To wish a fisherman good luck is to ensure he will have a poor catch.
Every country has their own tales of superstitions. Perhaps the most common in Finland is a fish-tale that comes from the coastal fishing villages and lake towns. It is said that it is bad luck to wish a fisherman good luck. It is especially bad luck when the wish comes from a fisherman’s wife, the fisherman would likely come home empty handed.
Finland has over 200,000 lakes and it would be ridiculous to not enjoy them. We went to Ähtäri, about and hour away from Ilmajoki and spent a few hours on Ähtärin Lake.
We went fishing at Hyvölän Talo with the owner Ari Hyvölä at his 1570-century old family estate that combines forestry, agriculture and recreational operations.
A Pike
Lucky for us all five of us got to reel in 2 fish, a total of 2 perch and 8 pike.
Lucky for us it was a beautiful evening on the lake.
Ari, Sarah and Melissa at Ähtärin Lake
Another popular Finnish recreation activity is attending a Finnish baseball (pesäpallo) game, the national sport of Finland. This game has similar rules to American baseball, but I found it a bit difficult to follow.
Jyväskylä vs Lapua
We watched the Jyväskylä vs Lapua woman’s pesäpallo on Lapua’s home field amongst a packed stadium of bundled up Finns. Unlike an American baseball game where fans often enjoy a beer and hotdog, the Finns typically have coffee and a makkara (sausage) while cheering on their favorite team. The Lapua team won that day and went on to win the championship the following weekend.
The Woman’s National Pesäpallo Championship Team, Lapua, received this handsome trophy and set of medals.
We are lucky to be in Finland and thankful to be learning about this culture by catching both a fish and a game.
loggersdaughter 