Rapujuhlat - the Finnish style for crayfish parties

You might wonder why there are lots of crayfishes in Finnish supermarkets at the moment. The rapujuhlat is a crayfish party tradition that originated in Sweden. A successful crab party calls for the red and white table setting and of course the food.

The crayfish is usually served as starters and main dish is often a steak, but you can also reverse the menu and serve the crayfish instead as the main food. Have it with still or sparkling water, white wine, or perhaps Schnaps. Some people celebrate it at night, but of course, feel free to do it anytime of the day.

You'd have probably guessed that this party could be quite messy but it sure has loads of fun. Prepare the necessities to make it as organized as possible. The guest should have a bowl of water set aside to wash their hands, some crayfish decor napkins, crayfish knives, and a dish to place the crayfish shells. Make it more fun and get some bibs and party hats for adults. Freezing cold Schnaps will also do the trick.

The crayfish is boiled with saltwater and served cold. Finns usually love to eat it on top of the bread with butter, or sometimes dill and mayonnaise spread as other options.

If the main dish is a steak or a bird then a perfect combination will be a salad or potato or maybe both. The dessert can be a cheese plate with fresh grapes or crackers or something sweet like a chocolate mousse. As a host, the dessert if of your preference.

Because this party is meant to be jolly, there should be singing of songs. Get ready to sing some crayfish festivity songs in Swedish, Finnish, and English. Most of the songs encourage to drink more booze.

Helan går

sjung hoppfalleri fallerallala,

helan går

sjung hoppfallerallala.

Och den som inte helan tar

han heller inte halvan får.

Helan går!

Sjung hoppfallerallalej!

Kokonaan

me kerralla kaikki kipataan,

kokonaan

me kerralla kipataan.

Se ken ei kippaa kokonaan

hän ei saa puolikastakaan.

Kokonaan!

Me kerralla kipataan!

The whole one goes down

Sing” hup fold-de-rol la la la la

The whole one goes down

Sing” hup fold-de-rol la la la la

And he who doesn't take the whole

Doesn´t get the half one either

The whole one goes down

Sing” hup fold-de-rol la la la la

Sources: Valio and Fazer