All strata of the people took part in the old-time celebrations. The story is from Sara Wacklin's book? Hundrade minnen från Österbotten? from 1844.
The city's shipyard operates on Pikisaari. Several ships built here are launched every year. The moment when the ship leaves its construction site is truly festive. When the workers have hit the wedges with mallets for the third time, the ship begins to slowly and majestically slide from its creaking scaffolding. The weathered supports fall crashing to the ground under the influence of the growing force with which that gigantic sculpture, a masterpiece of human hands, plunges with increasing speed into the shallow water, which as if irritated rushes against the ship like a stormy sea, so that the heads of foam are thrown towards the distant shores. But soon the miracle carved out of a traitor stops, in its self-esteem, calm in its bubbling bosom. Even a flag drenched in roaring gusts greets the waves in a friendly manner, and the name of the new ship is announced from the deck. Then thousands of hats are thrown into the air accompanied by shouts of hurray, and nearby ships wave their fluttering party flags in a joyful welcome to their new sibling. Even the raging waves seem to calm down and calm down to show friendly and hospitable respect to the newcomer.
And the poor women and children are not the least happy about all this, because now they have permission to collect the soap, which, when spread on the ship's track, helped it slide more easily to the water line.
The joy of the workers is also great. After all, they have happily completed the winter's work, and now it's time for the party, the postponed Christmas that the shipping company always offers them. Anyone who has been to the front of the ship can now literally swim in beer and liquor, meaty pea soup and more to their heart's content. The party lasts a day, and many people take a whole week to recover from a hangover hangover.
Translation translation; Sampsa Laurinen.
Svenska Kulturfonden has supported Sara Wacklin's ?Hundrade minnen från Österbotten? publication of stories.