Vappu is the name of the Finnish May Day celebrations. Vappu packs three reasons to celebrate into one. Vappu is Finnish labor day. The rights of the workers have been celebrated on this day since the early 1900’s. In addition, vappu is also an important celebration for students.
It’s also the perfect time to celebrate the beginning of spring (kevät), which is also where the deep roots of May Day lay. Around this time of the year, there used to be an ancient spring celebration where villages would build bonfires, dance and sing to evict evil spirits and winter. While May is a spring month in Finland, it’s not terribly exceptional for it to still snow around May Day.
The name vappu is derived from the name Valburg. Saint Walburga was mother superior in a nunnery during the middle ages. She and her brother did important work to spread Christianity in Europe and Finland.