vappu

My mamma has been in Helsinki last weekend. I enjoyed her visit so much, I was finally able to show her my second home, but unfortunately the time has passed too fast.
After that, the week at work went smoothly, between one celebration and another. It has started with three cakes at three o’clock to celebrate the successful doctorial dissertation of one of my colleagues. Then there has been a quite informal birthday party that made me a bit tipsy, so that I got some good ideas to write for my project. And then VAPPU!
Vappu-eve: Helsinki got a beautiful weather as a gift. Rivers of people going towards Manta . Every year a different student union has the duty to put on her head the white cap that every Finn gets when graduating from high school. At six o’clock, punctual, the statue gets the hat and all the people start to wear it. From then on, the city gets full of people in a party mood that lasts till the evening of the day after. University students wearing pimped overalls, grandpas whose hat is now yellow. Somebody wears funny sunglasses, most of the people have a drink in their hand and children get balloons. It almost seems carnival. Then, on the actual Vappu day, trams that go towards the park in Ullanlinna get packed. In the morning, the park is already filled with people that gather for a picnic. I would list it as one of my favorite party occasions. It is really a moment in which it does not matter what you do in your life. Everyone is equal; everyone enjoys staying on a picnic blanket with family and friends, tasting good food and drinking sparkling wine. Babies and grown up. Sometimes you spot someone you know, you offer something at your picnic place. Some other time, you go for a walk and you happen to see some of your friends. Someone plays guitar or trumpet, somebody the radio. The park is so colorful that it seems the Woodstock concert.
I have been asked how we celebrate the first of May in Italy. Mainly I guess that those that have a garden organize a barbecue, but in general I do not know too much. For sure nothing like here.