In English

Time for a feast!

During the Kekri season, after the harvest had been completed and the autumn slaughter had been carried out, the cupboards were full of new produce. The Kekri celebrations were a feast: lavish eating was a way of ensuring a bountiful harvest for the new year, and running out of food would have been a bad omen. Not only the house’s own people, but also guests — including ancestors — were entertained.

A traditional meal consisted of roast lamb or pork, sausages, root vegetables and fresh bread. Kekri delicacies also included beans, cheese, pies, ham, fish, game, coffee and cake. Beer and spirits were served as well.

Licence to be silly

Kekri was a break from everyday life at the end of a year of hard work, and it included a week off for servants and workers. Kekri was a time for playing, singing, dancing and storytelling, with the whole family participating. The celebration of the harvest was also a perfect time for courtship.

Normal codes of conduct did not always apply during Kekri. Young people dressed up as Kekri creatures and went from house-to-house demanding food and drink. The ’kekri goat’ wore a fur coat turned inside out; various shiny and rattling decorations hung from the coat. The horns were made from spoons or shears, and the face was covered with a mask made of birch bark. The ’kekritär’, or ’kekri maiden’, dressed entirely in white and covered her face with a veil or piece of paper. The upside-down world was also reflected in the fact that during Kekri, a man could dress up as a woman, and vice versa. The Kekri creatures began their journey early in the morning, going from house to house. They were usually offered food or at least a drink. If the house offered them nothing, then the Kekri might threaten to break the host’s stove. Young people danced and spectators tried to guess the identity of the person behind the mask.

Mysticism in the autumn dark

Kekri was also a time of mysticism. Before the introduction of a calendar, like the one we have today, people used a lunisolar calendar. The intercalation, meaning the stretch of time between solar and lunar years, was about twelve days, and it took place during Kekri. It was considered a perilous time. During that period, the line between this world and the underworld was believed to be very thin. The ancestors were on the move: they came to visit the living, and it was important to show them hospitality and respect. The sauna was — of course — heated, and while the ancestors bathed, a feast was prepared for them.

The intercalation period was a time for omens and magic, too. Noisy tasks were forbidden. People predicted the weather and the next year’s harvest, as well as more romantic affairs. Bonfires were burned to keep evil spirits away. The lighting of lanterns — traditionally made from turnips in Finland — was part of the celebrations, in the same way that pumpkin lanterns were a part of Halloween.

Gradually, the old rituals and traditions became intertwined with church holidays and the calendar of saints. Many Finnish Christmas traditions and customs were originally Kekri traditions. Even today, many people have the custom of lighting candles on graves on All Saints’ Day and at Christmas; and the original Finnish Santa Claus looked deceptively like a ‘kekripukki’!

Today’s kekri brings families and friends together

As Finland became more urbanised, the celebration of Kekri diminished. In recent years, however, the Kekri celebration has been revived, with many local festivals, harvest markets and Kekri parties taking place throughout Finland. In the darkening autumn, there is a need for a common celebration! Kekri is the perfect celebration for different communities, families and groups of friends — anyone who wants to to enjoy the harvest and local produce and spend a fun day together. As in the old days, the Kekri programme can also include, for example, dressing up, dancing, telling ghost stories, singing and playing games. You can get in the mood by lighting candles and even pumpkin lanterns. There are no strict rules and formalities when celebrating Kekri. Everyone can create their own Kekri!

Launched in 2009, and still ongoing, the Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö’s project ’Kekri Folk Festival’ has shared information about Kekri and promoted the celebration of Kekri around the country. The aim is to renew and consolidate the celebration of Kekri as a Finnish harvest festival consisting of food, light and fun between September and November in both rural and urban areas. The renewed Kekri celebration still incorporates the centuries-old core themes of the festival: local food, community and mysticism.

Want to know more?

Watch Talonpoikaikulttuurisäätiö’s video ‘The Finnish Kekri and its variations throughout the world’ on Youtube: https://youtu.be/4uPClLwK-mQ

Are you writing an article about Kekri? Please contact Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö and we will find you an expert to interview! Contact person: Sanna Kähkönen, sanna.kahkonen(at)Helsinki.fi