How about spending your next Easter in Finland?
Many overseas travellers seem to overlook the late winter / early springtime in the Nordics, however it is a fantastic time to visit the region. There are less crowds and there is still plenty of snow in the north and sunshine in the south. Furthermore, there are certain foods and traditions that you will not come across any other time of the year!
Having grown up in Finland, memories of Easter are filled with beautiful sunny days full of outdoor activities (in temperatures between +2 and -5 which is actually really lovely when sunny - and dressed properly!), not to mention the unusual foods and traditions that only belonged to Easter. Take a look at some of the things you may see and experience when visiting Finland during Easter time.
The top 4 weird and wonderful Finnish Easter foods
A certain sign that it is Easter in Finland is the abundance of mämmi in supermarkets and people's homes (surely also in hotels!). This traditional Easter dessert is made from rye flour, malted rye, molasses, and orange zest, eaten with milk or cream. You usually either love it or hate it. It's thick, sweet, and black - if you can get past its highly suspicious appearance, you may well end up loving it! It has been a part of Finnish Easter traditions since the 13th century and is likely to stay that way.
Image credit: Soili Jussila | Vastavalo
Another traditional Easter dessert in Finland is pasha (also spelt paskha or pascha). Originally a Russian dish, it's primarily made from quark (curd cheese, a popular ingredient in Finnish cooking), but can also include butter, eggs, sour cream, raisins, almonds, vanilla, and other spices. It's a delicious, smooth dessert usually enjoyed cold. For me, having pasha for dessert was always one of the highlights of Easter.
Another traditional and somewhat strange Easter delicacy in Finland is the uunijuusto (oven cheese). Traditionally made from cow's colostrum, the first milk drawn from a cow after it has given birth, it's baked in the oven with a pinch of salt until it becomes firmer with a nice, brown surface. Understandably, it's a rare delicacy, but a similar result can be achieved using regular milk and eggs. It's typically eaten as a dessert with jam or berries, such as orange cloudberries.
The final weird and wonderful Easter treat on our list is mustamakkara (blood sausage), usually eaten with lingonberry jam. It's made by mixing flour and crushed rye with pig's blood and pork, then formed into a sausage. Like mämmi, blood sausages are fairly black in colour, and the appearance may deter some less adventurous souls. However, most people seem to love it! Fortunately for them, mustamakkara can be purchased outside of Easter, especially if you're in Tampere, its birthplace and official home.
Easter traditions in Finland
Finnish Easter isn't just about chocolate and Easter bunnies. It's a colourful affair with painted eggs, decorated willow branches, and witches - especially if there are children around! Similar to Halloween, Easter in Finland includes a bit of dressing up: Children dress as colorful, friendly witches on Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) and go door-to-door in their neighbourhoods. At each door they recite a poem which can be roughly translated as "I wave a branch for freshness and health for next year; here's a branch for you, a reward for me"). At the end of the poem, the children give willow branches that they have decorated themselves to the listeners. In return, they receive sweets.
Image credit: Linda Eronen | Visit Finland
As a result, many homes display willow branches adorned with colourful feathers and small decorations, brightening up kitchens or dining rooms. These branches are believed to help usher in spring after a long winter. The desire to celebrate colour and the arrival of spring is also evident in other traditional Easter decorations: People buy yellow daffodils for their homes, and children grow tall green rye grass ("rairuoho") on plates with wet toilet paper underneath the seeds. Once the grass has grown tall enough, it's often decorated with bright yellow toy chicks.
For many, Easter is also an ideal time for one last trip to Lapland's downhill ski resorts before the snow melts away. It's a perfect mix of snow and sun - a delightful blend of cold, crisp weather and warm sunshine. It's also a great time for that final dog sledding or snowmobiling adventure! What an unforgettable way to spend Easter!
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