Follows is the speech I made on Sunday at the Finnish Hall where we were commemorating Vappu, a national holiday in Finland that falls on May Day.
A Finn and a Swede were having a drinking contest. After a few hours of drinking in silence the Swede said: “Good vodka.” To which the Finn replied, “you want to talk or drink?”
Kippis.
We are here today to recognize Vappu a day of widespread celebration throughout Finland. It is a day that has grown in significance and popularity over the years with Finns turning out in huge numbers to celebrate.
Vappu is relatively new in my experience. It was rarely mentioned as I grew up and I cannot recall whether there were even Vappu celebrations at this Finn Hall. If so they were not greeted with the same kind of fanfare reserved for other occasions. I wondered about this recently before discovering that Vappu only became a national holiday in Finland in 1979 and in those days was mostly celebrated by university students.
Vappu is a confluence of four celebrations. The first is in recognition of a Catholic saint, Walpurgis (Valburg in Finnish). She was canonized on May first 870 AD for amongst other things, fighting against witchcraft. You don’t see many witches in Finland, so she was clearly effective — for better or worse. The night between April 30th and May 1st was named Walpurgis Night which Finns shortened to Vappu. I doubt many celebrants in Finland today raise a glass to Saint Valburg anymore. But she could rightfully be credited as the founder of the feast.
By the 1700s Finns were celebrating Vappu as part of the general festivities marking the end of another long, harsh winter and the coming of Summer. You’re probably aware of this Finnish joke: we had a nice summer last year, it was on a Thursday.
In the early 20th century people in much of the world began celebrating May first as a day to recognize workers, May Day. Thus in Finland Vappuu became a triple celebration. The fourth aspect of Vappu festivities and the one that is now of primary focus, is as a day for students to celebrate the end of the school year.
It is, along with Joulu, the most anticipated time of the year, many young Finns, and doubtless older ones too, start celebrating a couple of weeks before Vappupäivä.
As I said Vappu was not much of a thing when I grew up. My parent’s and grandparent’s generations — who created this hall and made the Bay Area a welcome home for other Finnish emigres — came from working class roots, indeed many hailed from rural areas where Vappu had less significance.
Besides in the first sixty years of the 20th century Bay Area Finns were in a constant state of celebration. They had come to the United States and both assimilated and maintained their national identity. They were living the American Dream. My father came from relative poverty in Finland but here, working as a carpenter during the building boom, he was making enough money to support a family of four, own his own home and two cars, and through his union have health insurance and a pension.
My father and other Finns worked hard and played hard. There were always weekend activities and even occasional outings on weeknights. Parties, picnics, barbecues, dances, concerts, ski trips, hunting and fishing, spectator sports aplenty, holiday gatherings. It was a nonstop whirlwind of fun to balance the hard work. Vappu was nothing special if it was thought of at all.
The world is a different place today. Finns don’t see the United States as the land of milk and honey anymore and consequently aren’t pouring into the Bay Area. Why would they? In fact, it’s tempting to ask a Finn in the United States: what are you doing here? You’ve got it so good in your own country! (Well, besides the winters.) While the United States still has much to offer immigrants as well as its second, third and fourth generation citizens, there’s been trouble in paradise for awhile and I don’t just mean Trump.
But Finland, boy do they have cause for celebration at Vappu as well as the other 364 days of the year. Let’s consider some facts.
Finland is the 8th most educated country in the world according the World Economic Forum.
Finland has, according to U.S. News and World Report, the sixth most well-developed school system.
Finland is ranked number one in transparency by transparency international and is the second least corrupt country in the world according to global economy dot com.
World population review ranks Finland the 6th freest country in the world and is fourth in freedom of the press.
World population review also says Finland is second in the world in gender equality.
Our country is 14th in social acceptance of LGBTQ people according to a UCLA School of law study.
Finland is the 6th safest country in the world says U.S. News and World report.
Finland is both third in social mobility — World Population Review — and social welfare spending.
Positive News says that Finland is second in social progress.
Finland has a 100% literacy rate.
A Yale University study ranks Finland third in environmental performance in combatting the affects of climate change and Finland is also the third most environmentally friendly country, this time according to World Population Review.
Finland is also now teaching students how to identify misinformation campaigns and propaganda. Starting this campaign at the elementary school level. Media literacy is part of the national curriculum.
In Finland, the number of homeless people has fallen sharply. Those affected receive a small apartment & counseling — with no preconditions. Four out of five people affected make their way back into a stable life. And all this is CHEAPER than accepting homelessness.
Dads in Finland spend more time with their kids than anywhere else in the world. Both parents get the same parental leave, and employers encourage dads to take time off.
The maternity package or äitiyspakkaus, known internationally as the Finnish "baby box," is a kit granted by the Finnish social security institution Kela, to all expectant or adoptive parents who live in Finland or are covered by the Finnish social security system.
In Finland, university is free.
In Finland every person who can vote receives a mail reminder about the elections. No registration is needed, and you can even vote at malls and supermarkets!
Finland was ranked Europe’s least angry country last year by landgeist. This must have made our neighbors really mad.
Finland also recently had a prime minister who knew how to effectively mix work with play as evidenced by videos of her dancing and partying.
And finally, Finland’s men’s ice hockey team defeated Russia last year in the Winter Olympics to claim its first hockey gold medal. Hyvaa Sumoi!!!
It’s no wonder that last month the World Happiness Report named Finland the happiest country in the world for the sixth year in a row.
At only 105 years old, Finland is still a relative youngster at being an independent country. It shares a large border with Russia, which, as Ukranians can tell you, is not a terribly comfortable way to go through life. Finland’s recent acceptance into NATO was met with widespread approval, including here in the United States. So it is remarkable that this small country with a population of less than six million has become a model of democracy, equality, social justice and fighting climate change. Things are far from perfect in Finland, the economy is sometimes sluggish, drug abuse is a serious threat and of course Russia is next door. But what this tiny beautiful country has accomplished, what it guarantees its citizens, particularly it’s youngest members and its most vulnerable, the way it protects its environment and plans for its future, the equality enjoyed by its women and members of the LGBTQ community are all things of which we can be very, very proud.
I don’t know if any of you are of a mind to celebrate Walpurgis, but I’m sure you’re enjoying the end of one of our colder and rainier winters. Raising a glass to the working people who keep the machinery of life going is always a good idea. Many others of you are students or the older kin of students who will soon be successfully ending another school year. So let us celebrate all that Vappu is about but let us also recognize that it is another reminder of our justifiably great pride in Finland and what it stands for today and it’s unbelievable accomplishments.
Hyvää vappua! Ja kiitos kaikille.
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