Lutheran Easter
Description:
According to the Finns, as well as most of their Scandinavian neighbors, Easter holidays are best spent in nature with family: the first warm spring days come after a long winter, and, in addition, Easter holidays in Finland last for four days - from Friday to Monday, which gives an opportunity to relax from the city business bustle.
In Finland, preparations for the celebration of Easter traditionally begin with the evening of Clean Thursday. Swirls of cars reached for the city: most Finns prefer to meet Easter at the country. On Clean Thursday, everyone finishes their work day early, shop for the holiday, bake cakes and paint eggs.
The first day of Easter holidays in the Finnish capital - Good Friday - is quiet: shops, banks, post office are not open, most residents are leaving.
However, in Finland, not everyone leaves the city on Easter holidays. Movies are very popular among those who stay, especially if the program has films for the whole family. Many restaurants offer a special Easter menu.
On Friday and Saturday, on the eve of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, bonfires are traditionally lit in Finland. It is believed that fire and smoke drive away evil spirits.
One of the main events of the celebration of Easter is the procession with the depiction of the Passion of the Lord. It takes place on Saturday evening in the center of Helsinki. Every year, tens of thousands of spectators gather to watch the theatrical performance.
With the onset of Easter, all evil is considered defeated and exiled, and it is said that even the sun dances with joy, so the tradition of meeting the sunrise is associated with the meeting of Easter.
The traditional Easter treat in Finland: kulichi, Easter and rye pudding - mimmi. Children especially like chocolate eggs and chocolate Easter rabbits. According to legend, when the lamb figurines were baked for the holiday, one of them turned out with long ears, and since then an Easter rabbit has appeared.
Houses on Easter are decorated with yellow daffodils and tree branches.
In addition to church services, Easter in Finland is dedicated to various events: exhibitions, theater productions, concerts, charity meetings and donations. This year, for example, in the ancient fortress of the former capital of Finland, Turku, an exhibition was organized to introduce the history of Easter eggs.