WINTER 2026 Events:
FOOD, DANCE, SKIING,
CELEBRATIONS,
LANGUAGE CLASSES, and FFN
FINNPOSIA (Please read down)
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FINNISH CENTER at SAIMA PARK,
67 Scott Rd, FITCHBURG MA :
Saturday, March 14, 4:00-8:00pm. St. Urho’s Dinner Dance:
Don your purple and green to celebrate this fictional saint who drove the grasshoppers out of Finland and saved the grape crop! Enjoy appetizers, Swedish meatballs with sides of mashed potatoes, butternut squash, pickled beets, cranberry sauce, bread and butter, plus dessert and coffee or tea. BYOB. Music by Central Mass Accordion Club; some dancing led by Leila Luopa, director of Revontulet Folk Dancers. Decorate a hat and play a game for prizes! $25. For reservations contact finnishcenter@yahoo.com or 978-407-9690.
Enjoy the snow! Saima Park’s trails are nicely groomed for cross-country skiing. Thank you, Frank! The trails are open to members during all daylight hours, and they will be open to the public from 10am to 3pm on the four Saturdays in February, .Members can use the Saima trails during all daylight hours. Annual memberships are $30. See website https://www.saima-park.org/membership.html
Saturday, March 28 : Pannukakku Breakfast :a. Pannukakku Breakfast: 8 -10 AM Finnish oven pancake, bacon, sausage, fruit, juice, Finnish coffee bread, coffee/tea/cocoa. $13 or 2/$25. Loaves of coffee bread for sale. Vendors of honeybee products, arts and crafts.
b. The Sauna and Library Museums will be open from 9 to noon.
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An Invitation to dance from Revontulet director Leila Luopa:
Friday night is our next REVONTULET DANCE REHEARSAL! As a reminder we meet most 1st and 3rd Fridays- come join us as we learn traditional group and circle dances along with variations on waltz, schottiche, and more. No partner required- Just wear/bring comfortable clothes, shoes you can dance in, water and a smile. Please spread the word and invite others to join us! Dancing by donation, or join for the year for just $20!
Upcoming Rehearsals: Mar 20
6:30 – 8 pm Fridays at Saima Park, 67 Scott Rd, Fitchburg, MA________________________________________________
Finnish Center at Saima Park, 67 Scott Rd, Fitchburg, MA. https://www.saima-park.org Facebook Friends of Saima Park.
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BAKE PULLA with SAIJA in May
(Please Note New Date – Heavy SNOW!)
Sunday, May 03, 10am-1:30pm:
There is a saying in Finland: A loved child has many names. This most certainly applies to our loved coffee bread.
Nowadays the whole of Finland calls this soft cardamom bread with a name “pulla”. We spice this treat with caramel, vanilla cream, pistachio, almond butter, strawberry jam… you name it, and all of it is called pulla.
But there is a western regional dialect where this delicacy is still called “nisu”. And other dialects call it “vehnänen”.
”Kahvileipä” meant any sweet accompaniment with coffee but, it often was pulla.
For some the Nisu is the braided version of this delicacy, some like to keep it to its original vocabulary form of a “breast – nisä”, when it’s round and looks like an American dinner roll.
But believe it or not, the name is just as important to cherish as the product. So. Whichever name you are using, please continue, and come bake it.
We are going to make and bake the dough at Saima Park and make either pulla or nisu. If we get enough interest in the cinnamony-cousin of the pulla/nisu, we will even bake korvapuusti!
Let us know if you want to make pulla/nisu or korvapuusti, and we will arrange it.
Max attendance 50. To reserve a space, contact finnishcenter@yahoo.com or 978-407-9690.
Fee is $25 for FCSP members; $30 others. All are welcome. Reservations please, : $25 or $30/person, payable at the door by cash or check
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2026:
Suomi-koulu of New England &
Scandinavian Cultural Center
West Newton, MA.
Hei Everyone!
It is time to plan your Finnish studies for the start of the year 2026.
Suomi-koulu of New England continues its classes on Zoom in February, on Wednesdays and on Sundays; see more info below.
At Saima Park in person lessons start on April 6th. Although there is one Nisu-Pulla baking on January 17th 😉
https://suomeasaijankanssa.home.blog/2025/07/31/syksyn-kurssit/
More coming-check back often
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Finnish language classes with Saija:
Welcome to “Study Finnish” Winter Spring 2026.
Classes offered on Zoom are Sanakirja, So You Think You Can Finnish, Aamukahvi, and Suomi-koulu of New England group lessons.
In-person classes are offered at Saima Park in Fitchburg MA and at the Scandinavian Cultural Center in West Newton.
Email Saija about questions. https://suomeasaijankanssa.home.blog/2025/07/31/syksyn-kurssit/
GROUP LESSONS IN PERSON
Group max size is 8.
Aamukahvi
Join a relaxed class to practice Finnish and get answers to your questions. Each Aamukahvi-month is tailored to the participants so you get to request the topics you need the most practice.
SANAKIRJA
30 minute weekly class about vocabulary given, making your own sentences. You will be given sentences in English and you will translate them in Finnish.
Helmikuu/ February & Maaliskuu/March
Sundaysat 7.-7.30 PM EST SANAKIRJA 2/22-3/15, $35
at 7.30-8. PM EST SO YOU THINK YOU CAN FINNISH 2/22-3/15, $35
Mondays
at 9-10 AM EST AAMUKAHVI 2/2-2/23, $60
at 9-10 AM EST AAMUKAHVI 3/2-3/23, $60
at 6-6.30 PM EST LISTEN & UNDERSTAND 3/2-3/23, $35at 6.30-7.30 PM EST EASY READING 3/2-3/23, $80
GROUP LESSONS ON ZOOM SUOMI-KOULU OF NEW ENGLAND (SKNE)
Suomi-koulu of New England group lessons on Zoom, February-May
3 levels. Price: $300/ 13 lessons
– Beginners level 1 SUNDAYS 6-7 PM, dates 2/8- 5/17 (no classes on 3/22 and 3/29) Starting chapter 4 in Suomen Mestari 1.
– Beginners, level 2 SUNDAYS 7-8 PM dates 2/8- 5/17 (no classes on 3/22 and 3/29) Starting chapter 7 in Suomen Mestari 1.
– Advanced Beginners SUNDAYS 3.30-4.30 PM dates 2/8- 5/17 (no classes on 3/22 and 3/29) Starting chapter 3 in Suomen Mestari 2.
– Advanced Beginners WEDNESDAYS 6.30-7.30 PM, dates 2/11-5/20 (no classes on 3/18 and 3/25) Starting chapter 3 in Suomen Mestari 2.
– Advanced WEDNESDAYS 7.30-7.30 PM, dates 2/11-5/20 (no classes on 3/18 and 3/25) Suomen Mestari 3
REGISTRATION FORMS ARE LINKED BELOW:
https://suomeasaijankanssa.home.blog/2025/07/31/syksyn-kurssit/
Saija Laurla will teach all classes.
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Now Also On Line Forest Finn Finnposium and others recorded and posted thru FFN Finlandia Foundation National, in partnership with FinnFest, invites you to join the online “Finnposium” webinars that continue in 2024, highlighting the nationally recognized Forest Finn minority abroad and their current affairs in both Norway and Sweden. The webinar is moderated by Sarah Kammlah from Facebook’s Forest Finns in America, …. . Missed it? Tune in to the recorded sessions: https://finfoundation.wpengine.com/programs/welcome-to-finnposium/
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*Sovittaja Park,
Finn Park Road, Rutland, MA.:
Come back to check often
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02/2026****************************************************