VAPPU/MAY DAY, MAY DAY

Today is May Eve, or Valpurgisnacht, or Vappuaatto, depending on your preference.
      Whatever term you care to use about it, it signifies Finland's most boisterous and generally extremely liquid festival and carnivalesque gathering, spilling over from the Eve itself into the following May Day, and it is a public holiday.
      Since May Day falls this year on a Saturday, it will affect primarily the weekend shopping habits, although there will also be changes to transport schedules to consider.
     
If you live in Finland, you will almost certainly know what Vappu is all about (though you can of course read the old, old article from 2000 if you are a complete beginner and wish to know about the origins and the traditional rituals), but do please remember that most big shops will not be open on Saturday this week, and will close earlier than normal - at 18:00 - on Friday.
      The all-important Alko liquor stores will also close at 18:00 today, and will definitely NOT be opening again until Monday, so the magic ingredient for the annual event should be secured by then, if that is you can get served for all the queues.
      Sales of champagne and sparkling wine go skyrocketing at this time of year.
     
Bus and train services will also be affected - there will be additional services late on Friday night for the revellers heading home, but Saturday will see Sunday schedules in force for the Helsinki trams.
      Metropolitain area bus services and the Helsinki Metro will adhere to the normal Saturday services, but be advised that both buses and trams on May Eve and May Day itself may be subject to diversions and route changes as there will be large crowds of pedestrians in the downtown area.
      Long-distance trains follow Sunday schedules on May Day, while commuter train services will have extra departures late on Friday night and will then follow their normal Saturday schedules on May Day.
      As always it is a good idea to check the full details from the Finnish Railways (VR) or Helsinki Region Transport (HSL) websites below.
     
As with all public holidays, beware closed shops and services (even though as you may have gathered already this year's Vappu is a "light" holiday, owing to the fact that May Day falls on a Saturday rather than a weekday).
      Supermarkets, department stores and other larger stores are allowed to remain open until 18:00 on Friday, but will be closed on Saturday, with the exception of the stores in the tunnel under Helsinki's main railway station and in the Kamppi Center, which will be serving customers until 22:00 on both days.
      Some smaller stores can be open on Saturday around the city, and R-Kiosks should be open for essentials.
      Banks will be open as normal on Friday, but will naturally be closed on Saturday, as they would be anyway. for those requiring money exchange services, the forex in the Main Railway Station will be open from 8-21 on Friday and from 9-19 on Saturday. A Sampo currency exchange point in the West Harbour will be open from 6:45-20:00 both days, and there are no changes to the facilities at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, open on both days from 6-20:45.
      ATMs should be working as normal.
     
Just as we suggest with holidays such as Easter or Christmas, the best advice is to check timetables and opening-times in advance, and if you do plan to go downtown on Friday evening or on Saturday, please be prepared for crowds and steel yourself for large numbers of people who have had an ample sufficiency of the party spirit.
     
The International Edition will not be affected, as we do not normally publish on Saturdays or Sundays, but Helsingin Sanomat's Finnish print-paper will not be appearing on Sunday, May 2nd.
      The online service at hs.fi will be updating news throughout the weekend.
     
     
Hauskaa Vappua!
     


Previously in HS International Edition:
  An article that is now a decade old (!!!), but basically still gives you the lowdown on what Vappu is about (3.5.2000)

See also:
  A full list of the special timetable and opening-hour arrangements for this year´s Vappu in Finnish (get a friend to help you)

Links:
  Matkahuolto - long-distance bus and coach services
  Havis Amanda (Wikipedia) - she is the centrepiece of Friday night´s revels in Helsinki
  Helsinki Region Transport, HSL
  Finnish Railways, VR