On December 25th, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, the Finnish people celebrate Christmas (Finnish: Joulu Suomessa), a national holiday honoring the birth of Christ. In Finland, December is referred to as “joulukuu” (meaning “Christmas month”), and the Christmas season begins with Advent and continues throughout the month. During this time of year, there are humanitarian activities and marketplaces that help people in need, in addition to various Christmas preparations.
-> See also: 48 Countries That Celebrate Christmas Widely
At the Mäntyniemi mansion, the President of Finland traditionally delivers the Christmas greeting. The Swedish-speaking community chooses Saint Lucia to sing Christmas songs on this occasion. Students from the forestry program at the University of Helsinki deliver the Christmas tree, Korpo fishermen offer the recently caught pike, and Vehmaa farmers provide the Christmas ham. This custom, which began under President Urho Kekkonen, has evolved over the years to include items such as eco-baskets, including items from environmental groups and animal rights campaigners and bouquets of flowers from the Association of Flower Merchants.
“Black Christmas” in Finland simply means that there is no snow on the streets on Christmas Day, which is a typical occurrence in modern times because of climate change. There has been a significant uptick in the use of hotlines as a means to alleviate the loneliness and stress that some countrymen feel around the holidays.
The Past of Christmas in the Country
After Finland’s population converted to Christianity, the country started celebrating Christmas. While contemporary customs have found their way into the celebration of this winter event, ancient rituals have played an important role in its history. However, the changes (the Star of Bethlehem‘s arrival and the singing of Christmas songs) did not prevent certain traditions, including dressing up and caroling, from continuing. Keeping its original name (pukki, meaning “goat”), the Finnish Santa Claus evolved into Joulupukki, a goat who distributed presents (similar to the Yule Goat).
It was usual practice in Finland to work diligently and finish early on Christmas Eve so that one might get adequate sleep before the Christmas service. Traditionally, Christmas Eve was thought to be a night when specters and devils prowled the Earth. To appease the spirits, some would leave food and a warm sauna outside their homes, while others would put crosses on doors to protect themselves from harm. It was usual to employ soot, grains, or dream interpretation that night to predict a person’s future marriage. The Finnish tradition of who gets up first gets to whack the other dreamers continues unabated to this day.
An ancient Finnish custom states that on Christmas Eve, a bundle of wheat or oat stalks is strung from a tall pole close to the home (or even on the roof) with the intention of providing food for birds, which are particularly vulnerable at this time of year. On Christmas Eve, the entire family enjoys a sauna session.
-> See also: All 15 Countries That Don’t Celebrate Christmas
Christmas Traditions in Finland
Getting Ready
Advent (from the Latin adventus, meaning “arrival” or “coming”) is the modern term for the four-week festive season leading up to Christmas in Finland. In 524 AD, a church council in Lerida, Spain, forbade weddings and related festivities from the start of Advent until the celebration of Epiphany. This is the first known reference to Advent.
The Lutheran community later began to gather for Christmas concerts, church rituals, and the celebration of the season by decorating the streets with lights, garlands, and the symbols of faith, hope, and love—the cross, anchor, and heart. 65% of Finland is Lutheran today. In 1840, the city of Pietarsaari in Finland created the first Christmas street in the country. Since 1949, the capital city of Helsinki has adorned Aleksanterinkatu Street with festive decorations.
A countdown to Christmas is going on all month long. Special two-layer Christmas calendars, called joulukalenteri in Finnish, are used by children and they look like thin cardboard boxes. Each numbered removable window on the calendar reveals a tiny image or chocolate bar. The German lady Frau Lang invented these calendars in the late 19th century as a way to pique her son’s interest in the Christmas season. Around this time, children’s calendars like these became wildly popular all around the globe.
On each of the four Sundays of Advent, Finnish adults burn an extra-purple candle using truncated four-candle holders. It is customary to light two candles on a Sunday and then put them out again the following week, continuing in this pattern until all of the candles have burned out. The four window candles in Finnish houses are all lit up by Christmas. Modern urbanites rely heavily on electric seven-candle lights (Finnish: adventtikynttelikkö), hanging stars, and window lamps rather than traditional, all-natural candles.
“Little Christmas”: Pikkujoulu
The first pre-Christmas parties in Finland are organized by women, maintaining the tradition of gathering together to create Christmas decorations sold at charity markets. The current Finnish tradition of “Little Christmas” (Pikkujoulu) business parties takes place between the end of November and the beginning of December.
During the days leading up to Christmas, Finns spend an average of 570 euros on presents and send over 50 million greeting cards to friends and family. Many businesses consider this time to be the “golden time” for retail sales.
Thirty percent of Finns who participated in a survey said they bought toys and games as Christmas presents. After electronics and home appliances (12%), clothing comes next at 18%. The fourth place goes to candies and other sweets with 10% of the market, while the fifth place goes to cosmetics with 9%.
The performance “The Most Beautiful Christmas Songs,” started by the “Missionary Society of Finland,” has been a popular cultural event in the days leading up to Christmas since 1973. Hundreds of thousands of Finns attend these concerts during the third Advent.
The Days of Christmas in Finland
December 13: Saint Lucia Day is celebrated by the Swedish-speaking Finns on December 13th. This festival combines Christian and pagan elements. All of the proceeds from the celebrations go straight into the healthcare fund.
December 23: The centerpiece of the holiday season, a jolly Christmas tree decked up with international flags, geometric straw sculptures called “himmeli” (heavens) and other trinkets, begins to emerge in Finnish houses by the 23rd of December. Trees are adorned with candles on Christmas Eve.
December 24: Finnish roadways see a dramatic surge in traffic on Christmas Eve, December 24th, as families make every effort to get together. Because it is a public holiday, shops close at noon, so customers have time to get everything they need before the vacation. The Finnish tradition “Christmas Peace” is proclaimed precisely at noon in Turku’s historic central plaza. In the midst of this joyous ritual, which everyone attends in person or watches on TV, everyone breaks bread and starts to celebrate Christmas. Also, Tornio has been declaring Christmas Peace since 1946. After the 5 o’clock church services, Finns visit cemeteries to lay fir wreaths and candles on the graves of loved ones who have passed away.
December 25: The actual day of Christmas, December 25th, is devoted to prayer and contemplation in Finland. The city’s public transit system and all public buildings close their doors, and a large number of people go to church on this particular day.
December 26: In keeping with the customs of the medieval Tapani Day (Finnish: Tapaninpäivä) or Saint Stephen’s Day, the joyous celebrations, dances, and feasts begin on December 26th. In the past, the Finns would dress up as goats and sing carols as they embodied legendary animals and “Christmas cranes” on this day. At present, this day is officially observed as a public holiday, and all significant public festivities are connected to it. For many Finnish families, today is the day to go sledding, ice skating, or skiing.
-> See also: Curious History of Sleds and Sleighs and Pulk: The National Sled of the Sami People
Christmas Foods in Finland
- Beetroot salad (rosolli)
- Cold-smoked salmon
- Freshly salted salmon (graavilohi)
- Whitefish (graavisiika)
- Baked ham (kinkku)
- Roast turkey (kalkkuna)
- Potato, carrot, and rutabaga casseroles
- Milk rice porridge (riisipuuroa) with a hidden almond
- Lutefisk (lipeäkala)
- Dark Christmas beer
- Gingerbread cookies (piparkakut)
- Gingerbread house (piparkakkutalo)
- Puff pastries filled with plum jam (joulutorttuja)
- Hot mulled wine (glögi) with spices, raisins, and almonds
- Waffles, pastries, and cookies shaped like animals and objects
As a cold appetizer, Finns love beetroot salad (rosolli), which is similar to Russian salad, cold-smoked salmon, freshly salted salmon (graavilohi) or whitefish (graavisiika), and other similar dishes. Baked ham, or kinkku, as it is known in Finland, is the traditional Christmas meal, and the nation eats over 13–16 million pounds of it every year. Along with ham, roast turkey (Finnish: kalkkuna) has been available to Finns since the 1940s, but its popularity is still limited. Reheating potato, carrot, and rutabaga casseroles brings out their full flavors; these are a staple on Christmas tables.
Another Christmas dish is milk rice porridge (riisipuuroa in Finnish), which is accompanied by a hidden almond. Whoever finds it is said to have a prosperous year and good health. The practice of serving the porridge with a pre-inserted spoon, which is then left aside, originated from an ancient superstition that whoever took the first mouthful would die the next year.
Swedish families often enjoy lutefisk, also known as lipeäkala in Finnish, which is a special kind of soaked cod. The fish is steeped in an acidic solution all summer and then sun-dried. A special mustard sauce is given to it when it is cooked on Christmas Eve. “Lutefisk” has a jelly-like consistency.
There used to be two meals on Christmas Eve. One was a special dark Christmas beer served with rice porridge and lutefisk. As a traditional dessert, the Finns always give gingerbread cookies, or a gingerbread home (piparkakkutalo) and puff pastries filled with plum jam (joulutorttuja). Hot mulled wine (glögi) with spices, raisins, and almonds is a traditional Christmas drink in Finland.
Special importance is placed on making waffles, pastries, and cookies in the days leading up to Christmas in the country. A practice of making festive dough masterpieces arose since the Northern Christmas meal was not very diversified. Using finely ground flour, even bread was made to be very delicious. Bread and cookies made by Finnish families are typically shaped like various animals and objects, such as birds, horses, cows, and sheep. Cross-shaped biscuits are also fairly prevalent.
The plethora of baked goods on display at Christmas time echoed an ancient Finnish proverb that goes something like, “The heavier the head of the owner from food, the better the harvest will be in the coming year.” In addition to the aforementioned meals, typical fare in the northern Oulu area includes things like handmade cheese, pea casserole, and beer. Fruit jelly and rice porridge are provided as desserts.
Christmas Decorations for Finns
- “Julestjerne” (Christmas star or poinsettia)
- Blue and white colors associated with Joulupukki (Finnish Santa Claus).
- Red tablecloths, candles, and flowers
- Christmas tree
- Hyacinths
- Christmas lilies
- Lilacs
- Lily of the Valley
- Camellias
- Christmas roses
- Christmas cacti
- Tulips
- White chrysanthemums
- Branches
- Pinecones
In Finland, red is the color associated with Christmas. Tablecloths, candles, Christmas decorations, flowers, and other festive garments all contain it. Finland traditionally decorates its houses with flowers for Christmas, in addition to the ever-present Christmas tree that originated in the 18th century.
Being one of the few plants to blossom in the hard Finnish winter during the 19th century, the hyacinth has been a symbol of Christmas for more than 140 years. Although hyacinths were originally exclusively available in pink, they are now available in white and blue as well. Interestingly, Joulupukki (the Finnish Santa Claus) is said to like the colors blue and white (like Ded Moroz and his helper Snegurochka in Russia and Turkic countries).
Christmas lilies and lilacs were traditional gifts in the late 1800s. Lily of the Valley was a popular choice since it could be purchased or produced in one’s own garden; gardening guides from the era were plentiful in popular periodicals.
Camellias and Christmas roses, which are still sold in flower stores throughout the Christmas season, took their place as these flowers in the early 20th century.
Christmas cacti and tulips have been part of the traditional Christmas flower arrangement since 1910. One of the most common Christmas flower choices in the 1930s was the white chrysanthemum. Flowers were in short supply during the war years, so many resorted to using branches, pinecones, and candles as decorations.
“Julestjerne” (meaning “Christmas star” in Finnish) was a Norwegian poinsettia variation that emerged in the 1960s. This stunning crimson shrub has long been associated with the holiday season in Finland.
