 1880s, where it said that celebrations went as usual. So we can assume that the tradition goes way back much further. It is known to have been celebrated in 1920s, but then it was forgotten for decades. Until being revived in 1950s.

Nowadays, big part of the celebration is the unveiling of the Sleepy Head of the year, who is usually a Finnish celebrity. The Sleepy Head is unveiled in the morning of July 27th, at 7 am. The sleepy head is often “woken up” by dropping him/her in the water. The “sleeper” also receives a traditional red and white pajama which he/she gets to wear the whole day while celebrating with others.

The Sleepy Head Day has become quite big festival in Naantali. Celebrations start couple of days before, and they typically include shows, concerts and a fair. If you are visiting Naantali, or you a nearby at the time, it is definitely worth a visit. Check Naantali’s website for more information.

Sources:
Unikeonpäivä
Visit Naantali
Images by Visit Naantali

Midsummer Magic – Try these Finnish Love Spells

If you want to experience a little Midsummer magic yourself, here are some Finnish Midsummer love spells to try

Magic and love spells have been an important part of Finnish Midsummer traditions. In the old days bonfires were burnt to scare the evil spirits. Midsummer was also a tribute to ancient Finnish god Ukko, who hopefully blessed us with a good harvest.

Midsummer was believed to bring good luck also to love life. It was a popular time for weddings, and different kinds of spells were cast to see a glimpse of future fiance.

If you want to experience a little Midsummer magic yourself, here are some traditional Finnish Midsummer love spells to try. Unfortunately we can’t guarantee the outcome, but you never know for sure untill you try…

Finnish Midsummer Love Spells

Who gets married first?

When group of people stand by bonfire, in whose direction the smoke turns, gets married first

How many years to wait to get married?

If you hear a cuckoo in the forest, the number of times you hear it cuckoo, that’s the number of years it takes for you to get married. And if you don’t here at all, it might be this year…

Want to see your future fiance?

During Midsummer night, try peeking into a well or pond naked. You might see your future fiance’s face on the surface of the water.

Another traditional Midsummer love spell is to collect seven different flowers under the pillow. Do this and you might see your future fiance in a dream.

Good Luck in Marriage?

Rolling around naked in a meadow on a Midsummer night has been said to bring good luck in marriage.

How to Guarantee Fertility?

By placing birch branches on both sides of the door of the house in Midsummer is said to guarantee fertility.

Happy Midsummer…and good luck with love spells!

Thanks to Annika for being a model for the photo.

Finnish Midsummer Traditions

What things are included in Finnish Midsummer traditions? If you want to celebrate Midsummer in traditional way, here are some good “ingredients”!

What things are included in Finnish Midsummer traditions?
If you want to celebrate Midsummer (juhannus in Finnish) in traditional way, here are some good “ingredients”!

Finnish Midsummer Traditions:

Bonfire

One of the most common Midsummer traditions in Finland is the Midsummer bonfire (juhannuskokko in Finnish). The bonfire is burnt on Midsummer Eve. In a land of a thousand lakes, it is usually burnt by the lakeshore, or by the sea. Or in some other place with open space. So that many people as possible get to enjoy it. In the old days burning the bonfire was believed to scare the evil spirits away. These days it is burnt mostly just for the nice atmosphere.

Midsummer Pole

One common Misummer tradition is the Midsummer Pole or Maypole (juhannussalko in Finnish). This is popular especially among the Swedish-speaking Finns.

Birch Brances and Meadow Flowers

Birch leaves are a sign of summer and therefore brances of birch trees are placed on both side of the front door as a decoration. This is usually done in the countryside (or at the summer cottage) where birch trees are available. Also meadow flowers are picked for vases as Midsummer decorations.

Midnight Sun

Midsummer is celebrated approximately at the same time as the summer solstice. This means that day is long, and in Lapland almost endless. So one part of celebration is to stay up as late as possible and admire the sunset. And perhaps watch also the sunrise just a few hours later. In Northern Finland it is possible to admire the nightless nights of Lapland.

Magic Spells

Midsummer is believed to bring good luck. in the old days bonfires were burnt to scare the evil spirits away and magic spells were cast to improve love life.

Not to forget these:

Sauna
Barbeque
Wild Swimming

And remember that in Finland Midsummer is celebrated outdoors!

Sources:
Visit Finland

Image features Finnish Midsummer celebrations in Helsinki in 1970s. Image by Finnish Heritage Agency, photographer Teuvo Kanerva

What is Juhannus in Finland?

Is you have visited Finland in summer, you have probably heard the word juhannus. So what is juhannus, and why it means so much to Finns?

What is Juhannus?

Juhannus is the Finnish word for Midsummer celebration. Although you can celebrate Midsummer anywhere in the world, you can celebrate juhannus only in Finland. That’s because it is so strongly connected this country. It doesn’t feel the same in any other place. You need the right weather, the landscape, and most importantly the right people, the Finns!

It’s a Sign of Summer!

Juhannus is very important to Finns because it is the best sign of summer. Even though we are celebrating Midsummer, the best of summer is yet to come. Officially summer begins about a month earlier in the southern Finland, but the best summer weather arrives usually in July.

Many of the Finns also start their summer vacation at around midsummer, so juhannus is also the unofficial start of the summer vacation season in Finland.

Summer Weather?

So how about the weather. What can we expect?
Well, we all hope that it would be sunny and temperature +20 °C. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. It might rain, or there might be a storm, and don’t be shocked if the temperature is below 10 °C.
But you know what. It doesn’t really matter. No matter what the weather is like, it can’t spoil the Finns’ mood. And think positive. It hardly ever snows on juhannus day!

Why Midsummer is Celebrated in Finland?

Most Finns would probably say that we are celebrating the summer solstice and the midnight sun. But did you know that the name for juhannus actually comes from Christian tradition. Saint John the Baptist is celebrated on June 24th. Hence the Finnish name for the holiday.

Midsummer was originally a pagan celebration. Bonfires were burnt during Midsummer to keep evil spirits away. It was also a tribute to ancient Finnish god Ukko, who controlled the rain. If Ukko was happy, he allowed us to get a good harvest.

When is Juhannus celebrated?

Midsummer celebration in Finland takes place on a Saturday at the end of June. The date varies between the 20th and 26th of June. The birth of the Saint John the Baptist is honoured on June 24th, and the Juhannus is celebrated on the Saturday closest to that date.

The summer solstice, when the day is longest in the northern hemisphere, takes place on June 21st. So there is a good chance for the juhannus to be at the same time with summer solstice.

Most of the celebration however takes place on Midsummer Eve, on Friday.

Sources:
Seasons in Finland by Finnish Meteorological Institute