Virvonta

Lore & Background

The tradition has various pagan and Christian origins, including Nordic spring traditions to dispel bad spirits and wish a good harvest season, as well as the Christian ritual of the palms. During the medieval period, a Christian custom resembling virvonta was known in both Western and Eastern Finland. After the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, the custom was not universally forbidden; it persisted in various forms among Lutheran Finns, especially in Western Finland (e.g., the trulli tradition), and was also maintained by Eastern Orthodox Christians in Eastern Finland. The Western Finnish trulli tradition is distinct from Orthodox virpominen and did not historically involve willow branches or blessings; the modern synthesis of these practices is a 20th-century development.

Reader's Guide

The Orthodox tradition involves children giving blessings with branches distributed at church celebrations. It spread from Eastern Finland with the evacuation of Finnish Karelia in 1944 and mixed with unrelated Western Finnish customs involving witch costumes. The tradition had already been re-adopted by Lutheran Finns in Eastern Finland from Orthodox Karelians before it was revitalized in other parts of the country in its modern form. A common rhyme is 'Virvon varvon tuoreeks, terveeks, tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle, palkka mulle!' ('I'm wishing you a fresh, healthy upcoming year, a branch for you, a reward for me!'), though many alternatives exist. In the 21st century, the tradition has been mixed with international customs such as trick-or-treating and wearing various costumes, and it may be more common to see kids dressed as other magical characters such as wizards, cats, bunnies, or other animals.

Did You Know?

• In parts of Ostrobothnia, the custom is observed on the Saturday before Easter rather than Palm Sunday.
• The custom continued in Lutheran areas of Western Finland and was not exclusively spread from Eastern Finland with the evacuation of Finnish Karelia in 1944.