In Finnish, the folk name for epiphany or Three King’s Day is Loppiainen. The word means “finished” and referred to the end of the Christmas season when the Christmas tree would be thrown out.
In Orthodox eastern Finland important religious ceremonies associated with water were carried out.
Many customs associated with Loppiainen were later transferred to St Knuds’ Day. (The Finnish name for Knud is Nuuti) St Knud was a Danish duke murdered on the 7.1. 1131. The day was on the 7.1 in Finland, but later transferred to the Swedish date of 13.1.
It was Knud that swept out Christmas, and it was the last day associated with the Christmas cycle. The day was characterized by the Knud processions with the main figure dressed as the Knud goat.
According to the old Nordic calendar, the 13.1 was the day on which the winter broke its back. On this day the bear in its lair turned around once, asked if it was day yet and complained of hunger. On the old calendar staffs the day was marked with an arch, indicating that the peak had been reached. The following weeks were called the back days.
The winter’s back could also break on the alternative days of the 17th , 19th or 25th of January.
The 17th was St Anthony’s Day. Murals in the church of Kalanti show St Anthony wearing a brown monk’s robe with a stick in one hand and a bell in the other, followed by a pig with a bell around its neck . St Anthony was thus interpreted as patron saint of pigs!
The 19th was the new date for St. Henry’s day, (Finn Heikki) which formely was on the 20th . He was killed by the peasant Lalli on the 20 .1.1156. He became the patron saint of Finland.
The folk saying went: Heikki visits the haybarns and granaries to see if provisions were still adequate. At least half of the animal feed and two-thirds of the provisions for humans had to be left, otherwise both man and beast would perish in the remaining winter.
The 25th was St Pauls day and it was believed that only half the snow had fallen by then. The weather on this day had a bearing on the pea harvest – if it snowed enough to cover ski tracks, a good harvest could be expected.
A hearty pea soup was served on this day.
