Friday, February 05, 2010

Runeberg Day

Today they celebrate Runeberg Day in Finland. It is a day commemorating the famous poet Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who wrote some of the most revered poems about Finland and the war in 1808-09, in which Finland was lost from Sweden to Russia. A sad result of the war for Swedes and Finns alike, but the Russian Grand Prinicpality of Finland eventually became the independent country of Finland that exist today. Runeberg also wrote the lyrics to Finland's national anthem.

On Runeberg Day, you are supposed to eat Runeberg cake. This is a small cake with frosting and raspberry jam. I would have liked to taste one, but it does not seem like you can get any in Örebro. Runeberg did write all his works in Swedish, still an official language of Finland but more common back then, but he is regarded as a poet of Finland and I guess this is why we do not celebrate him much in Sweden. We should, though, there are no bad reasons to celebrate and cakes are always a good thing.

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