Vanhat merkkipäivät -Book

Description of the Product

This book is a handbook on the oral tradition of old calendar events. Please note this book is only available in Finnish!

Old Calendar Traditions is a rich collection of hundreds of folk sayings, stories, and descriptions of traditional calendar customs that are now fading from memory.

This fascinating handbook, compiled by Jouko Hautala and now in its seventh edition, offers a unique glimpse into rural life in the past. The folk traditions tied to specific days of the year touch nearly every aspect of human activity — from farming and animal husbandry to fishing, hunting, house-building, and even pest control. Many customs also revolved around forecasting the weather and predicting the success of the coming harvest.

As we grow further removed from the rhythms of agricultural life, the customs once tied to these calendar days — like the mischief of Easter witches, midsummer magic, and fortune-telling rituals — feel ever more curious and exotic. This book serves as a key to understanding those bygone seasonal rites and the wisdom they carried through generations.

• Editor:  Hautala, Jouko
• Illustrator: Tuomi, Erkki
• Publisher: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura
• Hardback, 478 pages