Kultapyörä

Greeting the New Moon

The New Moon is very prosperous, healthy and lucky time. It is custom to go outdoors to "greet" the New Moon, to go watch it. You can ask the New Moon for health and wealth for example in the following way:

In your left hand, have salt or bread. In your right hand, have coins or a copper object. Chant:


Terve, terve, uusi kuu
Sinä täydeksi, minä terveeksi
Vanha kuu sairaaksi
Uusi kuu terveeksi
Uusi kuu, terve kuu
Vanha kuu, sairas kuu
Uusi kuu, onnikuu
Rahakuu, rauhakuu
Tällä kuulla tavaraa
Sä uusi kuu nyt anna
Suolaa, leipää pivossa
Ja kuparirahaa tiuhuaan
Anna sä uusi kuuni

Hail, hail, new moon
May you be full, may I be healthy
May the old moon be sick
May the new moon be healthy
New moon, healthy moon
Old moon, sick moon
New moon, luck moon
Money moon, peace moon
On this moon, items
Give to me, new moon
Salt and bread in my palm
And copper money so frequently
Give to me, my new moon

And this is just one example, probably the most common chant is just uusi kuu sairaaks, minä terveeks ("may the new moon be sick and I be healthy") or something equally short. But I wanted to include the much nicer words here! :) I probably should also mention that the greeting terve (translated as "hail" here) literally also means healthy (which is also the origin of the English word "hail").