At last – Spring!

This last winter has been dragging on for nearly six months.  Snow in November, and on and off until surprising us all with a last blast of 20cm in mid-April. Here in Southern Finland, we thought Spring was well underway in early April with warm sunny days. The Snowdrops and Crocus were flowering and then on 22^nd of April it started snowing for over 24 hours.  More snow shovelling and a chill for a week.  Unfortunately, this is all part of the course of living so far North. The Finns call it ‘Talvitaki’, winter returns, and the false Springs continue into the month of May.

The 1^st of May is a public holiday in Finland, Labour Day and a big celebration for the end of winter. It is known as Vappu.  We have lived here for 11 years and this Vappu was the first really sunny and warm one that we have seen. For a change it was warm enough to be comfortable to party outside. Crowds flood the streets and gather in parks for picnics and champagne. The university students party big time and each of the local universities in the Helsinki area take it in turn to Spring clean and crown the famous Havis Amanda statue and fountains.  This year the statue is undergoing renovation and the ceremony was relocated with an imitation statue standing in to receive the graduation cap.

The hat is similar to a ships captains’ headwear, and is given to those who pass their high school matriculation exams that qualify them for University.  Originally, specified by the Russian Tsar, the graduation hat formed part of the uniform to wear while at university but now only has ceremonial status and generally only worn for academic ceremonies and on May Day.  This is one tradition that I find completely at odds with the usual egalitarian Finnish attitude to flouting what you wear.  It is a status symbol stating that we are cleverer than those who don’t wear the cap on May Day. On May Day, Helsinki is full of people strutting around with their white caps celebrating the start of summer. The large park along the Helsinki seafront becomes fully carpeted with people picnic partying for the day.  All are light hearted fuelled with alcohol and/or the thought that at last summer is here at last. Vappu is the one time when normally reserved Finns let their hair down and party without a care. The day light, warmth, greenery and flowers are returning and there are many happy thoughts about opportunities and possibilities for the future.

The tree blossom is starting to appear, green leaves are about to burst, Spring flowers are out, and the sunrise and sunset are already far apart for long days. The huge piles of snow mixed with road grit are shrinking rapidly and lawns are greening up nicely. It is a glorious time of year but after the first week of May being very sunny, warm, and regularly hitting daily temperatures of 20 degrees Celcius, a cold draught from the North has set over Finland. It is not quite winter again. Not big coat weather but definitely not T-shirt times either. Heyho! Perhaps June will be summery.