Geek (Or Games Addict)

Some celebrations in France

november, the 11th

ON NOVEMBER 11th, WE CELEBRATE THE END OF WWI, IN 1918. THE FRENCH, THE ENGLISH SIGNED AN ARMISTICE WITH THE GERMANS.

EACH YEAR, NOVEMBER 18th IS A BANK HOLIDAY AND WE HAVE MILITARY PARADE AND VISIT TO THE SOLDIERS CEMETERIES.

THE LAST SOLDIER FROM THAT WAR DIED IN 2010

FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZY WITH ANGELA MERKEL FROM GERMANY AT THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE IN 2009.

 

THERE IS A TYPICAL FRENCH MONUMENT TO THE DEAD SOLDIERS IN EACH TOWN AND VILLAGE.

FRENCH POILUS (IT MEANS HAIRY), IN 1918. WE USED TO CALL THEM POILUS BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T SHAVE IN THE TRENCHES.

July, The 14th

July, 14th 1789: Assault of the Bastille prison by the people of Paris

 

The eiffel tower on july 2009

 

Parade on the Champs Elysées

FIREWORKS TO CELEBRATE THE NATIONAL DAY

 

PLACE DE LA BASTILLE TODAY, THE PRISON HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED

 

LA CHANDELEUR (CANDLEMAS)

  The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, which falls on 2 February, celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some Eastern Catholic Churches, it is one of the twelve Great Feasts, and is sometimes called Hypapante (lit., 'Meeting' in Greek).

Other traditional names include Candlemas, the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin, and the Meeting of the Lord.

  In some Western liturgical churches, Vespers (or Compline) on the Feast of the Presentation marks the end of the Epiphany season.

  In France, Candlemas (French: La Chandeleur) is celebrated with crêpes, which must be eaten only after eight p.m. If the cook can flip a crêpe while holding a coin in the other hand, the family is assured of prosperity throughout the coming year.

Ingredients

·  1 cup all-purpose flour

·  1 teaspoon white sugar

·  1/4 teaspoon salt

·  3 eggs

·  2 cups milk

·  2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

CRÊPES DRESSING

We usually drink apple cider with crêpes.

Chocolate Crêpe->

Some celebrations in Finland / Merijärvi

Independence Day

Independence day is  Finland’s national day, which  is  celebrated on the 6^th of December. Finland became independent in 1917.

The 6^th of December has been Finland´s national day since the year 1919. Independence day is also an offical flag day.

On the 6^th of December in 1917 Finland´s parliament approved the senate´s declaration of independence. In 1917  Bolsheviks had captured power in Russia, which was therefore considered that Finland had to move on from the Russia.

Since the year 1957 a solemn flagraising is organized  every year at 9 a.m. on Independece day´s morning on the hill of Helsinki observatory, connected with speeches and choral. Independence day’s worship is in Helsinki Cathedral. Many people visit  the graves of heroes, in memory of soldiers.

At independence Day there is a national military parade and some local parades. At independence Day and at the day of Defence Forces Flag the president of the republic gives badges and army promotions.

In the evening there is a great  reception at the presidents castle. Usually the guests are government and parliament members,  ambassadors, veterans, athletes, art and science representatives and some other guests. The Castle celebration is watched on television at finnish homes.

Christening

When a baby is two months old, he/she is baptized. This festivity is called christening. Baby’s mom and dad have decided the name in advance. They say the name for a pastor who gives it officially to the baby. The pastor says the name and at the same he puts water on the baby’s head for three times (Father, Son and the Holy Ghost). For the baby has been  chosen at least two godparents and one of them holds the baby while christening. The baby wears a white long dress which has a blue ribbon on a boy and pink on a girl. The celebration take place at the family’s home or in a church. After christening the family has a celebration at home. This celebration is the baby’s first where he/she becomes a member of Christian congregation.

                  Easter

Easter is a celebration of Christianity. Easter is preceded by a quiet week, which culminates in a long time Friday. The resurrection is the central point of the faith and the church year.Easter is an old and important festivity of Christian church.

In the spring at Easter a number of natural metaphors come to life. These include daffodils, grass,  yellow Easter chicks and bunnies, or rabbits. The buds burst of birch twigs and catkins illustrate new life. Egg is known around the world as a metaphor of fertility and growth

There are little Easter witches going around during Easter in Finland. They are little boys and girls who are dressed up as witches. They go from house to house and say jingles, give twig of willows and get candy. This tradition comes from an old Finnish tradition. In the old times people believed that  witches go around at Easter time and try to damage cattle. For this reason, bonfires are still burned at Easter.

We decorate our homes with chicks, colored eggs and we grow Easter grass. A traditional Finnish Easter food is ´´mämmi´´ which is made by cooking rye flour and water. And after that it is put into the oven.

Midsummer

Midsummer is the finnish name for a  celebration, which we have in the middle of the summer. Midsummer is light celebration, when the middle of the summer is the best. Many Christian people celebrate the midsummer as the remember day of John the Baptist, becomes name midsummer.

Finnish midsummer traditions include midsummer sauna, midsummer bonfire, midsummer dances and other celebrations. In Finland tradition is also midsummer birch, midsummer flowers and Finland- Swedish region they have midsummer poles, which are decorates with leaves and flowers. In Finland midsummer is an official flag day, when we can have flags flying from the pole during all midsummer night. Houses in cities are empty in midsummer, because people spend the midsummer in summerhouses which  are located on the many beaches of  lakes. Today  many people use so much alcohol, and celebrate in festival region.

Many midsummer’s traditions originate from an old European celebration of light and fertility during summer solstice. In Finland midsummer is important folksy festival.  People use to do rites to ensure a good harvest and a future partner but today these customs are only a fun habit.

Midsummer bonfire

Confirmation 

 We go to a confirmation camp when we are 14-15 years old. It lasts a week. We study about our belief at the confirmation camp. After the camp we have ceremony where we have Holy Communion for the first time. We get bread and wine which are Jesus’s body and blood. Young people wear white, long cloaks. We call it alba in Finland. After the ceremony we give flowers to young people outside the church. We give presents at home and there is a party in the evening. We invite godparents, friends and relatives to the party. We drink coffee, take photos, talk and spend time in the party. After the party young person can send “thanks for coming” photos.

Holy Communion

                                                                                 Confirmation procession                                        

New year

The New Year is the day that marks the beginning of a new calendar year. In many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner. We shoot fireworks, mold pewter, we do new year promises, We eat well, children are allowed to stay awake for a bit longer, we spend time with friends.

 In  Helsinki on the square of Senaatintori  there is a great celebration where you can see fabulous  fireworks and hear speeches. This is filmed and showed on tv.

At present, the celebration of the New Year is a major event worldwide.

           CHRISTMAS                                                                                                                                                           

          Christmas is a birthday of Jesus. Over time it has become a childrens’ celebration. Finnish Christmas means candles, Christmas food, decorations, Christmas tree, Santa Claus and going to a Christmas sauna.

                                                  History

         In Finland, Christmas is connected to the old All Saints' Day and it has features from the old finnish harvest festival, kekri. Swedish and Finnish Santa Claus (Nuutti goat) was a man who wore Fertility rite figure, goat. He put the goat horns to imitate a shamanistic tradition, the goat-like. he also wore a mask of birch bark and  a sheepskin coat  turned upside-down.

                                          Christmas today     

     Christmas time in Finland begins in the beginning of December. Before  Christmas we have three Advent Sundays the fourth one is at Christmast. A week before Christmas people go to church and sing the most beautiful Christmas carols.  People decorate their houses both inside and outside with candels. Christmas tree is taken to house  at Christmas Eve and it’ll be inside till Epiphany.

       Finland Declaration of Christmas Peace is declared always in the same place every year in Turku and at the same time at 12.a.m. at Christmas Eve, it is broadcasted and televised. Animals’ Christmas Peace is declared in the middle of December and it is not allowed to shoot animals or hunt them.

                                At home

      Christmas tree is taken to house  at Christmas Eve and it’ll be inside till Epiphany. We go to the sauna on Christmas In the afternoon at Christmas Eve many Finns go to a service in church and take candels to the graves of their relatives. After the service families gather together to have dinner. At Christmas we eat ham and carrot casserole rutabaga casserole and potato casserole and vegetable salad and gingerbread and liver casserole and drink home-brewed ale and mulled wine.

 In the evening Santa Claus comes and gives gifts to children

   

Finnish Christmas food.

                                                                                                                                      Enni ja Noora :D

                   


  Shrovetide

Shrovetide is a special day belonging to the Christian church year. Shrove Sunday is seven weeks before Easter.

Shrovetides tradition are from an old work of the celebration. Most fun was to go sliding. Often peoples shout: “Long flax, fine hemps and huge turnips”, when they go sliding down. Now at Shrovetide say goodbye the darkest winter and will wait for spring.

To Shrovetide belong buns, sliding, nonsense poems and pea soap.

 Buns filled with cream and jam.

   

           PRIZE DAY

       Students from the grades 1-6 present plays or songs. The 6th class gives a speech and the 9th class thinks back  their school years and thanks their teachers by giving them a rose and they  select the teacher of the year who has been the nicest and best teacher during their school time. School offers ninth-graders coffee and cake when they leave school for the last time.

     And the Principal will schedule a memorial to their class. After that they are given the leaving certificates and other honours.

 In classes 1-6 some pupils, who have been chosen by their classmates, are given "smile statues" for their good and fair behaviour towards their classmates as well as diplomas.

Celebration goes on by singing of  songs, among other things suvivirsi, which is a traditional school leaving hymn. 

     Headmaster gives a speech, and after that the summer holidays start, and the spring semester ends.

a smile statue

The first of may

The first of may (in finnish vappu) is a festivity of workers, students and a carnival festivity of spring. Vappu is celebrated on the first of May. It is an inexact day off. Then we often eaten doughnuts, funnel cakes, frankfurters and potato salad and  drink mead. Students usually feast the day by partying and drinking and many students wear their white graduation caps (as you can see in the picture). In Helsinki students give a huge graduation cap to a statue called Havis Amanda too.

 At Vappu starts the season of going to  cottages. At vappu there are  lots of colorful accessories for example balloons and streamers. People too usually dress themselves up in funny clothes.

 Vappu jubilation                                                               Vappu’s drink, mead and funnel cakes

Venetsialaiset

                                                          

Venetsialaiset in Pori

Venetsialaiset in Kokkola

Finnish people spend much time in their cottages. When autumn comes people stop their cottage life and celebrate the ending of the summer season. That’s called Venetsialaiset. Venetsialaiset are spent on the last Saturday in August. Then people go to their cottages for the last time. They burn the candles and shoot fireworks. Peoples also drink much alcohol and take a sauna bath. Festival  are celebrated only on the west coast of Finland. The biggest festival cities are Kokkola and Kalajoki.