# kissanristiäiset



## Transfer_02

I know the literal meaning: a cat's christening, and also the idiomatic meaning: to turn up for an event just to be seen there.

The dictionaries suggest "opening an envelope" as a suitable English translation as in:  
_She'd turn up for the opening of an envelope._ 

Implying a sense of self-importance and thirst for attention and recognition. 

Does anyone have another suggestion for this expression?  I'm thinking specifically in the context of the election campaigns and the effort politicians make to be seen (and photographed) in all the right places.

A Finnish native speaker used this phrase today when we were discussing the elections.  He explained its meaning but I was stumped to give a similar English idiom.  ("The opening of an envelope" is OK, but when I first read it in the dictionary I didn't immediately grasp what it meant.)


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## Hakro

_Kissanristiäiset_ can mean any insignificant, valueless party, but is doesn't, as far as I understand it, necessarily imply any sense of self-importance and thirst for attention and recognition. You can say _"Hän käy kaikissa kissanristiäisissä"_ (to be seen) as well as _"Hän ei koskaan käy missään kissanristiäisissä"_ (to avoid wasting time).

I think that the English idiom "the opening of an envelope" is pretty close to "kissanristiäiset".


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## Transfer_02

Hakro said:


> _Kissanristiäiset_ can mean any insignificant, valueless party, but is doesn't, as far as I understand it, necessarily imply any sense of self-importance and thirst for attention and recognition. You can say _"Hän käy kaikissa kissanristiäisissä"_ (to be seen) as well as _"Hän ei koskaan käy missään kissanristiäisissä"_ (to avoid wasting time).
> 
> I think that the English idiom "the opening of an envelope" is pretty close to "kissanristiäiset".



OK thanks.  I prefer the Finnish idiom to the English one!


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## fennofiili

Transfer_02 said:


> I know the literal meaning: a cat's christening, and also the idiomatic meaning: to turn up for an event just to be seen there.



The literal meaning is indeed what you say, but generally “ristiäiset”, though originally a clearly religious word (based on an old Russian word for Christ), these days means an opening ceremony in general. One could write a book on the religious aspect of such usage, but the bottom line is that Finns don’t think theologically, about such matters, or otherwise. “Ristiäiset” is very strongly seen as a name-giving ceremony, even though the formula used in church christening of a child includes asking the parents what name they have given to the child.

With such a background, “christening” a cat means a purportedly solemn ceremony for giving a cat a name—something that children might do when playing, but otherwise it’s a grossly absurd idea.

The meaning relates to an even, not a person’s attitude or opinion or reasons for attending it. But most often, the phrase is used about someone’s appearance in an event that might be presented as significant (at least locally) but is really completely unimportant Yet, the phrase could be used (in a derogatory sense) to refer to organized events that lack real importance, without implying anything about anyone’s motives.



> The dictionaries suggest "opening an envelope" as a suitable English translation as in:
> _She'd turn up for the opening of an envelope._
> 
> Implying a sense of self-importance and thirst for attention and recognition.



I’m not familiar with the English idiom, but it may indeed convey the idea well, in such contexts.

So I cannot suggest any particular translation, but I think the point is that when a politician attends an event characterizes as _kissanristiäiset_, the point is that (s)he is doing something in a meeting presented as a major political event but lacks any real significance.


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## Transfer_02

Kiitos fennofiili.

I also thought about "tree planting" which (although more literal than christening cats since people really do turn up for tree-planting ceremonies) also conveys the idea of significant yet unimportant occasions which politicians use at photo opportunities.


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## rhitagawr

I've never heard of 'the opening of an envelope'. But I like 'cat's christening'. I'll try to weave it into a conversation.


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