Telling lies or getting candy?

Today is on very sad combination of traditions occurring on the same day here in Finland.

Firstly we have April fool’s day and then it is also Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. April fool’s day most people know what it is, the general idea is to tell a lie making people believe what you said is true but the Palm Sunday tradition here in Finland is probably more unknown.

What they do is kind of similar to like the trick or treat on Halloween’s, except the trick part missing totally. The kids dress them selves up as “Easter witches” and spend the day going from door to door, reciting a little poem wishing happiness and good health for the coming year in the house, giving away Palm branches, which here in Finland has been replaced by decorated branches of birch, or willow with catkins on, receiving candy and treats in return from the ones who “are home” or open their doors. I can somehow understand the fun of it, at least for the kids getting more sweets than usual, but with all the bad ideas in minds of people of today, well something might go terribly wrong.

Anyway, yesterday must have been one of the busiest days of the year in all the candy stores and supermarkets, and a good excuse for anyone with a sweet tooth to buy some extra candy to them selves.

So which tradition is the one most probable to hit you first?

One of the off-spring telling you a big lie, and all of them being teenagers there are bigger chances they might actually tell you something that is true, getting away with it with you not getting angry as you believe it is a lie, or the neighbour's kids ringing on your door bell 6 am a Sunday morning?