Vappu

Vappu, one of Finland’s biggest festivals, is celebrated annually on May 1 to mark the end of winter.

Also known as May Day, Vappu originates from Catholic St. Walpurgis, whose commemoration day was the 1st of May. May Day festivities in Finland started in upper-class families in the 1700s. At that time people celebrated the day by going horseback riding to enjoy the greenery of spring, and held parties at home with friends and family.

Later Vappu became the celebration of the workers, or Labor Day. Today, many celebrants are students happy to be graduating or at the end of the school year.

Vappu is a day for food, picnics and loud celebration. When you hit the streets during Vappu, most Finns will have a drink in hand and a white cap on their head. Funnel cake, tippaleipä in Finnish — a fried cake batter topped with powdered sugar — is a traditional delicacy that Finns eat during May Day. Other sugary doughnuts, munkki in Finnish, are also popular, often paired with sima, a fermented honey (mead).

Happy Vappu to all and for those still waiting for spring, may it arrive soon!

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Images courtesy: this is Finland (Finland Promotion Board), Vastavalo/Päivi Niemi/Visit Finland.