Coffee 9/50

Laskiaspulla / semla

Instead of pancakes, in Finland we celebrate Shrove Tuesday with bun filled with whipped cream, marzipan, and/or jam. And as Lutherans or even pagans we do not remorse!

What comes to Finnish "Laskiainen", it comes from word "laskea", meaning something like to settle down for Lent. So, as in case of Pancake Tuesday, it is the last chance to feast before fasting. Except again, majority of Finns does not fast either. But we do like bun, with coffee! Not only on Shrove Tuesday, but around the year.

However, in "modern times" Laskiainen has also become a day in the middle of the winter vacation, called as "hiihtoloma", when Finns have used to go out to have fun skiing and in sled hill. Unfortunately winters with snow has become rare, and leave no other option but do some "dementia skiing" (forgetting skis at home, and use only ski poles). Lately it has also become common to have fun inside, in so called "indoor amusement parks".