Pussy willows and other traditions
Written By:
Minea Herwitz
Article written by Tuija Tuulia
Easter (Pääsiäinen) in Finland is often a time when you just can’t wait for spring to arrive properly! It’s the season of the first pajunkissat (pussy willows), and searching for them in the bushes under the sunshine—often with snow still covering parts of the ground—is one of my favorite childhood memories from the Suomenlinna islands in Helsinki.
I also loved making small streams in the melting snow, guiding water from one lätäkkö (puddle) to another on the sand-coated roads.
At Easter, it’s tradition for Easter witches to go out in their witch costumes with old coffee pots and baskets in hand, welcoming spring to their neighbors by waving willow twigs blooming with small, furry kissat (“kittens”) in Finnish.
These witches are young children—both girls and boys can take part. Before heading out, they carefully decorate their willow twigs with e.g. colorful feathers, silk paper and craft pipe cleaners bent into spirals and other shapes. Then, much like trick-or-treating on Halloween in the U.S., they visit their neighbors dressed in themed costumes.
The Greeting Ritual
The traditional rhyme they recite goes like this:
“Virvon, varvon, tuoreeks, terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle, palkka mulle”
Which means: “I bless and wish, good health and joy for the coming year. A twig for you, a treat for me.”
After saying the rhyme, they hand over the decorated twig, which the neighbor keeps as a decoration. In return, the little witches receive a treat—often Easter eggs or other candy. This is definitely a day to keep candy stocked!
Homes are often decorated with Easter baskets or bouquets, bright colored tulips and narcissus and any yellow colored flowers are the best! These are often accompanied with pussy willow or birch branches just starting to bud.
Traditionally Easter is time for a feast, it marks the end of the fast (which most people don’t do anymore in Finland). Let’s see the most common Easter dishes in Finland!
1. Mämmi (Rye Pudding)
• A dark, malted rye pudding that looks well, unusual but has a sweet, slightly bitter taste due to long baking time. I won’t be putting a picture of this to this blog – you can search the internet for it!
• Traditionally eaten with cream and sugar.
• Originally a Lenten dish (a dish that can be eaten during 40-day Christian tradition fast before Easter, as it is simple, filling, and doesn’t contain eggs, milk, or meat)
2. Lamb
• Roast lamb is the most traditional Easter main dish.
• It comes from Christian symbolism—Jesus is often referred to as the “Lamb of God.”
• Eating lamb at Easter is a way to honor this tradition.
3. Pasha
• A rich, sweet, creamy dessert made from quark, butter, eggs, and sugar, often flavored with almonds and citrus.
• Comes from Orthodox Christian traditions, especially from Karelia and Russia.
• Symbolizes abundance and the joy of Easter after the fasting period.
4. Quark pulla
• Like normal Finnish pulla, but flattened with a glass, and some flavored quark added to the middle, sometimes with raisins
• Also many other quark dishes, e.g. pies are enjoyed at the Easter time
4. Easter eggs
From the 1700s, as chickens became more common in Karelia, people started painting eggs for Easter. There are two kinds of painting done. If you have boiled eggs, they can be colored. If you want to make Easter decorations that may last for years, make two holes at the ends of a raw egg and blow the contents out. Then, paint it with acrylics, watercolors, or markers. Take half of a matchstick and tie a string around the middle. Put it inside the egg through the top hole—once inside, it will turn sideways, allowing you to hang the egg from the string. These look really nice on any kind of tree branches and bring a lovely Easter feeling. Keep them for the next year in the egg cartons! • The egg itself is a symbol of new life and resurrection, fitting for Easter celebrations. Easter
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