Hyvää Kalevalan päivää!! - Happy Kalevala day!

Today Finland celebrates Kalevala day. This is a flag day, which means that the Finnish flag can be seen (almost) everywhere in Finland.

Kalevala is the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology. This book played a major role in the development of the Finnish national identity. The first version of this book was published in 1935. The meter of the poems in this book is called Kalevala Meter (a trochaic tetrameter). This book is and has been a source of inspiration for many different artists. (Not only Finnish artists: J.R.R. Tolkien found inspiration in this epic too!) Jean Sibelius, a Finnish composer, composed many symphonies inspired by Kalevala. (e.g. Kullervo Symphony, Lemminkäinen Suite,…) 

There's also jewelry inspired by Kalevala. 

and here are some paintings inspired by this epic:

Akseli Gallen-Kallela: Lemminkäinen's mother

 

Akseli Gallen-Kallela: The Defense of The Sampo

Hyvää ystävänpäivää! - Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to all those loving couples out there!

To be honest I actually prefer the Finnish way of celebrating this day. The reason is simple: In Finland this day is all about friendship! Hyvää ystävänpäivää translates to happy friends day. So this day isn't only for loving couples and doesn't exclude all those who are single. Also it is important, I think, to celebrate friendship. Being grateful for having awesome friends should definitely be part in our lives. This day exists so that we don't forget to show our friends from time to time how much we appreciate their friendship and how important they are to us.

So, happy friends day, everyone!

(c) Milla Paloniemi

 - Happy friendship day, little one!

- Your crickets!! Ooh! Thanks!

Hyvää Runebergin Päivää!! - Happy Runeberg Day!!

Today Finland celebrates Runeberg day.

Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804 - 1877) was a Finland-Swedish poet whose mother tongue was Swedish. His most famous/important work was the text for the Finnish national anthem (Vårt land [se] Maamme [fi]). J.L. Runeberg is Finland's national poet.

On this day the Finnish people enjoy a delicious little cake called Runebergin Torttu. According to a story a friend told me, this cake was created by his wife. The Runebergin Torttu is flavored with almonds, gingerbread crumbs, rum, rasberry yam.