HOW I RECEIVED MY NAME

Pekka and Leena Maria Tolvanen, 1923

My father's little sister, Leena Maria, tragically died at age 2 from diphtheria. When I was born many years later, my dad wanted to name me after his baby sister. Mother loved the song, "Maria Elena" so they compromised and named me Marja-Leena. That's why that song means so much to me, and why I was SO delighted to find this beautiful, sentimental version done by Los Indios!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rQheOglFos

PLEASANT VIEW 4TH WARD RELIEF SOCIETY

PLEASANT VIEW 4TH WARD RELIEF SOCIETY

Left to right: Freda McKell, Carol Gaile, Barbara Ingle, Peggy Andersen, Gail Clark, Joyce Parker, Julie Aidukaitis
Pam Nelson. Missing Jane Bryner, Barbara Sandberg, Diane Babcock, and Barbara Hiese.

JOURNALS

“Get a notebook, my young folks, a journal that will last through all time, and maybe the angels may quote from it for eternity. Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies.” – Spencer W. Kimball 

I was very good at this for many years and have some great journals to show for it. Now, NOT so good! Very sporadic journal keeping so I often miss recording important occasions. Plans are to do better! This blog is my attempt to catch up on events I've missed putting down in black and white.

PALM SUNDAY

My mother came from a devoutly religious background, and she instilled that tradition of devotion into her children. In my childhood the week leading up to Easter Sunday always became a time for quiet inner reflection as we pondered upon the the Savior's earthy ministry.

This weekend, in churches worldwide, faithful Christians will celebrate Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week. It marks the last week of Lent, and commemorates the final week of Jesus' earthly life. Falling the week prior to Easter, the faithful remember the Savior's triumphal entry into Jerusalem only days before his arrest and crucifixion — an event recorded in all four New Testament Gospels.

According to John 11, Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead in the small town of Bethany. Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany and Bethphage, slightly east of the Mount of Olives. He sent two of them ahead to a nearby village with instructions to fetch a donkey's colt. The disciples did as the Master requested and returned with the young animal. After the disciples had placed some of their clothes upon its back, The Savior mounted the colt and rode into the city.

"All this was done," states Matthew (21:4-5), "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." "And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way" (Matthew 21:8).

"And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest" (Luke 19:37-38). "Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest" (Mark 11:10).

Easter Traditions

In this increasingly post-doctrinal age built on "do-it-yourself" spirituality, it's interesting to reflect on the Easters of my childhood. I remember Easter being filled with both fear and delight. Images of fluffy yellow chicks, mixed in with Christ on the cross, and scary witches and trolls, clearly come to mind.

Lutherans in my childhood days celebrated the Easter season much like the Catholics, but with far less ceremony and pageantry. Easter is really an entire season of the Christian church year, and not just a one day holiday. Lent, the 40-day period leading up to Easter Sunday, is a time of reflection and penance and represents the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the wilderness before starting his ministry.

The day before Lent, known as Fat Tuesday, is a last hurrah of food and fun before the fasting begins. The week preceding Easter is called Holy Week. The days leading up to Easter in my childhood were marked by the reverent remembrance of Christ on Maundy Thursday, which commemorates Jesus' last supper with his disciples. Good Friday, which honors the day of his crucifixion, was observed as a solemn, and sacred day. Holy Saturday focused on the transition between the crucifixion and resurrection. Businesses and schools were closed on Good Friday and for the whole weekend.



The only Easter celebration I can recall from my childhood was in Rovaniemi when I was nine years old. We attended Easter mass at the beautiful Lutheran chapel there. Vivid memories linger of the altar piece with Christ surrounded by a golden halo and at his feet the resurrection is taking place, with the dead rising from their graves. The mural filled me with awe and fear.



But Easter is also a delightful time for the children and their families. For lunch/dinner on Holy Saturday, families traditionally feast on a smörgåsbord of herring, salmon, potatoes, eggs and other kinds of food. In Finland, the Lutheran majority enjoys mämmi as another traditional Easter treat. This rye-concoction, covered with sugar and cream, was not a great favorite of mine even when it had been made by my Karelian grandmother who was an outstanding cook.

In Finland, Sweden and Denmark, traditions also include egg painting and (much in the tradition of our American Halloween) small children dressed as witches collect candy door-to-door. However, in place of trick-or-treat, the children exchange decorated pussy willows for candy. This is a result of the mixing of an old Orthodox tradition (blessing houses with willow branches) and the Scandinavian Easter witch tradition. Brightly colored feathers and little decorations are also attached to birch branches in a vase.

In our modern day and age, we are much more casual about our Easter observance. Most of these solemn Easter traditions seem as antiquated as the Model-T Ford and the typewriter. Last weekend's General Conference allowed us time to reflect on the real meaning of Easter ... the life and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.