Mardi Gras or Pancake Day
In Finland we celebrate Shrovetide in the beginning of March.
On the Shrove Sunday (Quinquagesima) or on Shrove Tuesday we bake
Shrovebuns (with some marzipan and whipped cream and raspberry jam inside)
and goout tobogganing, sliding down snowy hills with pieces of cardboard
orsledges or whatever. Sometimes people shout 'long flaxes! because in
theold times people used to think it would bring better flax crop.
Today people shout it just for fun.
It is also a tradition to eat
peasoup and pancakes as dessert,with strawberry jam. The peasoup is
really thick soup and we sometimes puta drop of mustard and chopped
onions to give it extra flavour. If you arenot a vegetarian we add little
pieces of ham in it.
Confirmation
We go to confirmation classes when we are 14-15 years old.
Over 90% of Finnish youth do it. The classes last about one week,
and it's usually a camp. When the young have had their confirmation,
they invite some friends and relatives and have a party. They get
lots of presents, for example money, cross-shaped jewellery, Christian
books, Bibles etc. Most guests also take a rose with them.
So when you have had parties, your house is full of flowers.