Vappu Tampere Style

In Finland, Vappu (May Day/Walpurgis day) is one of the four biggest holidays along with Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and Midsummer (Juhannus). Vappu is a traditional festival for students and laborers marking the end of winter and the beginning of summer. On the eve and the actual day of the 1st of May, the whole of Finland is celebrating a merry carnival! (About history of Vappu you can read here and here) 

  On the First of May the weather was amazingly worm and sunny, so it was not a surprise, that Tampere city center was full of people. Traditionally markets of Vappu are full of serpentine, flowers, whistles, Vappu whisks, balloons, masks, tasty food and delicious sweets, and other funny goods, as well as some carnival activities for children.

Carnival is full of surprises :)

 

"Fishing" lottery, there is a number on every fish stomach. For every number there is gift.

Another carnival lottery. On the end of the rope a gift is waiting.

This huge Super Mario, you could try to win in one of the carnival lotteries.

 The political character of the festival is more accentuated on this day, with many prominent party members giving public speeches, especially the ones leaning to the left. 

 In the afternoon the crowd gathers next to the Hämeensilta bridge, on both sides of the river, see the freshman parade smoothly spills over into the dipping of new technological university students, into the freezing-cold water of Tammerkoski rapids.

Freshmen gathering for the "dipping"

 

 One of the characteristics of Vappu celebrations are the black and white student caps which many people, young and old, wear as a token of their graduation from senior high school.