If every day of the year were a person, Vappu would be Charlie Sheen at his first bachelor party. Unique and cerainly memorable. Just filled with joyful cheer to be a little more descriptive, exciting and with a contagious energy which is passed on to others as a doctor of infectious and sexually transmitted diseases might put it.
If you head to the city you will encounter thousands of Finns on multi-day benders running wild on champagne fumes. Traditionally celebrated by university students and the working class, Vappu holds a special meaning for Finns. The long, harsh winter is finally coming to an end, and it’s time for the darkness to give way — eventually — to a brief but cherished summer. While the history of May Day in Finland carries some political undertones, these are not the primary drivers of the approximately 36-hour nonstop festivities filled with joy and revelry that Finns look forward to each year.
In Finland, besides church celebrations, only two national holidays guarantee a day off: May Day and Independence Day. As such, Vappu is officially recognized in the Finnish calendar — an “advantage gained” that Finns are determined to defend. It’s almost a civic duty to head out, celebrate, and demonstrate that while political movements may rise and fall, a citizen’s right to pop a champagne cork must remain untouched.
