Learn about Finnish national holidays
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Intro |
|---|
| Becky: Hi everyone, I’m Becky. |
| Päivi: And I’m Päivi! |
| Becky: And welcome to Culture Class: Essential Finnish Vocabulary, Lesson 1! In this lesson, you'll learn five essential words related to Finnish national holidays. We’ve hand-picked these words just for you! You can find a complete list of vocabulary words at FinnishPod101.com. |
| BODY |
| Becky: Päivi, what’s our first word? |
| Päivi: Pääsiäinen. |
| Becky: Easter |
| Päivi: (slow) Pääsiäinen. (regular) Pääsiäinen. |
| Becky: Listeners, please repeat after Päivi. |
| Päivi: Pääsiäinen. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Becky: |
| Easter is the second largest Christian holiday in Finland, after Christmas. A traditional Easter menu includes hard-boiled eggs for breakfast and lamb for dinner. Kids love Easter because they get to eat chocolate eggs—yum! |
| Becky: Now let's hear a sample sentence using this word. |
| Päivi: (normal) Lapset maalaavat pääsiäisenä munia. |
| Becky: Children paint eggs during Easter. |
| Päivi: (slow) Lapset maalaavat pääsiäisenä munia. |
| Becky: Okay, what’s the next word? |
| Päivi: Vappu. |
| Becky: May Day |
| Päivi: (slow) Vappu. (regular) Vappu. |
| Becky: Listeners, please repeat: |
| Päivi: Vappu. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Becky: |
| Vappu was originally the Finnish Labor Day, but it’s now characterized by students throwing parties and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. The heaviest partying takes place on the night of April 30th. And on May Day, on the first of May, barring the weather, tens of thousands of people gather for a picnic in Ullanlinna park in Helsinki. |
| Becky: Now let's hear a sample sentence using this word. |
| Päivi: (normal) Monet syövät vappuna nakkeja ja perunasalaattia. |
| Becky: Many people eat potato salad and thin sausages on May Day. |
| Päivi: (slow) Monet syövät vappuna nakkeja ja perunasalaattia. |
| Becky: Okay, what’s our next word? |
| Päivi: Juhannus. |
| Becky: Midsummer |
| Päivi: (slow) Juhannus. (regular) Juhannus. |
| Becky: Listeners, please repeat after Päivi. |
| Päivi: Juhannus. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Becky: |
| Juhannus is the celebration of summer during which Finns like to go to their summer homes or to rented cottages by a lake. An essential part of juhannus is going to the sauna. Then, dinner is usually prepared on a barbeque grill. |
| Becky: Now let's hear a sample sentence using this word. |
| Päivi: (normal) Monet suomalaiset aloittavat kesälomansa juhannuksen jälkeen. |
| Becky: Many Finns start their summer vacations after Midsummer. |
| Päivi: (slow) Monet suomalaiset aloittavat kesälomansa juhannuksen jälkeen. |
| Becky: Okay, what’s the next word? |
| Päivi: Itsenäisyyspäivä. |
| Becky: Independence Day |
| Päivi: (slow) Itsenäisyyspäivä. (regular) Itsenäisyyspäivä. |
| Becky: Listeners, please repeat the word. |
| Päivi: Itsenäisyyspäivä. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Becky: |
| Finnish Independence Day is on December 6. The highlight of Independence Day is the President's reception, when the President hosts notable people from Finnish society. |
| Becky: Now let's hear a sample sentence using this word. |
| Päivi: (normal) Itsenäisyyspäivän iltana ikkunalle sytytetään kaksi kynttilää. |
| Becky: On the night of Independence Day, two candles are lit in the window. |
| Päivi: (slow) Itsenäisyyspäivän iltana ikkunalle sytytetään kaksi kynttilää. |
| Becky: Okay, what’s the last word for this lesson? |
| Päivi: Joulu. |
| Becky: Christmas. |
| Päivi: (slow) Joulu. (regular) Joulu. |
| Becky: Listeners, please repeat after Päivi. |
| Päivi: Joulu. |
| [pause - 5 sec.] |
| Becky: |
| Christmas is a big family holiday in Finland. Families gather to eat a traditional Christmas dinner and exchange presents. The Christmas tree is the most important decoration in Finland for this holiday. |
| Becky: Now let's hear a sample sentence using this word. |
| Päivi: (normal) Suomessa joulupukki tulee aattoiltana ruuan jälkeen. |
| Becky: In Finland, Santa Claus comes on Christmas Eve after dinner. |
| Päivi: (slow) Suomessa joulupukki tulee aattoiltana ruuan jälkeen. |
| QUIZ |
| Becky: Okay listeners, are you ready to be quizzed on the words you just learned? Päivi will give you the Finnish word. Please say the English translation out loud! Are you ready? |
| Päivi: Pääsiäinen. |
| [pause]Becky: Easter |
| Päivi: Vappu. |
| [pause]Becky: May Day |
| Päivi: Juhannus. |
| [pause]Becky: Midsummer |
| Päivi: Itsenäisyyspäivä. |
| [pause]Becky: Independence Day |
| Päivi: Joulu. |
| [pause]Becky: Christmas |
Outro |
| Becky: Well, there you have it—five national holidays in Finland! We have more vocab lists available at FinnishPod101.com, so be sure to check them out. Thanks everyone, and we’ll see you next time! |
| Päivi: Hei hei! |
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