Today we celebrate Shrove Tuesday (Laskiaistiistai) in Finland. Once again a tradition, that originates from catholic habits. The fasting before Eastern starts tomorrow, so people used to eat well and celebrate today before the fasting.
Nowadays we go sliding. We take our sledges, or actually it is a pulka or a toboggan (pulkka) and ride down hill on it on the snow. It is really fun. And it is not just for the kids or young adults. People from every age group does it. In the old days people used to shout long flax (pitkiä pellavia) while sliding down hill. With that people hoped for a good flax crop in the summer. The flax fibers would be longer, if the pulka would glide far.
The university students usually have some great parties on Shrove Tuesday. First they go sliding and afterwards go f.ex dancing in the evening. The best sliding team is awarded with something. University of Turku student association is also having a happening today.
(there is also the text in English, just slide down a little bit ;) )
After spending few hours gliding (pulkkaillen) we go inside and have for lunch pea soup (hernekeitto), a soup with peas and onion and pork meat, and as a dessert some hot juice (kuuma mehu) or hot chocolate (kaakao) and a bun (pulla). The bun is a Shrove bun (laskiaispulla). It is made like a normal wheat bun. After baking it is cut horizontally in half and filled with whipped cream (kermavaahto) and either strawberry jelly (mansikkahillo) or almond dough (mantelimassa). The filled bun is then placed on a deep plate and slowly hot milk, spiced with some vanillin sugar, is poured around it. Then it is eaten with spoon.
Liukasta Laskiaista! (Slippery Shrovetide!)
