Colors of Oulu - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

People of Oulu are restrained and modest in all respects, which will be noticeable to many foreign guests from the first minutes of communication. According to the rules of local etiquette, it is not customary to speak loudly and express emotions in the public eye. Also, locals are very careful about selecting conversation topics. Even close friends and relatives will never discuss things related to personal life. It is not customary to discuss the political situation in the country and relations with colleagues at work. Despite the above, Oulu residents can not be called unsociable. They will gladly keep a neutral conversation going and tell foreign guests about the region's customs and traditions.

The townspeople are not indifferent to various spheres of modern culture and art. Throughout the year, they hold a lot of thematic holidays and festivals. Every year, at the height of summer, the city hosts the Suomipop Music Festival, which attracts music fans from all over Finland and other countries. For this event, they set up huge open-air stages on which performances of popular music bands and solo performers take place for several days.

Festival guests will find them in the most picturesque corners of Oulu, which is yet another opportunity to enjoy the natural beauties of the region. The summer holiday is not complete without gastronomic entertainment: there are always stalls next to the stages where you can try popular regional foods and drinks. In the course of the festival's 3-day period, tens of thousands of people attend musical performances annually. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

No less interesting is the Irish Festival of Oulu, which became another annual tradition for the city. An original holiday dedicated to the historical traditions and culture of Ireland has been held in the city every year since 2006 when it was organized for the first time. The event boasts a very diverse program. Its guests have the opportunity to watch beautiful historical processions and reenactments, attend dance and music performances, as well as take part in fun competitions.

From year to year, they select a special theme for the festival, focusing on certain areas of Irish culture. In 2009, poetry readings were organized and the best Irish films were broadcast at the festival. One of the favorite entertainments of the festival guests is musical performances, where musicians demonstrate playing ancient musical instruments. As part of this festival, they always come up with an exciting entertainment program for kids, so little guests of the holiday won't have time to get bored. One of the main events of the Irish Festival is the traditional fair where everyone can buy some unique handicrafts and Irish delicacies.

Oulu's largest summer festival is the Qstock Rock Festival, which has been held annually since 2003. It starts in the second half of July and is participated by both eminent rock stars and novice musicians for whom the festival becomes a great launching pad. In recent years, the Qstock is visited by at least 30,000 spectators, which makes it the largest music festival not only in the city but in Finland. On its occasion, Oulu also prepares large stages for open-air performances.

Despite the fact that the city's cultural calendar is already full of interesting events, new beautiful traditions and holidays continue to appear in Oulu. A few years ago, the Air Guitar World Championships was arranged here for the first time and became one of the most unusual in the world. Such an original holiday has gathered a lot of fans too so its organizers are planning to make it a regular event.

Throughout the year, citizens celebrate a lot of interesting public and religious holidays. It would be interesting to visit the city during major religious celebrations such as Christmas and Easter when festivities and street parties are always arranged. It is noteworthy that local residents still accompany Christian holidays with some pagan traditions. In the days when the church honors the main patron saints, they conduct interesting festive activities in nature. One of the favorite entertainments during such holidays is jumping over a bonfire - a typical pagan ritual. Getting to know the traditions and customs of Oulu residents will allow foreigners to better understand the nature of the amazing Finnish city.