Both Russians and Finns who were baptized visit this parish of the Moscow Patriarchy. Services are conducted in the Church Slavonic language.
Lutherans and Orthodox believers in Finland always celebrate Christ's Resurrection on one day (on the first Sunday after the spring equinox and the full of the moon in the period between March 22 and April 25 under the Julian calendar). This year the dates of the Orthodox and Protestant Easter have coincided not only in Finland but throughout the world.
The Evangelist Lutheran Church in Finland enjoys the largest number of its followers. As many as 86% of Finns were baptized into the Lutheran faith and only 1% as Orthodox Church followers. The country is home to over 30,000 Russians, the larger part of whom are Orthodox Church believers.
Finns begin to celebrate the Easter from Clean Thursday. On this day they finish work earlier, make paschal purchases, bake kulichi (paschal cakes) and paint eggs.
Traditionally, paschal dishes in Finland include kulichi, pascha cottage cheese and unleavened bread called myammi.
On Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday the whole country does not work. On Friday and Saturday, on the eve of Easter Sunday, Finns traditionally make a fire. As the legend says, the fire and its smoke keep away demons. As the Easter begins, all the evil is believed to have been defeated and driven away and, as the saying goes, even the sun dances with joy.
Apart from church services, various events are devoted to the Easter in Finland: exhibitions, theatrical performances, concerts, charitable meetings and donation collection.
