The month of birch sap

Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are the only countries where gathering tree sap, mainly birch sap, stayed important until recently. April is “sulu mēnesis” in Latvian and “kõļimkū” in Livonian: both mean “birch sap month”. Around Vyborg birch trees were private property, and each was given a name, like cattle.

Source: Ingvar Svanberg ve ark., “Uses of tree saps in northern and eastern parts of Europe”, Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 81(4), 2012 (Svanberg et al., Acta Soc Bot Pol, 2012). This is a folk record, not a treatment recommendation.