The Embassy is closed for Easter


The Embassy will be closed on Good Friday, April 14th, and on Easter Monday, April 17th. We will be open normally again on Tuesday, April 18th.

Happy Easter!

Pääsiäinen, Pääsiäinen

Finnish Easter Traditions


In Finland, Easter is celebrated with a mixture of historically entrenched and contemporary traditions. In the most popular family tradition, children dress up as Easter witches, wearing colorful old clothes and painting freckles and rosy cheeks on their faces. These young witches walk around their neighborhood, knocking at doors, casting good spells and handing out their decorated twigs, in return for sweets.
For many Finnish families, a visit from a young witch is the highlight of Easter and several householders keep a basket of small chocolate Easter eggs, sweets or small change ready by the door to pay off the witches.

rairuoho

Another popular tradition takes place during the final weeks before Easter.
Finnish children prepare for the Easter festivities by planting grass seeds in small dishes of soil and eagerly waiting for the first signs of growing grass, which symbolizes the springtime reawakening of life. It is common that children plant grass seeds both at their schools and homes, taking the big responsibility of watering the seeds and looking after them. When the grass has finally grown, children decorate the dish by painting it and adding small items among the grass, such as tiny bunnies or birds.

When it comes to food, a Finn really can't enjoy Easter without mämmi. This dish might have an unusual look but according to any Finn, the taste is delicious.
Mämmi is traditionally made of water, rye flour, and powdered malted rye, seasoned salt, and dried powdered Seville orange zest. Generally, this interesting mix it is eaten cold with either milk or cream and sugar, and less commonly with vanilla sauce. Don't be surprised if you have not heard of this desert - mämmi is only eaten in Finland and Sweden.