May Day in Finland

May Day is known in Finland as Vappu. It used to be celebrated as the International Working Day, a bit like today's Labor Day in the United States. But not so anymore. These days, especially on May Day Eve, it is a carnival-style festivity where people merely have fun and at the same time - weather permitting - have a fine opportunity to welcome the summer in city parks. In Helsinki perhaps the most prominent part of this celebration is the 'crowning' of Havis Amanda by students with a white student cap. And most everyone who owns one - regardless of age - crowns his or her own head with it. The white student cap used to be the mark of the working class people about to improve their social status. 

Vappu is also a day of special treats. Many Finns brew a drink called sima - made from lemons, brown sugar and yeast (and containing just a little alcohol so that even children are allowed to drink it). Sold in stores as well. We also make munkkeja and - to a lesser degree - tippaleipiä - crispy pastries fried in oil made from liquid doughnut dough. So if you wish to take part in the celebration, just get yourself a nice ilmapallo, wrap yourself in serpentiini and holler

            Hauskaa vappua!

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary 
ikään katsomatta = vanusest sättumusest = regardless of age
ilmapallo = õhupall = balloon
kesä = suvi = summer
munkki = sõõrik = doughnut
nykyään = praegusel ajal, tänapäeval = these days, nowadays
serpentiini = a kind of confetti, strings of colorful paper packed in rolls
sima = drink made from lemons, brown sugar and yeast
tippaleipä = crispy pastry made from liquid doughnut dough and fried in oil 
Vappu = volbripäev = May Day
vappuaatto = May Day Eve
vastaanottaa kesä = to welcome summer
vähemmässä määrin = vähemal määral = to a lesser degree
Yhdysvallat = Ameerika ühendriigid = The United States
ylioppilas = üliõpilane = student
ylioppilaslakki = student cap

Told by the birds

Kiuru-Põldlõoke-Skylark

There is a nice Finnish rhyme about the expectance of summer, after the long, long winter and long-awaited spring. It is based on the arrival of the migratory birds in Finland, and it goes like this:

Kuu kiurusta kesään
Üks kuu põldlõokest suveni
A month till summer from (the arrival of) Skylark

Peipponen-Metsvint-Chaffinch

puoli kuuta peipposesta 
kaks nädalat metsvindist
a fortnight from Chaffinch




västäräkistä vähäsen 

Västäräkki-Västrik-Wagtail

natukene västrikust
a wee bit more from Wagtail

Pääskynen-Pääsuke-Swallow

pääskysestä ei päivääkään. 
mitte päevagi pääsukesest.
but not a day from Swallow.

Tervetuloa kesä!  
Teretulemast suvi! 
Welcome summer!

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary 
ei päivääkään = mitte päevagi = not one (single) day
kauan odotettu = kauaoodatud = long-awaited
kesä, suvi = suvi = summer 
kesän odotus = expectance of summer, looking forward to summer
kevät = kevad = spring
kiuru, leivonen = põldlõoke = (the Eurasian) Skylark (Alauda arvensis)
kuu, kuukausi =  kuu = month
muuttolinnut = rändlinnud = migratory birds
peippo, peipponen = metsvint = the Common Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
puoli kuuta = kaks nädalat = fortnight
pääsky, pääskynen =  pääsuke = swallow, martin (fam. Hirundinidae)
saapuminen, tulo = saabumine = arrival
syksy = sügis = autumn, fall
talvi = talv = winter
vähäsen = natukene = a little bit
västäräkki = linavästrik =  the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

Friday Phrase 13

Tällä kertaa the Friday Phrase goes light. Most of you may know the program Candid Camera, and how the host (e.g. Peter Funt)  always says the same phrase at the end: Smile - you're on Candid Camera! We have all smiled at the embarrassing or naljakas situations the unsuspecting "victims" are exposed to. In Finland we know the program by "Hymyile, olet piilokamerassa!", and in Estonia "Naeratage, te olete varjatud kaameras!" Which ever camera you are on, and no matter what the culture or language, we people are prone to laugh at more or less the same things. Cheers to that! Here is one funny video!

sanasto = sõnastik = vocabulary
avomielinen, suora, vilpitön = avameelne, siiras = candid
enemmän tai vähemmän = rohkem või vähem = more or less
hauska = naljakas = funny
Hymyilkää = Naeratage = Smile! (pl.)
juontaja = saatejuht = host
nauraa = naerda = to laugh
nolo = piinlik = embarrassing
nolo tilanne = piinlik olukord = an embarrassing situation
ohjelma = programm = program
(sinä) olet = sina oled = you are (sing.)
(te) olette = te olete = you are (pl.)
pahaa-aavistamaton = pahaaimamatu = unsuspecting
piilokamera = varjatud kaamera = candid camera
tällä kertaa = seekord = this time around
uhri = ohver = victim