Unikeonpäivää vietetään joka vuosi 27. heinäkuuta. Sitä on juhlittu Hangossa jo kylpyläkulttuurin alkuajoilta, 1800-luvun loppupuolelta. Tule mukaan viettämään unikeonpäivää! Kulkue lähtee Vuorikadulta klo 8.00. Määräpäänä on Casinon suihkulähde, jossa unikeko herätetään noin klo 8.30.
Poppy Day, also known as the Day of the Seven Sleepers, is celebrated every year on July 27th. The traditions associated with it are very old and date back to a legend of seven martyrs who tell of seven Christian men who lived in the 200s. To escape persecution, the men distributed their possessions to the poor of the city and hid in a cave. When the emperor learned of this, he broke into the cave's mouth to make the men die of hunger and thirst. They fell into such a deep sleep that they slept for 200 years. Poppy Day has been celebrated in Finland since the Middle Ages.
The one who woke up last could be the target of junk. It is known that the Hanko swimming club used to be the last person to arrive for breakfast at the Observatory. The Observatory was later called Brunnshuset and now the Casino. The modern traditions of Poppy Day are inherited from the end of the 19th century, when during the spa culture the day was part of the program of summer swimming guests. With the outbreak of World War I and the difficult years that followed, the tradition died almost completely. In the 1920s, the spirit of Hanko's swimming culture changed. Gone were the peaceful walks along the promenades along the beaches and the peaceful seating on the terraces. Hanko was now coming after the pace and dangerous situations.
In the 1930s, the spirit of Poppy Day changed again. Until then, only the guests of Hanko Spa had participated in the dream day, but now it became open to everyone. The poppy procession quickly became very popular and hundreds of “young people of all ages” gathered at the Hanko Spa, from where the procession set off.
After the participants had gathered at the spa just before seven, everyone set off to take a ride in the flatbed trailers, from which they woke up the neighbors nearby. Those who could not fit on the ride ran after, many in their nightgowns and some in their bathrobes. The procession ran around the park, shouting, “Every poppy up at each house!” and then continued on his way to Bellevue. From there, the procession turned to the Casino, where a coffee table was waiting in the ballroom. There, after coffee, they danced for an hour to the beat of the spa orchestra, after which the dance turned into a hose and headed towards Plagen for a small dip. It is then said that there was time for lunch, so the program probably lasted longer than it first seems.
In the 1990s, the choice of a dream came true from the summer of local influences, which calmed the event and made it more manageable. The dream day breakfast was transferred back to the Casino, but the hiking route remained roughly the same. Local theater associations took part in the event with pleasure, entertaining children and adults, and took part in the poppy train. However, a rush like the 1980s has no longer been seen. Therefore, we will continue in Hanko as long as the city stands and summer comes every year.
Photos: Hanko Museum and Tomy Karlsson
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