A Finnish Easter tradition has found new life in Norrköping, Sweden, where residents have been celebrating 'Memma Day' since the pandemic. According to SVT Nyheter, the celebration was started by Eija Luukkonen, who works with the Finnish-speaking activities of the Swedish Church in Norrköping.
Memma, known as 'mämmi' in Finnish, is a traditional Easter dish that is now sold in several places in Sweden. Luukkonen reportedly came up with the idea during the pandemic when all activities came to a halt. 'I thought that Easter must be celebrated somehow,' she explained.
I thought that Easter must be celebrated somehow,
The celebration has grown in popularity, with one of the city's Finnish associations now organizing its own Memma Day. This year, several older members of the congregation with Finnish backgrounds attended the celebration, sharing memories of eating memma since childhood.
Kirsti Mattila, one of the participants, recalled eating memma for nearly 90 years. 'I have eaten memma since then. That was almost 90 years ago,' she said. Another participant, Ansa Korkalainen, remembered her mother preparing the dish when she was a child.
I have eaten memma since then. That was almost 90 years ago,
Luukkonen noted that Swedish colleagues have asked when the day is celebrated in Finland, requiring her to explain that it's not an official calendar day but something she created to preserve Finnish cultural traditions in Sweden.