The spring weather here continues on today on this Palm Sunday, the sun is shining bright and getting stronger by the day.  It really shows on the snow surface, it shrinking and evaporating each day as the sun bakes it down.

There are no palm trees here waving in the wind, butt there are lots of reeds standing tall in the snow. The reeds along the shore are usually broken down by the wind and the waves during high tide during the late spring.  Then they start again with regrowth once the weather and the water is sufficiently warm for the young shoots to grow.

There is an old custom that originated from Karelia for the young people to participate on the Palm Sunday, it is called Virpominen. The children decorate with a colorful ribbon a small branch of a willow called the pussy willow. And they then bless their family and friends with the willow branch for good luck and good health. They wave the willow branch and tell a short rhyme, then hand over the willow branch to the person that they have “virponeet” (blessed) and then they are given lollies or a small token.

The origins of the Palm Sunday “virponta” goes back to the eastern orthodox church, the ritual was done to bring the blessing of good health to the person and to drive away evil. From the ancient of times, the willow branches have been a symbol of blessing.  The custom also forbid to bless strangers, only friends of the family.

There is also the darker side done on the Palm Sunday, it is that of using witch costumes, it is said by the eastern orthodox that the witch customs originate from the western Finland witches history.

Happy Palm Sunday.