Wohooo Vappu!

Hyvää vappua!
("Happy Walpurgis/May Day" in English)

Vappu, one of the biggest holiday, is the most lively and festive time in Finland. Summer restaurants start their business and outdoors-concerts are arranged. In this carnival-style festival you can see people walking on roads, sitting in the park for picnic, playing horns, drinking beers, dancing and singing songs. Every year this time Finnish people drink mead (sima) and sparkling wine. If you don't like the drinks, you can drink red wine, white wine or anything else to celebrate vappu.

So what is vappu? Many exchange students have asked me this question. You can take it as it's a celebration for the start of spring (depends on the weather :P) I haven't even thought about vappu's meaning so I checked some info from the net (Caution! The Information are from wikipedia xD).

Vappu is the International Workers day. On the other hand, it comes from Saint Valburga/Walpurga who was born in a wealthy family in England, and she became a nun later. She was believed to be a patron saint against diseases, rabies and starvations. The stories tell Valburga saved a child from starvation by 3 spikes and a woman from puerperal fever. She was the guardian of farmers, newborns and sick people.

Saint Valburga
(Took from Wikipedia :P)

During her trip across English Channel, the weather was very stormy and the ship was in distress. According to the legend, Valburga prayed on knees on the deck during all that time until the ship managed to the harbour. Because of this happening, so far she is still the guardian of sailors and patron saint against storms.

Valburg's bones were transfered to Eichstätt monastery on 1.5.870. So the day 1.5. is her feast day to remember the transfer.

The celebration starts on the evening of 30 April and continues to 1 May. Traditional vappu-time festivities start from the declaration of vappu. Aalto university students gather around Servin Mökki in Otaniemi where "big" people perform on top of the building.

I joined my university's May Day parade this year. Each degree programs start their own parades and form a long line. Anyone can join, the more the merrier! It was really fun! You cannot walk like this so often. We walked on roads across big streets to Kaartinkaupunki.

Students washing/brushing the statue while being shot by water canon.
 (Maybe the canon helps washing the statue)

At the market square in Kaartinkaupunki in Helsinki, many celebrators gathered and waited for clock to strike 6 o'clock on 30^th April - capping a nude statue known as Havis Amanda (= "Mantan lakitus" in Finnish). This year 2015 AYY (Aalto University Student Union) crowns Amanda. She is a mermaid stading on seaweed as she rises form the water with four fish spouting water. The statue is surrounded by four sea lions. Amanda was symbolize the rebirth of Helsinki.

This year's Äpy 2015 (play cards)

So cute pair 
(the clothes stand for Julkku's private club, 
about Julkku is explained later)

Bienially Äpy (sold this year) and Julkku are sold by Aalto University students (10€). Äpy is a gimmick (toilet paper, cards, bedsheet) and Julkku is a standard magazine, unfortunately they are in Finnish. These magazines are sophomoric humour (bathroom humour, gags). I have bought them to support my friends.

White caps attract most attention during this spring festival. Engineering students are one of the main characteristics of vappu. However, not only them but also other undergraduate students (who have finished high school) and alumnis (who are bound to university) wear white hats. Anyone else, who have graduated from somewhere else, can wear the (graduation) hat, for example I saw a student of polytechnic wore purple cap.

After capping Havis Amanda, I went to the Market Square. During the walk I accidentally got separated from my friends, there were so many people! My phone didn't get the connection well since everybody was using the phone, which led to the busy lines. However, it was nice to see so many happy people having fun. There were many students wearing overalls in different colors with same white caps on their head.

In the following morning on 1.5. people gathered in Kaivopuisto in Ullanlinnanmäki to enjoy vappu. Celebrators went there for picnic and drink sparkling wines. May Day balls and Äpy were also sold there. Remember to buy food in advance because most of the shops were closed on that day except K-supermarket in Kamppi. Be prepared to walk to the park, because trams and bus would be full of people who are all going to the same place! I went with my friends to another place and waited for tram 3. Luckily we got into the ride in the end.

Retuperän WBK
(the Retuperä Voluntary Fire Brigade Band;
more about it:http://www.rwbk.fi/html/english/index.html)

The park was very crowded. If you managed to meet someone you know there, you were very lucky! I met there my old and current school mates, friends and families. I was offered some sparkling wine and sima :P I was happy I went there! It is really nice that you may meet someone you seldom meet, you can enjoy the day with people, listen to music and eat together with your friends~

Red Bull's DJ~ 

You can take sauna to enjoy Vappu~ 

Somtimes the nature calls you xD

My friend made this sima :D

More about vappu events you can find from these websites:
http://wappu.fi/ (events arranged by clubs of Aalto University)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1589587734650472/ (declaration of vappu, vappu eve)
https://www.facebook.com/events/902543309799285/ (capping Havis Amanda)
http://www.vappu.fi/
http://www.visithelsinki.fi/en/events-in-helsinki/vappu-may-day-celebration-2015


I hope you also had great vappu! :D