Yesterday, my little family celebrated Finland's Independence Day. I strung what are now vintage candle lights in the front window, hung my two small flags of Finland, tried (and failed) to make Finnish treats, and sat reverently by a real candle to sing Maamme.
I just discovered this collection of Finnish books in English,
if you're interested. We have several Mauri Kunnas books, This Is
Finland (in Finnish), and a couple of the Moomin board books. (They were at my local bookstore; have you seen them at yours?) I've added Foxy: Finnish Folk Tales for Children to my read and review list. And obviously, I need to collect all of the Tove Jansson books, as Baby A and I are tireless fans of the Muumi/Moomin franchise. Indulge me, will
you?
I have always considered myself to be 100% Finnish and 100% American (of the English/Welsch/Scott-Irish variety), and although my daughter is technically only a quarter Finnish, she's fully Finnish (and fully American) to me.
There is a lot of discussion about mixed-race--and it is interesting to trace your racial history and to positively reinforce the blending of race in families by marriage or adoption--but I find it far more interesting to trace and reinforce the far more complex, fluid, and relevant phenomena of cultural blending.
What traditions do you find yourself mish-mashing?
In my experience, children will take on any traditions with heart.
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