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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class- Holidays in Finland Series at FinnishPod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind Finnish holidays and observances. I’m Eric, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 1, New Year. In Finnish, it’s called uusivuosi. |
| Like everywhere in the world, in Finland the New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year. In Finland, the New Year celebration is focused mainly on New Year's Eve or uudenvuodenaatto, that is, on the last day of December. New Year's Day, uudenvuodenpäivä, on January 1, is a public holiday, when many people wind down at home with their families. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, do you know the answer to this question- |
| Do you know what dishes are typically associated with Finnish New Year? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later. Keep listening. |
| Shops and offices typically close earlier than usual on New Year's Eve, after which it’s time to concentrate on the celebrations for the coming year. Given Finns’ great love for saunas, relaxing in a sauna is often a vital part of a New Year's Eve program in Finland. Many go to restaurants and clubs to celebrate the New Year, while more formal New Year's celebrations include the opera and the theater. |
| Some highlights of New Year's celebrations include pewter casting, or tinan valaminen, and fireworks, or ilotulitteet. The horseshoe-shaped pewter pieces are melted in a metal ladle, after which the melted pewter is dropped into snow or water where it solidifies into a statuette. People observe the interesting shapes the statuette takes on, and use them to try to make predictions for the coming year. For example, a piece in the shape of a ship may foretell travel, and a lace-like surface may predict money. The fireworks portion of the festivities are greatly loved by all, especially children. In Finland, fireworks are allowed to be set off only between 6 pm and 2 am on the night of New Year's Eve. |
| Shops are closed during New Year's Day, allowing everyone to spend the day peacefully with their families. The president of Finland also gives a traditional New Year's speech, which is broadcast live on TV. Many Finns choose to watch the Vienna Philharmonic's New Year's concert on television. Making New Year's resolutions or uudenvuodenlupaus, on New Year’s Day is one of the most popular traditions, encouraging people to look forward to the upcoming year. Resolutions usually revolve around changing bad habits, starting new hobbies, or setting goals. |
| In the past, Finns celebrated the New Year as "Kekri," a feast of harvest, during October or November. At the time, people would try to predict the future by throwing a bath whisk on the roof of a sauna, or by throwing hay on the roof purlins. The direction where the bath whisk would point would predict the future; if the stem was pointing towards the town church and graveyard, death was expected. But if the leaves were pointing towards the church, it meant marriage for the unmarried, and happiness for the married. On some occasions the stem was thought to point in the direction of the house of one’s future spouse. A similar tradition held that when a bundle of hay was thrown towards the roof purlins, one would ask a question at the same time—if most of the hay stayed on the purlins, the answer would be “yes”, if most of it fell back on the floor, the answer would be “no”. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| Do you know what dishes are typically associated with Finnish New Year? |
| The New Year is not a time to get stressed about cooking, so people try to focus on easy and delicious food instead. Surprisingly, potato salad and wieners are a primary part of the New Year's menu for many Finns! The drink of choice is, of course, sparkling wine or champagne! |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| How do you celebrate the New Year? Do you usually make any New Year's resolutions? |
| Leave us a comment at FinnishPod101.com, and see you again in the next class! |
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