Virpominen :: Witch Easter Tradition

In Finland, kids celebrate Easter by dressing up as witches and going door to door Sunday morning "trick or treating". But there's no 'tricking' - they prepare the day before by decorating willow branches with colorful tissue paper, candy wrappers, ribbons and feathers and recite a rhyme at each door while waving a branch. The rhyme basically states that "I'm waving this for your health and for a good year, branch for you, salary for me". The salary meaning: CANDY! CHOCOLATE EGGS! COINS! CANDY! - traded for a pretty branch.This whole activity is called 'virpominen'.

I did that every year with my sisters and friends as a kid. Here's my sisters Minna and Kaisu and me. Yes it's snows in April.

Yes, Kaisu did her own make up for her witchy look. We visited our grandparents that day and Kaisu told them immediately that "Don't be afraid - it's just me, Kaisu!" She's so cute. OMG. 

Nostalgic as I am, I'm wearing witchy clothes today. Here's my friend James ghosting it up in the pic, taken at work :) See, I have my willow branch too! Kinda sorta!

Here's some unrelated quotes I came across recently that I think are great:

"Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone." John Maynard Keynes

“Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood.” Oscar Wilde

"America makes prodigious mistakes, America has colossal faults, but one thing cannot be denied: America is always on the move. She may be going to Hell, of course, but at least she isn't standing still."  e. e. cummings

"I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat." Edgar Allan Poe

"Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul." Mark Twain

Have a fabulous week!

I Woke Up in Finland Today

I arrived in Finland yesterday and my sister Minna gave me a pretty Egyptian hand jewelry made by some beduin fairies. She also brought back this head thing I wore yesterday. For the plane I premeditated to go with a gothic look so that it would be kind of a double whammy for the people sitting next to me since my plane reading was the Quran. Yeah I know this may not be funny but I just think it is. "Will she kill us all or not?" Hee hee :D

BTW I love what I read so far in the Quran, it's really good. Just a few pages into it it talks about vegetarianism and reincarnation, I noticed. Hmmm!

So how do I know I'm home, in the house where I grew up, surrounded by the loveliest funniest realest people? I woke up this morning and walked to the kitchen and saw donuts in the toaster. That's how.

Kaisu sister made them from scratch, froze some of them, and now evidently wanted to melt a couple. Here's my mom Heini. Who shares a love for baggy green pants just as I do. She's looking at a mess I already made with my suitcase and stuff.

Kaisu is a teaholic and made me meadowsweet tea this morning. She picks all kinds of flowers and herbs that grow wild, dries them and jars them. I'm still trying to wake up. One word: jetlag.

Oh and Kaisu made this most beautiful welcome for my Krishna deities that I always bring with me, serve and take care of wherever I travel. When I got here yesterday Kaisu was still at school so I went to her room where she has a little altar to put my Deities there. And saw these cute little hoods that she made so my deities would stay warm in chilly Finland! ♥ And a bowl of laddu sweets was also waiting for Them. Awww :)

Here's her whole beautiful devotional altar, in the corner of her room.

Ok I'm going to go see some relatives and grandparents right now, first stop by at a hardware store to buy tubing to make a hoop for myself, and a friend too actually, and anyone who wants a hoop in Finland, let me know! And tonight I'll go fairyspotting. I'll bring my camera so you all can get a peak too.

I Got a Letter from Israel

My sister Minna is traveling around Israel, heading to Egypt soon (if things remain calm there, that is). She works at yoga ashrams and such for free lodging or makes friends and stays at their homes. She just sent me gorgeous photos that I'll share with you, along with some words describing her stokedness.
.

.

"My paradise. Sunset, ocean, horses down at the beach, halava in my pocket, cat sharing love as soon as I lay down. Later that cat ate our pita bread from the car hahah pita supervisor. We still managed to eat most of it later. I LOVE ISRAEEELLLL!!!"

Meet My Sisters

Continuing the 30 Days posts on set topics.

Day 5 - Your siblings 

I have two younger sisters, Minna and Kaisu. I was 3 years old when Minna was born and got her name. I went around telling people, "We have a new dog. Her name is Minna Elina." Obviously I was a bit jealous of losing my position as the only child and focus of my parents. I once threw a cassette tape at her eye but mostly she always emerged victorious in our fighting. I was a really mellow kid and Minna was on fire. When she was like 2 years old she won me in wrestling. Continuously.

She is a photographer and loves animals. She takes care of homeless cats and dogs until they find a home. I remember going to her small apartment with like four cats and three dogs running around. She has a heart of gold. Both of my sisters are vegetarian. This is Minna looking all Bob Dylan.

Here's a few more pics of her, older and new.

Kaisu was born when I was 7 years old. Me and Minna used to put baby-Kaisu in a laundry basket covered with soft pillows and pretend she was our puppy. When she would cry we were like, "Stop barking!" Oh it wasn't as cruel as it sounds :) Kaisu is an artist and a total gentle free spirit reality warrior. She doesn't take any crap from anybody and isn't afraid to follow her own path. Nature inspires her. She always goes to forests and such. She has long days of school at Helsinki's Aalto University studying textile arts. Yet she wakes up early in the morning and chants Hare Krishna in front of a beautiful altar she made. She hoops too. Here she is with Sara:

See how the dogs are after Kaisu's honeydew melon :)

I miss my sisters a lot - they're in Finland and I only get to see them once or twice a year.


Minna's photography website: www.minnakulmala.com
Kaisu's art site: www.kaisutalvikki.com