The lutheran church celebrates two sacraments, baptism (or christening) when the baby is small, and the communion, which you can take at the mass every Sunday. Your fist communion takes place at the confirmation (where you confirm that you identify with the religion) after you have learned all the basic tenets of the religion, catechism, prayers, etc., in the year you turn 15. The Finns do this teaching the fun way, at a camp (rippileiri), where kids talk about religion, god, morals, the way to be in the world and how be a good person. The camp makes you think about what kind of a person you want to be, and what you believe in. At the end of the camp is the confirmation ceremony.
We celebrated my daughter's confirmation in Pieksämäki on Sunday, August 6th. She went to an international rippileiri and was confirmed at the end of the camp along with 60 other young people. She had a great time at the camp, and, most importantly, I felt that she grew mentally, emotionally and spiritually. These are the important milestones in the journey toward adulthood, and becoming the person you want to be.
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