May Day Celebrations

Hauskaa Vappua!

That means Happy May Day. Vappu (the Vappu Eve on 30 April and May Day) is one of the biggest holidays in Finland, sort of a big street party or a carnival.

Now, when I say carnival, or a street party, you’re probably thinking about some sort of processions or dancing and food stands etc.

Well, there are food stands (hot dogs, burgers etc. mainly). Alcohol is both very expensive and controlled in Finland (= only available in licensed shops or in restaurants),  but this has never prevented people from getting hammered, pissed, drunk as a skunk somewhat intoxicated… Things can get a bit wild, and there’s always someone who thinks it’s a great idea to take a dip in a fountain / the sea / anything with some water in it (with or without their clothes on) or something similar…

Anyway, these pictures were taken on 30 April, and my fearless (possibly somewhat culture-shocked) photographer / husband and I ventured right where the action is…

Vappu is particularly important for university students, and various student associations go out in more or less organised groups, for a night of drinking partying al fresco.

And here we see some students all dressed up in their festive gear:

Err, festive? Have I gone bonkers? Isn’t that what you’re thinking?

Yes, overalls. They come in many colours (and sport the insignia of their the university / department / field of study as well as sponsors’ logos), and given the nature of this ‘carnival’ / street party, this is the best possible outfit for the occasion.

Given the balmy temperature (+11 ºC / 52 ºF ) and all the drinking they have to do (outdoors), it’s probably easier to crawl back home in the early hours wearing something like this…

So, do Finnish festivals always involve excessive drinking, is that what you’re asking now? The short answer: yes. My advice: if a Finn asks you have a drink with him / her, say no. For heaven’s sake, just say no! You can hold your liquor? Sure you can, I believe you. You probably also have a cut off point, and stop drinking after a few drinks, right? You certainly stop drinking when the bar closes, don’t you? Well, Finns stop drinking when they either pass out or are hauled away by the police…

Anyway, back to Vappu…

This is what kicks off the festivities: the capping of Havis Amanda (that would be the statue of a woman you see in these pictures).

Capping???

Let me explain…

On Vappu it is a custom to wear the white cap we usually wear for graduation (similar to A-levels, or high school graduation).

  My white cap is a bit tight. Maybe my head has got bigger… 

Universities take turns being the master of ceremonies on Vappu (this year it was University of the Arts doing the honours). And what exactly do they do? Well, to put it simply: a group of students are hoisted up in the air on a crane so that they can place a white cap on the statue. And then everybody puts on their white cap. And that’s it.

Seriously, that’s it. After that it’s just celebrating (read: public drinking), walking around, seeing friends etc. There might be bands performing here and there. The point is, it’s pretty much a bring-your-own bubbly kind of party, and make sure you have enough of it to last the whole evening.

Outfit details:

coat: Seasalt Cornwall / scarf: Marimekko (old) / jeans: Next / bag: Coach (old) / 

Breton top: Jigsaw / shoes: Nike / sunglasses: Chanel
location: Esplanadi (Helsinki)

 The Day  After…

And then, the following day (1 May), those who are not too hungover and / or wake up early enough (or never went to bed) go to one of the big parks in the city for a picnic (with some bubbly, of course). This is what the park looked like on 1 May in the afternoon:

And those of us who find early mornings / crowded places not their cup of tea, well, they go and have a festive May Day lunch in a nice restaurant. But that’s another story, for another time. Stay tuned for part 2 of May Day celebrations…

Did you celebrate May day?

Tiina

FOLLOW:

Linking up with:

Not Dead Yet Style, Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, Garay Treasures, High Latitude Style, Sydney Fashion Hunter, The Pleated Poppy, Style Elixir, Get Your Pretty On, Happiness at Mid-Life, A Labour of Life, Doused in Pink, Curly Crafty Mom, Fashion Should Be Fun, Rachel the Hat, Sincerely Jenna Marie, More Pieces of Me, Color and Grace, The Wardrobe Stylist, Not Dressed As Lamb, Style Nudge, Coco et La Vie en Rose, Fashionably Employed,The Fabulous Journey, Living on Cloud Nine, A Well Styled Life, Elegance and Mommyhood. Posh Classy Mom, Nancy’s Fashion Style, Sheela Writes