Laskiainen - Shrovetide: Newscast from Oulu (not from Kerava)

February tradition from Finland: Laskiainen - Shrovetide

Laskianen 

Laskiaista vietetään seitsemän viikkoa ennen pääsiäistä. Tänä vuonna sitä vietetään 

vasta maaliskuun 8. päivänä. Keskiajalla suomalaiset paastosivat laskiaistiistaista pääsiäiseen. Sinä aikana he saivat syödä vain tiettyjä, kevyitä ruokia. Paastoon laskeutumisesta juontaa merkkipäivän suomenkielinen nimikin. Ennen paastoa pidettiin ”syöminkejä”.

Monet laskiaisherkut ovat samoja kuin meillä nykyisinkin: Syötiin hernerokkaa (sian sorkilla höystettynä) sianlihaa sisältävää rasvarieskaa, pannukakkua, laskiaispullia, munkkeja ja makkaroita. Yhteistä kaikille laskiaisruuille oli rasvaisuus. Uskottiin, että mitä enemmän rasva kiilsi sormissa ja suupielissä, sitä enemmän siat lihoivat ja lehmät antoivat maitoa ja enemmän kirnusivat voita. 

Nykyisin laskiaista vietetään sekä laskiaissunnuntaina että laskiaistiistaina laskien mäkeä ja syöden hernekeittoa ja laskiaispullia, joiden välissä on kermavaahtoa ja mansikkahilloa tai mantelimassaa.

Ystävät ja sukulaiset kokoontuvat viettämään laskiaista. Lapset menevät laskemaan pulkalla ja aikuiset hiihtämään. Tätä kutsutaan laskiaisriehaksi. Siellä aikuiset istuvat ja juttelevat, lapset laskevat rattikelkalla, pulkalla ja liukurilla. Isommat lapset lumilautailevat tai laskettelevat. Lapsilla on hauskaa. Sen jälkeen aikuiset kutsuvat lapset kaakaolle ja laskiaispullalle.

Shrovetide

Shrovetide is celebrated seven weeks before Easter.  This year (2011) Shrovetide is as late as in March. In the Middle Ages Finns fasted from Shrove Tuesday until Easter.  During this period of time they were allowed to eat only certain light dishes. The Finnish word ”laskiainen” refers to  ”descending” to fasting. Before Lent (fast) people had feasts in which they ate lots and lots of food. Many Shrovetide dishes are still the same as in the Middle Ages like pea soup with pig’s trotters, fatty bread with pork, pancake, Shrove buns with cream, doughnuts and sausages. All these dishes were very fatty. People believed that the greasier your fingers or corners of the mouth were, the more pigs would put on weight and cows would give milk that people could turn into butter.

This is how Shrovetide is celebrated in Finnish families nowadays.

Shrovetide is celebrated both on Shrove Sunday and Tuesday by sledding downhill and eating pea soup and Shrove buns with cream and jam or almond paste in them. Friends and families get together to celebrate.  This happening is called “laskiaisrieha”. Children go sledding downhill with bobsleds, sliders or sleds and grown-ups go skiing or sit down to talk. Older children go snowboarding or downhill skiing. Children have fun together. After this grown-ups invite children to have hot chocolate and Shrove buns.

  

BODEN

Se the movie from Boden on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVdzD0UamFY

Gubben Höst, Mr autumn

Extra materials from Sweden

SPANISH JANUARY TRADITION

In our country we celebrate the 6th of January,the Feast of Three Kings.They are in charge of distributing toys to children who have behaved well during the year. In December,during Christmas holidays the children write their letters asking for toys and presents.Then they have to wait till the visit or their majesties royal page that announce the upcoming arrival of the kings in the city and collects the letters that the children bring to deliver them to the Three Kings:Melcior,Gaspar and Baltasar.The evening of January fifth,is an exciting day for the children because the three kings arrive.They can do it by land,air or sea depending on the city,town or village.Here,in Lleida they use to arrive by train.Then the townhall organize a big parade in which the kings walk around the town in beautiful chariots accompanied by the town giants,the Marraco,music bands and other groups of people that children like.
While they walk they through thousands of sweets to children that cheer them by clapping or singing songs.At the end of the parade the town mayor welcome the Three Kings and give them the magic key to enter all homes and in this way deliver all the toys the children had asked for. After giving thanks for the welcome,the children can greet the kings and deliver their letters.
After this,everybody goes home very quick to have dinner and go to bed early to wait for the royal visit.Next morning when children get up go to the living room to see the toys the Kings have brought and start playing with them.But... if you don’t behave well, the Kings bring you coal instead of toys and presents,although normally,it’s not real,but a kind of sweet.

Worksheet