Oi, ihana toukokuu!

The Darling Buds of May

Vappu maistui timjamille, oreganolle ja meiramille.
Tippaleivistä ja simasta ei ollut tietoakaan, ajatukset olivat serpentiiniä.
Hedelmäsalaatissa tuoksui kardemumma ja lasissa kupli mansikka ja lakka.
Toukokuu on karkinvihreä ja juuri nyt viileä minttu.


Vappu, May 1st, ( see below ) was for me meeting friends and good food.
May is one of my favourite months although right now it is cold..
I do love the light candy green shades of May.

May 1st, is the 'workers' day', and here in Finland, on the morning of May 1st, there are indeed trade-union marches and political speeches. However, the day has also been hi-jacked by students, originally from the polytechnics, but now from all higher education institutes. The students wear 'overalls' decorated with local sponsorship emblems from major industries. There are a great many white hats in evidence, and these are worn by graduates from High School; fancier hats still are worn by even more highly educated students. All over Finland the market squares are full of stalls selling food, toys, sweets etc. Visually, the image is of helium balloons, tinsel, white hats, hair decorated with crazy spray-on colours, some in fancy dress, and a lot of fun. The celebration also coincides with the beginning of spring proper, by which I mean that sometimes it is 'T-shirts on the terrace' kind of weather (but sometimes it can snow - it depends on the weather.