| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 74.1 | Easter food | STAR::JJOHNSON | Jim Johnson | Tue Mar 25 1986 22:12 | 12 |
| No file about Scandinavia would be perfect without mentioning the
unique Finnish Easterfood that the natives call mammi (with an umlaut
over the a). It is a pudding-type food that you eat for breakfast
- with the eggs and such - and it tastes like rye and malt and orange
rind. The look of the stuff is what makes it unique. It looks
- hm, how should I put it - like it's gone thru your digestive system
once already... It tastes a lot better than it looks. It is served
with cream or milk and sugar. (The Scandinavians' favorite food
is cream in cream sauce?)
Happy Easter
stj
|
| 74.2 | Easter weekend boring to young people | NEILS::SAVAGE | | Tue Apr 17 1990 10:35 | 62 |
| From: [email protected] (Henrik Holmstr�m)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: "Long Friday"
Date: 16 Apr 90 10:32:13 GMT
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (David Walden) writes:
> No, David, they're still alive in Scandinavia. It's just
> that on Good Friday, .EVERYTHING., .STOPS. It's commonly
> called "Long Friday" because .NOTHING. .AT. .ALL. .HAPPENS.
> on Good Friday. Maybe on Saturday, too. I don't know.
> Something about having a state religion. Anyone Over There
> care to elaborate?
Being rather young I can only tell you what them ol' people have told
me. Easter should be boring. In the good old days they only showed
Christian movies on "l�ngfredagen" (well, in the really good old days
they didn't show anything at all). But things are changing. Nowdays,
all the discos and night clubs are open. They even use the work-free
monday as an excuse to make people have fun on the sunday! But don't
worry Dave, some of us are out partying all easter!
Henrik
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Jon Haugsand)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: "Long Friday"
Date: 16 Apr 90 16:53:46 GMT
In Norway, dancing in public is not allowed on long-friday. (This is
about to change, but I don't know when.) Drinking, though, is allowed.
Can you imagine us sitting in discos heavily drinking and singing, and
if someone just taking few steps he/she is thrown out because the disco
will loose its drinking-lisence otherwise? This is true.
Another thing is that in Oslo there has up to this year never been any
movies during easter. We are supposed to go to church.
---
Jon Haugsand
Ifi, Univ. of Oslo, Norway
[email protected]
------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Lea Viljanen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: "Long Friday"
Date: 16 Apr 90 21:54:17 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki, Department of Computer Science
Ha! In Finland one isn't allowed to have any fun. Officially. No movies
after Thursday 18.00 and friday. No dancing allowed. A friend told me
she was in a pop concert which had a special permit on a condition that
no dancing happens.
--
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Lea 'LadyBug' Viljanen ____ University of Helsinki, Finland
[email protected] \ / . ' Dept. of Computer Science
[email protected] \/ |_ ' All this and brains too'
|
| 74.3 | Manners and Customs | TLE::PETERSON | Bob | Tue Apr 17 1990 18:28 | 117 |
| [This article has been translated from the one appearing in the recent Swedish-
American newsletter for Boston, Gult och Bl�tt, entirely without permission.
Any factual errors are probably translation errors on my part. I apologize in
advance for some very rough edges I'm too tired to smooth out. -bob]
Manners and Customs
Between them come Lent (the fast)...
The time between Christmas and Easter is a complicated time with practices
obtained both from our Catholic cultural heritage and folksy superstitions. In
order to begin from the beginning, during early Christianity Easter was a
baptism festival. The weeks before Easter was a preparation time, a penance
time. From there is derived Lent [the fast], which lasts for 40 days (Jesus' 40
days in the desert).
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter evening. During the Catholic
time one could not eat meat and eggs during this time. The six days before Lent
are called "Fastlag" [Also translated as Lent] (from German's "Fastelabend", the
evening before Lent). Counted /numerically/ only 3 days for Fastlag: Fastlags
Sunday [Quinquagesima Sunday] or "Pork Sunday", as one could eat pork and meat,
Black Monday ["Bl� Monday", Bl� means Black here, in the sense of very dark
blue?] or Free Monday, when the trade journeymen had time off and celebrated
with merry pranks, and Fat Tuesday or Wheat Tuesday when one ate wheat buns or
"Fastlag" buns [fastlasgbuller]. Fastlag was also the happy, exhilarated time
which preceded the tranquil and gloomy Lent. In Catholic countries one
celebrates Fastlag continually with carnivals when one dresses up in imaginative
costumes and dances through the streets. During Lent may no spectacles/plays,
no judgement ceremonies or crimes take place. It is worth mentioning here that
old and weak, pregnant ones, children and hard laboring were exempt from those
strict dietary rules. Sundays were not fast days.
Among all religious ideas was woven all sorts of superstitious and folksy
customs. Lent and Easter coincided with Spring's arrival and fertility rites.
One whipped cattle when they first loosed on the spring pasture. One brought
greenery from the forest and region and assured oneself therewith of vitality
[life force] to house and home. In the north one must first set those cold
sprigs in water. Those who were touched by the green twigs got vitality. This
is where the custom of Fastlags Twig. Of course, the longer icicles were on
Fastlags Sunday (earliest February 8th) you know of course the longer became
roped. Sallow or willow is borne to the church on Palm Sunday. They should be in
leaf or in bloom and used as palms.
The Sunday before Easter is called Palm Sunday (people strewed plams on the
ground which Jesus rode along on the way to Jerusalem.)
Easter [derived from the Hebrew word Pasach (Passover)] is a joyous holiday. In
order that the Jewish Pasach, which is celebrated in memory of the exodus out of
Egypt, should not coincide with the Christian, the Nicea council decided in the
year 325 A.D., that Easter Day should fall on the first Sunday after the first
full moon after the Spring equinox. Easter Day falls therefore earliest March
22 and latest April 25.
The week before Easter Day is called "stilla veckan" [Holy week, literally Calm
week] or "Dymmelveckan" [Great Week, or literally Mute week] (one wove straw
about the clapper so the the church clock would not sound). Easter Weeks days
have partly borrowed their names after Fastlags: Black Monday, Fat Tuesday, Mute
Wednesday, Clean Thursday, Long Friday (Jesus suffered long on the cross),
Easter Eve and Easter Sunday (the ressurection).
On Clean Thursday, one believed, witches rode to "Bl�kulla" [the Brocken] to
have congress with the devil. In order to protect oneself you lit fires in
southern and western Sweden, where it �reached to be� bare ground, and shot off
[guns]. During the witch trial times in the 1600's, 200 women were hung who
were accused of being witches. Long Friday was a very serious day. Then might no
joke and laughter occur. Children and servants are whipped (with birch
branches) so that they are reminded of Jesus's suffering. The Easter whipping
has degenerated later to a humorous prank as it should have. Due to the
Reformation many of the Catholic customs were forbidden. First on Easter Eve is
broken the fast and one got to eat meat and egg. Also, eggs are found also to
be in plenty at this time when the hens are let out and begin to lay. Also
hares multiply many times [over] now it's Spring. Thus came it that the Easter
bunny laid Easter eggs, at least on the Easter cards which were sent to friends
and acquaintances. The Easter bunny comes, really, from Germany. Easter cards
had as precursor the Easter letter which was anonymously tossed into cottages
with a lampoon poem [on it].
What is now remaining in modern Sweden of the traditions we know from so long
ago? Well, the first Fat Tuesday buns are already to be had the weeks before
Christmas in a bakery which we shall let be unnammed. Easter cards, so popular
during the 40s and 50s, are so good as vanished but on the other hand we are
finding themes, chickens, bunnies and eggs in marzipan, chocolate and plastic
behind confectioner's counters.
The Easter fires [?] have, to be sure, caught on [also possible: caught fire] in
western Sweden. The town's area youths toil and do their bits. They begin with
the discarded Christmas trees and the gardens get a careful spring cleaning. It
is appropriate that they have the largest fire. Some among these get to [or
must] stand guard among for the evening in order to prevent theft of the old
needle [shedding] spruces. The dangerous Easter lashings are prevented. Easter
sprigs or Fastlag sprigs with their gaily colored leaves ar now to be found in
the [market] squares from the beginning of February. They are also adorned with
little old ladies [mistranslated?] and eggs, etc, made as games [recreation?] by
the youngest in the family. Small charming Easter cartings also go round and
knock on doors. Certainly Swedes eat eggs on Easter Eve but they go well with
an omelet or why not lox mousse or a herring gratin (baked herring).
Good Friday [Long Friday] is no longer such a solemn ceremonious bore as it was
before, instead it's marketed the Easter day as the largest meaningful and
rejoiceful [?] day when Jesus came back from death. Immigrants from East Europe
have brought with themselves the custom of Easter night's masses.
On Palm Sunday one passes out little pressed palm crosses from Israel, adorning
the alter with five red roses, signifying Jesus' wound, on Good Friday and
giving on Easter Sunday churchgoers Easter lillies which symbolize life and
regeneration. It becomes also completely common with an Easter table or an
Easter scene, exactly as one has nativities [literally: Christmas mangers] at
Christmas. On the whole the Swedish church has picked up a "few customs" [en
del bruk] which has not occurred since before the Reformation. It has become
more of a spectacle in church.
It is not just the present day commercial interests which have influence on the
Lenten and Eastern traditions, [there are] also our immigrants and mass media,
which blots out community borders, and naturally Swedes' travels to Europe. For
all that many probably do like the family, who described the family's traditions
thus: "We always go to [the town of] �re and ski."
|
| 74.4 | More discussion of 'Easter witches' | TLE::SAVAGE | | Mon Apr 05 1993 16:56 | 91 |
| Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
From: [email protected] (Mauri Haikola)
Subject: Re: Q: Palm Sunday and witches
Sender: [email protected]
Organization: University of Oulu, Dept. of EE, Finland
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 11:52:36 GMT
In article <[email protected]>
[email protected] writes:
> After living in Finland for some years, I still haven't
> understood the background for why young girls on Palm Sunday
> dress up as witches. As far as I can see, witches are about
> as far away one can get to celebrating Christ's entry to
> Jerusalem.
It seems to me that the tradition resembles that of Halloween in the
USA, when kids go from door to door saying "trick or treat". Our
tradition also includes that the young girls (sometimes boys, too!)
wander from door to door in the neighbourhood, say a rhyme and hope to
get some candy or pocket money in return. This action is called
"virvonta" (which is not one of the easily translatable words, I
think). Anyway, the rhyme wishes good to the family to whom it's
presented, so these Easter witches are not exactly the bad ones that
fairytales tell about. The rhyme is about as follows:
Virvon varvon,
tuoreeks terveeks,
tulevaks vuueks,
sulle vitsa mulle palkka.
If anyone knows a good translation, they're welcome to present it. I
don't!
Mauri
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] (Mikael Lindholm)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Q: Palm Sunday and witches
Date: 5 Apr 93 09:35:19 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Usenet)
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, NADA
In Sweden they come during the Saturday. The witches just collect
snacks and candy to have on their way to the Blue Maiden (An island,
where the witches hide during Easter) ( Correct me if I am wrong - they
would not let me into this secret circle )
/M
--
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Mikael Lindholm E-mail: [email protected]
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: [email protected] ("Johnson")
Subject: Re: Q: Palm Sunday and witches
Organization: Motorola Wireless Enterprises, Schaumburg, IL
Date: Mon, 5 Apr 1993 14:03:51 GMT
Sender: [email protected] (Net News)
=)Virvon varvon,
=)tuoreeks terveeks,
=)tulevaks vuueks,
=)sulle vitsa mulle palkka.
"Trick or treat
Smell my feet
Give me something
Good to eat."
(Maybe not a _literal_ translation...:-)
( In the US, a similar activity goes on for Halloween [All Hallows'
Eve, Oct. 31]. Children dress up as various monsters or other
characters [witches are popular] and go door-to-door obtaining candy or
small favors from adults. This is "trick or treating," from the
standard greeting "Trick or Treat," and the above poem is a common one
used with minor disrespect.) --
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "Johnson" | Behind every absurdity there lies a basic
truth. | | [email protected] | Behind every basic truth there
lies an absurdity. |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Motorola may share these views, but that's not where the smart money
is. |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|
| 74.5 | Did the writer say 'puritanical streak'?! | TLE::SAVAGE | | Wed Mar 30 1994 12:54 | 19 |
| From: [email protected] (Reuters)
Newsgroups: clari.world.europe.western
Subject: Norway Plans to Scrap Ban Easter Dancing Ban
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 94 1:10:12 PST
OSLO (Reuter) - Norway said Wednesday it was planning to
scrap an ancient religious ban on dancing at Easter.
"We plan to put a proposal to parliament later this spring
to end the restrictions," said Ole Herman Fisknes, a director
general at the Ministry of Education, Research and Church
Affairs.
A 1965 law in Norway, updating 1735 decrees about keeping
the Sabbath holy, outlaws dancing in public, bingo, cinemas,
circuses, cabarets, pop concerts and ice fishing contests at
Easter, Christmas and other religious holidays.
Norwegians, with a Lutheran state church, have a puritanical
streak despite a reputation as liberal-minded Scandinavians. The
country also has some of the world's toughest restrictions on
the sale and consumption of alcohol.
|
| 74.6 | Don't dance to the music | TLE::SAVAGE | | Thu Mar 31 1994 16:17 | 71 |
| From: [email protected] (AP)
Newsgroups: clari.world.europe.western,clari.news.religion,
clari.news.interest.quirks
Subject: Norway Takes Easter Break
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 94 13:00:14 PST
OSLO, Norway (AP) -- Norwegians left at home during one of the
world's longest state holidays must feel as if they missed the
great Easter egg hunt.
The change in city life is so spooky for some that the Red Cross
has programs for lonely left-behinds to find solace with other
lonely left-behinds.
"There are Easter cafes, and bus trips and that kind of
thing," said Unni Kristoffersen of the Red Cross.
The traffic snarls of workday life are gone. There is a parking
space glut, since stores and businesses are closed. Sidewalks are
nearly empty.
Since the 1700s, the Easter holiday in Norway has legally been
five days long, starting Thursday and lasting through Monday. But
many Norwegians stretch it to 10 days, starting the exodus last
Saturday.
During the last workdays before the holiday, anyone attempting
to do business is likely to find that there isn't anyone to do
business with.
"It's Easter," switchboard operators explain.
Among those still working are burglars, mountain rescue crews,
movie theater staffs, and disc jockeys or bartenders, who struggle
to keep vacationers from dancing under a 259-year-old ban by the
Lutheran church.
The 1735 decree, made national law in 1965, bars dancing,
concerts, entertainment, sports events and "excessive
festivities" during much of the solemn Christian holiday,
including all day Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
"We plan to present a proposal to Parliament this spring
lifting the ban. It may be lifted in time for next Easter," said
Ole Herman Fisknes, of the government Ministry of Churches,
Education and Research.
"The biggest problem is Good Friday and Easter Sunday, since
Easter is the absolute peak season at the movie theaters and at the
mountain hotels," he said.
Local officials can grant exemptions, as they do for most movie
theaters.
Under the complex rules, it is possible, at times, to buy a
drink in a bar, as long as the patron doesn't dance.
One Easter, in a town that enforced the ban, a disc jockey spun
his dance records at a disco, but kept saying: "Stop dancing."
The crowd thought he was kidding. "I'm serious. Stop dancing,"
he repeated.
Early this week, Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann ran into the
Easter shutdown problem in her childhood home of Trondheim.
She wanted to inspect an archbishop's farm from the Middle Ages
as a possible film location, but was told to go away and come back
after Easter, the Oslo newspaper Dagbladet reported Wednesday.
Ullmann, named an "honored citizen" of Trondheim this year,
called the mayor.
"This city has one international star and her name is Liv
Ullmann. If she needs help, the mayor will turn out," said Mayor
Marvin Wiseth, who postponed his own Easter vacation to open the
building.
Any Norwegian who has a vacation cabin, and many do, heads for
the mountains. Many others pack ski resorts, leave the country on
charter flights, or visit relatives.
Actually, only about one-fourth of Norway's 4.3 million people
leaves home for the whole Easter break. Others take shorter trips,
mostly to the ski slopes, stay at home to read or pack the movie
theaters.
Whatever their plans for the long, religious holiday, few
Norwegians seem to be thinking about church. Although almost 90
percent belong to the state Lutheran Church, a recent poll said
only 16 percent were considering going to church during the
five-day break.
|