Easter celebration begins across country

The Easter celebration begins in earnest on Friday across the country until end of Monday.

People have already started wearing new Easter clothes and exchanging gifts as well as greeting cards.

All the government, semi-government and private offices including bank and post offices will remain closed during the Easter period.

Most shops and shopping malls will decide their own opening hours as retail opening hours have been de-regulated during the recent years .Some grocery stores will remain open during the holidays.

The state-owned alcohol monopoly Alko will only open on Saturday until 6 pm during the Easter period. Alko stores will re-open on Tuesday.

Posti outlets will be closed throughout the Easter from 19.4.-22.4, with the exception of the main post in Helsinki which will be open on Saturday until 4 pm.

Most banks will remain closed starting on Friday and will re-open on Tuesday.

There will be plenty of changes to the bus timetables. Matkahuolto, the company which maintains bus stations across the country, has advised passengers to buy tickets in advance since Easter is one of the busiest travelling periods.

There are also changes to the train service during the Easter period. On Friday, the trains will run as per the Sunday schedule, while on Monday the train service will observe Sunday's schedule.

However, the state-owned alcohol monopoly Alko will open on Saturday for the first time.

People are scheduled to lit Easter bonfires on Saturday at many places particularly in the capital and adjoining areas. Bonfire originated from an old belief of turning the witches aside.

Different organisations will arrange various programmes on Saturday evening where the children are expected to wear special Easter dress and visit door to door with the greetings of the Easter.

Easter Sunday will be observed all over the country on the last day of the week as elsewhere the globe commemorating the religious believe of Christian community about Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead after his crucifixion.

According to Christianity, Easter culminates the passion of Jesus which is preceded by the season of Lent, a forty-day period of fasting, prayer and penance.