Finnish Valentine´s Day

Yesterday I got my first valentine ever. However, not by some love interest of mine, but in good Finnish fashion by a friend. Different to most other countries the Valentine’s Day on the 14th of February is in Finland not usually a day to celebrate couples, but to celebrate and appreciate your friendships. The Finnish Ystävänpäivä translates in English to „Friend´s Day. This concept really represents the Finnish values of equality and inclusiveness as in this concept everybody is included in the day of love. Instead of just celebrating with your partner and making the single people feel lonely, cards, flowers or chocolates are being given to colleagues, neighbours, family and friends. However, although you can see plenty of the common valentines’ heart shaped chocolates or soaps in the stores, I have been told that it is mainly the kids who celebrate this day and bring chocolates to their friends at school. In many primary schools it´s tradition to have a mailbox and everyone can send letters to their friends. Then the letters are distributed to the classes or taped to a wall.

Here is what some of my friends are doing at Ystävänpäivä:

“I am celebrating with my friends, and we´re doing carnival instead and combining our Spanish, Belgian and Dutch carnivals to make one big cultural party.” - Vivian

“I am going to have a relaxed movie night with my best friends.” - Emilia

“My boyfriend and I are going to Loviisa (a cute little town close to Porvoo) and will have breakfast at this beautiful old restaurant as well as explore the town and the nearby park.” - Reela

“I´m doing a brunch for my family. I probably will bake cake or muffins with the kids. The kids also made cards for their friends and the family. - Katerina

“This year I don´t have plans, but the other years I would go with my friedns to brunch or to drink some cocktails.” -Sara

“My boyfriend and I are going to have a cheese night with our favourite foods and deserts tonight and tomorrow we will just have a very nice, long breakfast.” - Kristiana

My own plans are to just have a relaxed waffle breakfast with my roommate and one of my friends.

When I mentioned to Salli that I was researching about the Ystävänpäivä, she told me to look for laskiaispulla, a pastry everyone is eating at this time of the year. This traditional food with a long history can nowadays be found in stores in Sweden (semla), Finland (laskiaispulla) and Estonia (vastlakukkel) between Christmas and Easter. It is made of a ball of sweetened yeast dough. From this ball the tom is being cut off and a hole is being made in the bottom part. The hole can be filled with almond paste (like marzipan) or, in Finland more commonly, with jam, as well as a lot of cream. Then the top is being put on again, with powder sugar sprinkled on top.

Another holiday that is coming up in Finland is Laskiainen, which is being celebrated on a Tuesday, seven weeks before Easter (this year on 16th of February). Although this day is not being celebrated as much anymore, I think it has some nice traditions. Laskiainen is a day of sledge riding, as well as eating pea soup and laskiapulla afterwards. If I can find a sleigh somewhere, you will find me next Tuesday going up and down Porvoo’s sleighing hill all day long.

-Lotte

“Life is short, and the world is wide.”

If you are interested in more Finnish holidays, check out this link:

visitfinland.com