Celebrating Onam with family in Kerala - we missed the cultural programs but had the best sadya

Onam is considered the biggest festival for Malayali people all over the world. It is the most important festival in the southern Indian state of Kerala. The past two years we couldn't witness much of the festivities because of the lockdowns, so this year we were super excited about it. We went to Pent restaurant on the Payyanur Kasargod highway for sadya - a lunch feast. We were surprised to find that on the main day of the festival there wasn't much to witness as most people spend the last day with family at home. So we did just that, and I made some Kerela meals for my in laws. It was a lovely day spent with family :)
#kerala #onam
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› ABOUT ME
My name is Johanna North. I’m a Finnish woman traveling in India since 2016. In 2019 I married and began living with my husband in the state of Kerala in southern India. On this channel I share videos on life, culture, food and travel mostly in India, and maybe from Finland when we travel there.
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› THANK YOU FOR WATCHING!

[@juliavargas2870]

This is what life should be. Enjoying family quality time. Can't help but think of your Mom at this time of year as I can't forget the dream Christmas time you shared. I think will watch again to put me in the spirit. Wishing you and entire family the best!

[@JohannaNorth]

We’ll surely be watching a bunch of those videos from last Christmas too next weekend at home since we weren’t unfortunately able to travel to Finland this year for the holidays 🥺❤

[@prasathkrishnaswamyvaradha3394]

Johanna can nail Hindi with V's mom! Shows what Great efforts you have taken! Great job 👏🏼

[@JohannaNorth]

It’s been very difficult to learn Hindi when we have only ever lived in South India where no one ever speaks Hindi to me and i dont have time for lessons. But slowly and steadily learning from Vinod’s parents and now from Annika too! 😊

[@prasathkrishnaswamyvaradha3394]

@@JohannaNorth way to go ❤️

[@travellingyoginikas]

Agreed. Johanna's Hindi is GREAT ❤️👍

[@vasanthajennings8653]

Happy belated Onam wishes to you all! So nice to watch this little angel Annika! Food looked good, love vege! I heard you say, "mama, dada, acha....... must be a form of respect to include them. You are good with your in laws. God bless. Take care. Thank you for sharing.

[@JohannaNorth]

Since we spend most of the time at home with neither Vinod’s or my family present, i do always try to include both sets of grandparents and aunts and bhaiya when i’m listing family to Annika so that she learns they’re all included in our immediate family whether they’re always right there or not 😊 at one point she was also listing everyone herself before bedtime finishing the list by shouting SAB KO! ❤

[@ivonneleaty8501]

Always so enjoyable watching your videos. Your in-laws are so wonderful and your husband and if course I cannot believe how big Annika is.

[@JohannaNorth]

Annika is growing super fast, time flies!

[@manjularao5429]

It is so happy to see her with grandparents

[@onenow2]

very funny at the end with Annika and Johanna running back and forth. Thank you! Made my day!

[@neeragupta6033]

Nice to see you all enjoying lovely food with your family members.Aanika has learnt to speak some words, good to hear it. ❤️

[@gaurisingh3985]

That was so lovely and wholesome. Seemed like a complete celebration of the festival..family, food and fun. I hope you get to experience the local festivities next year. (Belated) happy "Oman" to Annika 😍

[@JohannaNorth]

I’m gonna mark every event in my calendar next year already in July! 😅

[@santhinallathamby8300]

Annika looks absolutely pretty in her burgundy dress. It's perfect on her👌. And the blue too - must be Dadi's stitching. She's a fortunate girl, of course. I'm a Malaysian Indian with roots from South India but I especially love Kerala's moong dhal payasam and avial which I often make. Your video has reminded me again of both these and I'm definitely going to make them tomorrow 🥰🥰. Thank you so much for the vlog, Johanna. God bless.

[@JohannaNorth]

Yes the dresses have been stitched by talented dadi indeed ☺️ payasam is a perfect end for a great Kerala meal! But i must admit i’m very partial to the veg sides 😋

[@high16200]

Hi Johanna, eating amazing dishes with your family in a very beautiful setting, it must be a great pleasure. Thank you for sharing your amazing moments with sweet Annika.🙏🙏💓💓

[@RajeevKumar-mu9wb]

please start uploading in 4k..........Many youtubers are already doing it.........Its awesome and gamechanger

[@basicsurfer08]

johanna you looked extra pretty today in the restaurant shots :-)

[@sumitamukherjee3447]

Beautiful video, feeling very happy to see Annika in enjoying and playing mood again, she is now very active and also talking in a sweet way 😊, your enjoyment with family and food is very refreshing to watch and also lovely Annika's activities ❤️

[@JohannaNorth]

Thank you so much sumita 🙏☺️

[@sumitamukherjee3447]

@@JohannaNorth most welcome ❤️

[@lachminsarjue6248]

Very nice to enjoy the Kerala festival,the food looks mighty

[@sree8159]

Happy to see u guys enjoying onam sadya... Sad that u couldn't enjoy a proper traditional onam celebration yet in Kerala... Iam inviting you and your family to celebrate onam 2023 with my family🥰🥰🥰🤗🤗🤗

[@Helen78SouthAfrica]

Food looks delicious 😋 Johanna ♥️🎄👀☕️and Annika is enjoying time with her grandparents 🙏🫂☕️👀♥️🎄

[@soorajbnair5329]

Hay jonna i am from Kerala it is the time for Christmas in Kerala. onam is celebrated in Kerala in September month in every year in Kerala 🙋‍♂️👍 little baby Annika and you enjoy sadya👍 and payasam(sweet)🙋‍♂️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@nimin7]

Being a Keralite, glad to see your family enjoying Sadya at Kerala..

[@blairswanson44]

Annika looks so pretty in all the clothes that grandma makes for her. I hope that she is much improved from her illness Johanna. I think of her daily. Sending much love to you all ❤.

[@JohannaNorth]

She’s all better now, uncle B! As loud, energetic and entertaining as ever 🥰

[@blairswanson44]

@@JohannaNorth Thank you for the good news J. !!! 💋❤.

[@padmajapadma9128]

Happy family Lovely couple cute kid super video bro god bless you ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️👌👌👍

[@travellingyoginikas]

THANKU YOU ever so much for sharing your experiences of Onam in Kerala Johanna I spent 18 months in Kerala. It was certainly not the easiest time of my life as I was on lockdown with people who were undesirable due to their corrupt behaviours but I guess thats what happens in tourist resorts. This vlog really did remind me of the times when I could forget about some people's pathological criminalized behaviours and DEEPLY tune in to the purity of Kerala fests and feasts 😋 I love those big meals served on a banana leaf and the payasam that we drank. The relaxed feeling of eating a big lunch on a hot day and absorbing the uniqueness of Kerala festivals which at times can be low key and beautiful as you said. I remember sitting next to a man during a Kerala lunch and he was on the phone arranging a marriage for his family member and stating that marriage is compulsory. But what your vlog has taught me is that our minds can over ride any uglyness, any corruption and any criminal and unethical behaviours which may surround us. Esp at festival times when we can tune into love and spirituality. That's the real meaning of what India is all about. Om Shanti Shanti om 🕉️❤️🕉️

[@JohannaNorth]

Lockdown was such a big challenge for most people, but thankfully we get to enjoy life more these days and hopefully you’ll get a better, healing experience in the future in Kerala! Personally i love the state and have very less bad experiences if any ❤ but do also now enjoy Europe and home as long as you can!

[@santhinallathamby8300]

Yes Yogini, I agree with your comments on people's unethical behaviour. I have come across the same during my previous visits to India before. I wish I have learned martial arts to have them bashed up. Johanna is providing us a wide range of videos and knowledge for all of us to enjoy visiting India and indeed it's a beautiful country with meaningful cultures and traditions. I couldn't thank her more and I'm indeed really proud to be an Indian. However, to tell you frankly, I have cancelled my trips to India - the golden triangle because of the scary news that often crop up these days - cutting bodies into pieces 😱😱. I'm in my 60s and husband is in his 70s. What I mean is we will not be able to defend ourselves should anything happen. I may sound negative but I think it's better not to take any risk because I believe the local Indians over there do recognise the Indians who are from foreign countries. Hence, the treatment and look they cast upon us is entirely different. Johanna my apologies for using your platform to share my thoughts 🙏🙏

[@travellingyoginikas]

@@santhinallathamby8300 oh bless you dear ❤️ my worst experiences were when I stayed in places longer term with indian men. Otherwise as I safe whilst travelling around India alone. I am a youtuber myself and I reported alot of my travel experiences on my channel ❤️

[@travellingyoginikas]

@@JohannaNorth my bad experiences occurred when I lived with indian men for a long period of time in one place and in times of lockdown I didn't have much choice but to live with their corrupt offensive ways. Another bad experience occurred when I was at a yoga sch long term doing volunteering and the owner began hitting me. I told his girlfriend he what he did and his girlfriend said he hits her too and also hits their child 😲 in England u can report such behaviours to the police but In India such people can pay off the police to get away with their criminal behaviours. Sadly thats just the way India is. But there's also AMAZING things about India too. I had some of my best times on the road on long distance busses and train journeys. ❤️ I wonder what you will say to Annika when she's on older on how to keep herself safe as a female in India.... That would be interesting to know. I think Annika would be 100 percent accepting of how India is as she's so exposed. We were born and raised in a different country so perhaps our perceptions are v different, esp because we were raised with human rights. I love India but awareness about the harsh realities is necessary ❤️

[@sindhujayasankar3917]

That white curry is olan, white pumpkin curry and yellow curry is kalan, made of yam and curd.enjoyed your vlog 👍🏻

[@JohannaNorth]

Thanks for sharing! I want to try making these at home too 😊

[@marisolsharma4809]

Hi Johanna , wish Happy Merry Christmas days to you and family , happy New Years🎄🎅🏼💫⛄️🙏🏼🤲🏼🤲🏼❤️🤗We love you all Annika and parents , Grandparents family God bless you family ❤❤❤❤❤

[@anand-menon]

The best way to experience an authentic Onam Sadhya would be to get invited by a Malayali family over to their house. No Onam is complete without the traditional Pookkalam( floral arrangement). If you're lucky you may even witness a traditional dance performed by the women folk. I'm guessing this video was shot sometime in the 1st week of September. I was in Payannur to visit last month and had a sumptuous meal at the Steak House which is just 2.5km on the same road before Pent. Might go again to Payannur sometime within the next 10 days...

[@JohannaNorth]

Oh i’m sure it doesnt get more traditional and authentic than a local family celebration at home! It’s the same with Christmas back in Finland and i assume in India too 😊 looking forward to getting back home for Christmas too! 🤩

[@ushakrana7378]

Dear Johanna and family enjoy the Onam festival love you all.❤️ However your vlog coming late according the festival 😊

[@JohannaNorth]

Yes unfortunately my videos are a bit late, since editing my videos takes a lot of time and i haven’t had much time for work this year. i dont want to skip all the events and material we have filmed though, because these are also important family memories, so I post them as soon as i get to work on those 😊

[@cg5611]

She is at least honest about her vlog timings.

[@bhavanakirana7465]

In Karnataka, at least in Bangalore/Mysore region, you can find this kind of several food items on a banana plantain in every function/celebration, so much so that you get tired of so much food being consumed. :-) If you get a chance and have a friend in Karnataka, try this on some celebrations like marriage or naming ceremonies, etc.,

[@vandanasudhir2337]

The Kerala summer heat is so harsh that I could sense even an extraordinarily pleasant girl like Annika becoming a bit cranky😁

[@inchikaattilvaasu7401]

When you go maadayi Paara temple and vellikkeel echo park

[@robertpatel4302]

Beautiful video 😍

[@laniegayat1791]

curly curly Annika....Merry Christmas..

[@marisolsharma1421]

Hello 🙏🏻… Johanna .. Good Afternoon… Annika loves clean up for floor lol 😂… Johanna and Vinod his Parents send Good Time India restaurant Very Nice 👍🏼👌🏼❤❤❤beautiful family … stay home safe ,…. Stay together and happy family … love your your vlogs ❤️👌🏼.

[@scs27562]

Never tired watching little Anika.

[@arvinderarjani265]

I only watch your vedio to see annika may God bless her

[@vijayamohan33]

It was so sweet 😍 love happy family 😍

[@bharathsf]

Who needs Cardio when Annika is around :P What a lovely video

[@ravikumar-tb1gy]

mouth watering Sadya .... annika super 😏😏😏😏😏😏

[@nirmalakumar3546]

Tamarind and ginger chutney called Puli Inji

[@JohannaNorth]

Thanks for letting me know!

[@kesiyak.s.7708]

The pink curry is also 'pachadi' with beetroot in it. So we call it 'beetroot pachadi'. Also as Onam is the national festival of Kerala, most of the shops and restaurants will be closed, it is the same for Christmas too... So, you better plan accordingly.

[@anantgawai440]

So sweet baby Annika

[@mujdeoncu10]

Hi joanna! How nice you can travel with such short sleeves. The weather here (Istanbul) is 9 degrees. We wear thick clothes. Seeing you wearing like this makes us realize that we miss the summer. Cuttie Annika's running around again. We call our father 'baba'. We call our grandfather "dede". These are similar words. You, lovely Annika, Vinod and her parents are like our relatives. India is a country of festivals.

[@vickylightspeed2750]

visit tamilnadu someday...temples and food is awesome

[@elisabetta4478]

Yummy sadhya ♥️

[@pameladias2076]

Good Job

[@kunchokdechen6910]

So cute Annika

[@emerald.m1061]

It's better to visit to Trivandrum for watching Onam celebrations on the 4th day after Thiruvonam. Stay in a hotel near museum .

[@Praveen1991917]

At the end of the video, I saw the dancing tree toy. I hope she's having fun with it. 😂😂

[@JohannaNorth]

Oh Annika loves it, that’s how she learned to sing happy birthday to you too! 😊

[@Praveen1991917]

@@JohannaNorth, I saw many videos on the internet where parents filmed their toddler's reactions, so I understood that could have been fun for Annika.

[@JobyPanachickal]

Onam - National festival of Kerala

[@naveenvdc88]

Nice😊

[@jeanettedias64]

Your explaining about d food served on d banana leaf. If u don't know what d name of d recipe, plz ask ur husband, n he'll explain it to u, I'm sure he'll oblige. N d sweet dish is paisam. Looks delicious. Ur baby is cute. Bless ur family

[@indranidasgupta8982]

Hi Johanna, I have two questions: Of course when I was growing up in India, we had no carseats or seatbelts, but are either of them not required now? I notice only your husband is wearing his seatbelt, but the three of you aren't and your baby is not in a carseat... just asking because I was curious.

[@JohannaNorth]

Seatbelts for passengers are not mandatory by law in India. Same is the case for baby carseats. It's quite common to see kids / babies on a scooter without helmets

[@jaym5963]

Oh Johanna, you dont need to exercise or do yoga woth Annika's running around, causing you to be on your feet. Again, great video. Calming and soothing while giving us insights into Kerala lifestyles. Love your videologs. Vinod is totally cool and your in laws are quite comfortable in front of the video after Annika's Debut. The Annika Effect.

[@annsorigaminpaperart1279]

Have you seen Munnar Tea Plantation?

[@JohannaNorth]

Yes we visited munnar in 2017 😊

[@mariammathew7435]

Sadia is a girls name our traditional feast is Sadhya not 🤗 sad. Sadhya layout should not be cramped which I notice . In Payyanur Pint request them to sent you a packed sadya items . pachadis will be to is so also Avial and kootukari.

[@JohannaNorth]

Like with most indian words and names, spelling varies a lot by region and person - sadya is also a correct spelling for the feast which i’ve come across in many places both online and offline. Wikipedia title is also sadya 😊 if i’ve learned anything in India, it’s to not be too strict about spelling, when hardly anyone ever spells my family’s names correctly either 😅

[@mariammathew7435]

The way to pronounce it is necessarily to be correct. No spell mell just sound it after hearing a keralite tell you

[@JohannaNorth]

Sorry i must’ve misunderstood what you were talking about - i guess you were talking about how i myself pronounce it which you didnt mention in the first comment i was replying to. 😊 I do my best to use local words especially for very culturally relevant things even though it’s very difficult for me to pronounce them accurately especially in the middle of speaking another language. Proper pronunciation in a foreign language is impossible for most people but I’ll try to remember this next onam!

[@madhavkopalle]

Annikas language can be called officially hereafter 'Fhinglish

[@ARtheTruthSeeker]

Sweet little Annika 😍

[@akashgautam4922]

lovely

[@kunalnagarkoti1841]

OMG!!! really ? Annika can walk as well as run now so early at age 2 😱 and you can speak Hindi 😱 how this has happened so fast 🧐😵😵‍💫

[@JohannaNorth]

Annika has been walking, running and speaking almost a year now tho 😊 most kids start those by this age

[@kunalnagarkoti1841]

@@JohannaNorth indian kids start to speak late around at age 4, 2 is a bit early for Annika, i think there could be a genetical DNA differences

[@minilroy8774]

@@kunalnagarkoti1841 not really. Don't generalize.

[@SantoshDhuri-t3w]

realy love arnika. lovev you dear.

[@Helen78SouthAfrica]

Hello Johanna Vinod and Annika 😮👧🏻hello dadi ad dada ☕️🎄🫂🙏

[@robinnegi1462]

Mark my words, Anika is going to be a future vlog star

[@mariammathew7435]

Anika has then to find a khushi job to find some travelling time continuously like her parents. We subscribers would love to know what made you chose Payyanur ,such a remote place

[@nimin7]

@@mariammathew7435 payyannur is not such a remote place Fyi

[@jjr2355]

Im a north Indian married to mallu guy… n its such a cultural difference to adjust with his mallu family n relatives. South Indians are a totally different breed of people. Wonder how she is able to relate to them at an deeper emotional level, given further more cultural difference. The initial exoticness is lost soon, and in time, one longs for their own ppl, own culture, relatability, ability to express in ur bandwidth of emotions and be understood in the same bandwidth, ability to share common jokes, reference, feelings… from what ive realised… it is not possible to have that when one marries outside of culture. May b to a certain extent with the husband. But definitely not with the family. South Indians are people who don’t believe in largeness of life, functions, kinship, extended family bondings etc… its very veru difficult to relate to them in the longer run.

[@Ak-zx2sj]

Especially in kerala large youngsters r moving to abroad for higher studies, countries such as Europe, Australia, Canada etc So once they get to meet different people, acceptance towards other culture may changed Even though half of them will not come back either

[@aghilanmayan97]

HAI JOHANNA SIS😇how are you and how is our Annika's health?.....Having a food on banana leaf 🍃 is always feel so yummy😋 sis... #LOVE MY FAM💜🤍

[@JohannaNorth]

Annika is doing much better now, pretty much back to normal 😊

[@aghilanmayan97]

@@JohannaNorth oh.. That's so good😇..to hear

[@TheSanthalVlogger]

For food , I would surely visit Punjab & Delhi . Because I know that place for Roti, paratha , Masala Kulchha , Butter Chicken & Chhola Bhatoora . I don’t like South Indian other than Masala Dosa.

[@proud2318]

If you fold the banana leaf away from you it means you ate at funeral fold it towards you.

[@aneexxxx]

Are they from Kerala?

[@nogag8219]

Johanna - How come you don't use baby seat for Annika?

[@adityasinghbhati9954]

No one uses baby seats in India

[@raghavendra5311]

Yes baby seats are useful

[@ewaandresen4370]

Is that an excuse not to use a seat for her? Looks very dangerous to me…

[@vijaysonwani6159]

💞

[@vijayalakshmireddy2644]

Kerala rice 🌾 quite different from other states rice 🍚

[@vijayalakshmireddy2644]

I am from Telangana , Hyderabad

[@emmanueljoy2632]

❤️

[@yosup125]

hello

[@nirmalakumar3546]

Beetroot pachadi

[@manis1852]

Nice job with Hindi. Next Malayalam ? If you want to do stuff on Onam, try and join a woman’s club, where they do ‘ Kai Kotti Kaali’, a dance form involving hand clapping with a group of women.

[@dametocosita4994]

Wear seat belts.

[@vijayalakshmireddy2644]

Vinod looking like malayali ,not north Indian guy

[@proud2318]

Pls 🙏 wear seatbelt. Stay safe.

[@sarangrao3677]

Annika speak Hindi words

[@sophianaqvi3697]

Johanna u eat like a maharaja lol loved it yum

[@sophianaqvi3697]

Wow ur hindi is beautiful