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dressing up like witches on Holy Saturday, when evil spirits and
witches (called trulliin Finnish) were believed to roam around,
doing all kinds of mischief. Large bonfireswere burnt to dispel
them, and this custom is still practised today.Note: Easter witch
is a popular character in the Nordic Easter tradition. It was
believed in Finland and Sweden thatwitches, who were mainly old,
malicious women envious of other people, flew around on brooms,
hurting cattle anddoing other mischief. They are represented as
scarf-clad women riding a broom, accompanied by a black cat and
acoffee pot.
Nowadays these two traditions are mixed quite heedlessly, and
little witches whiskingwillow twigs can be seen throughout the
country on Palm Sunday.
FINNISH EASTER DISHES
The custom of feasting on food in Easter has been maintained
also in the modernProtestant Finland, although the Lenten fasting
ritual, practiced among the Catholicand the Orthodox, is not
practiced among the Finnish Evangelical-Lutheran Church.
Finnish Easter is a mixture of western (Swedish, Catholic and
Protestant) and eastern(Russian and Orthodox) traditions. The
affect of the two different cultures is mostvisible in the
traditional dishes served during Easter time.
Meat, fish and egg dishes
Serving Easter lamb , the symbol of the sacrificial death of
Christ for the Christians, is becoming increasingly popularin
Finland. The traditional roast leg of lamb, usuallyseasoned with
herbs and garlic, may also be replaced with
dishes made with lamb fillet, roast, chops or ground
meat.Boiled, butter-glazed vegetables or oven-roasted
rootvegetables, onions etc , are typical accompaniments for
thesedishes.
Besides the roast lamb, other meat dishes are served,including
stews and potroasts of mixed meats, various cold cuts, meat aspics,
liverpts etc . Also chicken dishes are popular at Easter time as
well as various eggdishes and appetizers. Freshly cooked, marinated
or salted fish along with herringdishes are a part of Finnish
Easter. Smoked salmon , gravlax , various fish roes andmarinated
herring are especially well suited to be served with hard-boiled
eggs.Southeastern Finland has a rich tradition of different pies
and pasties, like the
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famous Karelian rice pasties .
Desserts and Easter eggs
An ancient Easter dish still commonly eaten in Finland
is the cold malt porridge mmmi . It was perfect food tobe eaten
on Good Friday, when cooking was forbidden.Nowadays mmmi is mainly
eaten as dessert.Read more about mmmi here .
Other desserts served at Easter dinner may contain lotsof eggs,
cream, butter and quark , like pies with sweetquark filling, cheese
cakes or creamy mousses andparfaits, served with fruits and
berries.
The best-known desserts, however, are of Russian originpaskha ,
a sweet quark pudding eaten with kulich , a sweetyeast bread (see
picture on left). During the OrthodoxEaster fast, it is forbidden
to consume meat, eggs and dairyproducts. That is why many Orthodox
Easter dishes anddesserts are rich in eggs, butter, cream, quark
and otherdairy products.
Egg is considered as the symbol of resurrection. Decorated
Easter eggs became known in Finland through Russia andthe
Orthodox people. Hard-boiled eggs are dyed withvarious colours
before Easter. On Easter Sunday, the dyedeggs are handed between
people of Orthodox religion, andchildren will always get chocolate
Easter eggs from theirparents and other relatives.
HAPPY EASTER!
HAPPY EASTER HOLIDAYS!
Yours,
Tuija
