VAPPU - Finnish Labour Day
Springtime's big carnevalistic celebration in Finland is called Vappu. The biggest party takes place on 30th of April.
In the afternoon people use to gather by the Havis Amanda statue (in Helsinki at the end of the Esplanade next to the Kauppatori) in order to watch her crowning with a Finnish student cap. From the afternoon until the wee hours of the morning the streets are full of celebrating people.
Many students wear their particular overalls and their black-and white caps, which they got after graduating from high school. Confetti, masks, colourful balloons and extremely merry people are seen everywhere.
Vappu (1st of May) has traditionally been a workers' celebration, and therefore it has more political context than other Finnish national festivals. The political character of the festival is more accentuated on this day, with many prominent party members giving public speeches. Traditionally t the festivities also include a picnic in a park which is enjoyed with friends on a blanket with good food, sparkling wine and "sima" (mead).
Recipe for Sima
•5 l water
•350 g sugar
•350 g brown sugar
•2 lemons
•tiny bit of yeast
Wash the lemons and peel them thinly. Remove the pith. Slice the lemons and place them with the peel and sugar in a sufficiently large vessel.
Bring half of the water to the boil and pour it over the lemons, peel and sugar. Stir and leave to stand covered for a while. Add the rest of the water cold. When the liquid is lukewarm add the yeast.
Keep the mead at room temperature until it starts to ferment, i.e. about one day. Put a couple of raisins and 1 tsp of sugar into clean bottles, and strain the mead into the bottles. Loosely cork the bottles and store them in a cool place. The mead is ready when the raisins rise to the surface.