Finland has many fun traditions. One of them takes place around the first of May. It is basically our carneval – a way to welcome spring time. We call it ”Vappu”.
On the 30th of April people hit the streets. The next day it is time for ”hearring breakfast” and more traditional family lunches.
If you want a piece of the action you might want to go to Grand Place in Brussels on April 30 next year. You will see an whole bunch of happy Finns in white hats. The hat has got nothing to do with sailing – you actually get one when you matriculate from high-school.
Below you will find some pictures from the weekend festivities.
The inside of the hat shows you that five hats graduated from a Finnish speaking school, one from a French school and one from a Swedish school.
With friends in Waterloo.
Manneken Pisin gets his hat too.
Interested spectators.
La Chaloupe d’Or was also taken over by the Finnish contingent.