IT’S SUMMER TIME
MÖKKI,VAPPU AND THE JOYS OF FINNISH SUMMER
Text: Mattea Näveri Photos & The Cover Photo: Ian Nguyen Suddenly, the summer is upon us! And many of us are very thankful. Out with the gray and cold, in with the sunny and warm. Though Finland is famous for its winter and snow, Finnish summers are truly beautiful. Oh- so very shortbut beautiful. Because they are so short they are immensely appreciated. The moment the sun comes out you can see the Finns walk around in shorts and T-shirts, sitting outside in cafes, while the foreigners are still in jackets and staying inside. Not a single moment of sun is wasted in the Finnish culture.
have electricity. But most commonly those are not possible if you are in the middle of the forest. It is truly enjoyable to go somewhere and disconnect from the world. No internet, no TV; only you and the peace. For anyone that hasn’t had this experience so far, I truly recommend it.You haven’ t truly experienced the Finnish culture if you haven’ t experienced a mökki. It’ s summer, it is mökki season! Next week we have a free day…Why you ask? Because it’s Vappu! Vappu comes from Walpurgis Day or May Day. It is an ancient Nordic spring festival and a public holiday. It also falls on the International Worker’s day. It is one of the four biggest holidays in Finland. The celebration normally starts in the evening of the last day of April and continues to May 1st. Traditionally people go outside, have picnics, ware their graduation caps and drink Sima.(to find out more about Sima, read our next week’s recipe where Reetta Somppi will teach you how to make your own!) Younger people often organize a “capping” of some statue...Meaning that they organize a big get together where students put the graduation cap on a chosen statue, usually one of some famous man of the city in which this is happening. Last year in Kouvola, it was the statue next to the theater, I am pretty sure something will be organized this year as well. Some people even decorate themselves in lavish costumes, wigs, glitter and all kinds of party outfits. This is highly encouraged from you! Go out, have a picnic, and enjoy the wonderful Finnish Walpurgis Day!
During this small holiday brake we had for the Easter, we had some incredible weather. A few of my friends and I went to visit a mökki for a few days. So, what is a mökki? Specific to the Finnish area mökki’ s are small cottages, vacation homes. In Finland, they are most commonly next to the lake, although not always, but preferably. Some are in the middle of the forest next to a lake, where there is not a soul around, some even on an island in the middle of a giant lake, and some in overcrowded lakes stacked with cottage upon cottage upon cottage. The idea of a mökki is to get relief from everyday life.You go into the quiet of nature, grill outside, catch some sun, have a lot of sauna( wooden sauna) and swim a bit. This happens even in the winter. Well, perhaps not the outside grilling, but sauna and swimming, very much so. These summer homes, in their traditional manner, have outside toilets, no running water and fireplaces for heating. Of course, not everyone is like that. Some have their own source of water, even sometimes inside toilets! And some
Only a few weeks after Vappu the school year will be over. The freshmen stay for about another month, while the rest of us are off to holidays. Stay happy and energized for these last few stress filled weeks, think of mökki’ s, have an amazing Walpurgis Day and I hope you have an extraordinary summer!
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