celebrating first of may

First of May is the closest we uptight Finns get to a carnival. It's a big day for working class & left-wing parties, but for students too. Most of all, it's time to celebrate spring (even if in some parts of Finland there's still snow). Like Sandra said about Swedes '....Valborgsmässoafton when the Swedes celebrate spring and drink lots of alcohol...' - that's how it is in Finland, too.









The two parties I attented to the night before, however, were nice and quiet with lots of good food. The feast continued on the First of May, as I went to a traditional picnic with my friends (though this year not to Kaivopuisto park, where tens of thousands of people go for First of May picnic every year), and later to have a very fancy dinner at my sister's - which has become a tradition to us. So lots of eating - but I did manage to down a couple of glasses of cava, too. :)

I think I was looking very appropriate for the celebration when I took the first shot; I have a huge crab balloon for the nephew (most kids get balloons on First of May) and my 'student cap', which you get when graduating from school and then get to wear for a day every May. Sounds silly, I know! Plus the fact that it's white velvet really makes it quite impractical for celebrating student style (i.e., getting sloshed). Having been prim and proper in my early twenties, my cap is still embarrasingly white, though!