Easter is an important holiday for Janne Kataja for many different reasons.
Janne Kataja is an enthusiastic cook. Italian cuisine is his favorite. Juniper often offers, among other things, risotto. Pasi Liesimaa
Pääsäinen is in many ways a significant party actor and host Janne to Kataja. Few remember that Kataja is Finland’s first official Easter bunny Eko-Riksu.
In the background of the bunny’s past is Kataja’s hometown Riihimäki, which declared itself the official Easter city of Finland in the late 1990s. City gardener Tero Westerlund can be thanked for the title of Easter city and for the fact that the whole of Riihimäki seemed to bloom yellow.
In the city there were, among other things, flying competitions with a witch’s broom, Easter singing competitions, Easter markets and a fairground.
At the time, Kataja, who was influential in Riihimäki’s youth theater, was selected to perform the Easter-appropriate character she created together with Westerholm, the Eko-Riksu-rabbit. Allow Parikka in turn was responsible for Eko-Riksu’s visual appearance.
At its peak, 15,000 families with children visited the home of the Eko-Riksu family during the Easter holidays.
In addition to this, Eko-Riksu drove with his wife hare along the center of Riihimäki, visited old people’s homes and flew to Rovaniemi to meet Santa Claus with the help of partner Finnair.
At the age of 18, Janne Kataja designed this hourglass and torso-shaped sparkling wine glass. It was blown by Jaakko Liikanen. According to Kataja, the glass preserves the bubbles well. There are plans to put the glass back into production, slightly updated. Pasi Liesimaa
Kataja remembers Eko-Riksu fondly, although she is not quite sure if she would ever wear the bunny’s breeches again.
– After all, it was tough to talk for ten hours straight in a bunny voice, Kataja laughs.
When Westerlund retired, the Easter town theme also gradually left.
The importance of religion
Easter also has a deeper meaning for Kataja. A few years ago he became Orthodox. He has shared the values of the church for decades, as well as his interest in icons.
Many have wondered if it wasn’t a big decision, but Kataja compares it to joining a group where others are like-minded.
– However, that does not mean consensus. You don’t have to agree on everything.
Veikeat glass figurines are the work of glass artist Anna Niinimäki. Kataja’s home has a lot of paintings and glassware. Her grandparents worked at a glass factory, but Kataja has bought most of the glass herself. Pasi Liesimaa
According to Kataja, Orthodoxy is the church of humanity. Man does not strive for perfection, for divinity is perfect.
– I love rituals and especially the Easter rituals of the Orthodox Church. We’re going Krista-with my spouse at Easter mass. The Orthodox Church’s Easter is impressive, says Kataja.
Kataja states that the service is communal and participatory. Due to her irregular working hours and rhythm of life, Kataja does not fast. Instead, he quotes a priest who stated that the most important thing is to remember why Easter is celebrated.
Orthodoxy reminds us of the joy and pleasure of life.
My own cookbook
Kataja has been delighting her Instagram followers with almost daily live cooking for years. An interesting project followed.
– My Instagram friends figured out that I could write a cookbook about my cooking. At the same time, my friend Pauliina Virta suggested writing a mincemeat book.
Eventually, the cookbook expanded from minced meat to a home cooking book, which saw the light of day this spring. In Kataja’s kitchen (January 2026) contains new recipes, traditional family recipes and favorite recipes of Kataja’s friends and, among others, the Italian nonna.
Kataja’s kitchen is open to both friends and social media followers – even people from Riihmäki. The large windows in the kitchen face the street, and it is no secret in Riihimäki where Kataja lives.
– Sometimes the young people walking by wave at us, and of course we wave back. Tourist buses also stop in front of our house, Kataja laughs.
He decided at a young age to approach the public in an uncomplicated way. Kataja’s principle is that he doesn’t pretend things are better than they are. Then you can live in peace.