In Finland weddings usually take place during the warm summer months. A traditional wedding began with the bride visiting her neighbors accompanied by a married male relative. The visit generated a great many presents and good wishes for the bride. This tradition has largely been replaced now by the future bride or groom going around public places partially dressed and with a mask covering his or her face. The purpose is to amuse friends who accompany the engaged person by baffling passersby and generally going wild.

The wedding ceremony is followed by the dance of the crowns. The newly wedded bride is blindfolded and a crown is placed on her head. The woman’s unmarried friends then dance around her in a circle until she manages to place the crown on the head of one of them. It is believed that the young woman who is crowned is sure to get married soon.