VAPPU: MAY EVE & MAY DAY

Today is Friday April 29th. This means that tomorrow will be April 30th, May Eve. Almost anywhere else on the planet this would not be so very significant, but here in Finland it means Vappu.
      As the attached, rather old article on the subject will hopefully make clear to anyone who is unaware of Vappu, it is a kind of Finnish "Mardi Gras meets the Rite of Spring", with some historical political overtones and a strong youth and student flavouring.
     
Vappu involves much drinking, helium balloons, public displays of affection, champagne corks popping, people wearing white student caps, the ceremonial washing and "capping" of a nubile downtown statue in Helsinki, rather more drinking, political speeches (though the fall of Communism has somewhat blunted the former tradition of flag-waving marches), sima (a kind of mead, traditionally drunk at this time of year), the annual opening of the Linnanmäki funfair (actually it opens today), a large gathering of thousands of students and ex-students in Kaivopuisto Park on May Day morning, and... did I already mention conspicuous public drinking?
      Oh well, you will get the general idea if you are in Helsinki on Saturday evening (May Eve) or Sunday Morning (May Day). It's rowdy, crowded, and there aren't enough loos, but it will shake off any lingering misconceptions you might have that the Finns are a dour unsmiling bunch of people.
     
Vappu also marks the semi-official declaration that spring is here in the North.
      People remove layers of clothing, irrespective of the weather on the day. It is of course quite possible that it will be snowing at this time of year, although at least in the south of the country the weather forecast is not too Arctic for the coming weekend.
      This year Vapunaatto (May Eve) and Vapunpäivä (May Day) fall on the weekend, which may increase the intensity a notch or two, but it conversely means less inconvenience for those who would go shopping on May 1st: the shops would be closed anyway, since it is a Sunday this year.
      Supermarkets are open until 6 p.m. on May Eve, as are the State-owned Alko liquor stores, although there the queues are likely to be a bit long.
     
Bus, train and tram services in the capital will adhere to normal Saturday timetables on May Eve and May Day, with additional services laid on late on Saturday night. Details (in Finnish) in the attached link, but you can get the Saturday timetables there in English, too. The centre of Helsinki will be closed to traffic from early on Saturday evening until 6.pm. on Sunday, so be warned that some buses and trams may have exceptional routes.
      Helsingin Sanomat's print paper will not be appearing on Monday, since May Day is an official public holiday, but we at the International Edition will be working as normal on Monday morning.
      Hauskaa vappua - Have a good one!


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vappu - an article from 2000, but not THAT much has changed, except perhaps the fashion in balloons
  On a more sobering note: Be careful out there (25.4.2002)

See also:
  Weather in the Helsinki region (in Finnish, but... )

Links:
  Helsinki City Transport: Timetables in English
  Helsinki City Transport: Vappu schedules (in Finnish)
  Linnanmäki Funfair