In Finland, it is popular for children to dress up as Easter witches and go door to door in neighbourhoods for coins and candy. It is an old Karelian custom called Virpominen.
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| PHoto by Nissilässä |
The word “virpoa” is derived from the Russian “verboa,” which means willow. Verboa comes from the Latin word “verbanae” which means holy branches.
"Virpominen" is an old Karelian custom on Palm Sunday. Nowadays two old customs are mixed: In the western part of Finland people used to fire big fires in the spring time to scare off bad witches. Over the years the witches stopped being bad in people's minds and children started to dress up as ones already in 19th century. In the eastern Finland people used to wish good luck and health to each other by "virpominen". When you went to do that, you tapped your relatives, friends or neighbours with willow twigs blessed in church on Saturday.
Today, on Palm Sunday, you can see children dressed up as witches, holding decorated willow twigs in their hands, walking towards the houses in the area. You usually get chocolate eggs, other candy or even some money for pay when you do the "virpominen". In east you got the pay after a week, in Easter. Today you normally get it right away. That's probably the reason why it's so popular in Finland among children. Some people don't like the mixture of these two traditions very much and prefer the "virpominen" being done without the witch costumes.
