Easter in Helsinki

On Easter morning I love our home church sanctuary filled with the Easter trumpet lilies, the baptism of the pastor’s class, and the glorious music with organ, choir, and trumpet. So being away from home for Easter was a little disheartening for me, certainly not so much so that I would forego our trip to Europe, but still….. What I discovered in Helsinki, Finland though, is that no matter the country, culture, or custom, an Easter service is still very special.

I discovered a famous Finnish Orthodox church, Uspenski Cathedral, was holding an Easter vigil at 11:30 pm on Saturday evening. With the church being only a 20 minute walk from our hotel, I decided to attend. Arriving plenty early, I was quickly disappointed to discover I needed an advance ticket for entry. Luck, or divine intercession, led me to stand beside a transplant Canadian who spoke fluent Finnish and English. He didn’t have a ticket either, but further luck, or divine intercession, brought us both tickets, a gift of an unknown bystander!

The cathedral interior was standing room only…..for everyone! An intimate sanctuary in the round (hence advance tickets only) was ornate and yet comfortable. I didn’t understand a word, well maybe an occasional “Amen” or “Christe”, but I certainly understood the essence of the service. The Orthodox priests were very ceremonially dressed, the candles reflected the light of God’s love, and the small acappella choir sounded absolutely angelic. It was hard for me to leave at 2:00 am before communion was even served, but I did have a wake up call awaiting me at 6:30 am to catch a flight home! Easter in Helsinki was simply incredible.