Nowadays candles may be lighted as a common experience to honor the dead.[17]. Christmas tree. From the First Advent, people, especially the children, maintain the advent calendar, wherein they keep checking the coming of Christmas. Many Finnish families also visit cemeteries to remember lost loved ones. Finnish Christmas Carols and Songs. He put goat horns on his head as in shamanistic tradition to look like a goat. Christmas in Finland (as all over Scandinavia) is mostly about taking things slowly and enjoying the company of loved family members. At noon on Christmas Eve, peace is proclaimed with a ceremony in Turku, the former capital and oldest city in Finland. Santa Claus, called Joulupukki in Finnish, generally visits most houses on Christmas Eve to give presents—at least to those who have been good. People in wealthy families started giving each other presents at the beginning of the 1800s. This is reflected in several rhymes and jingles, such as Hyvä Tuomas joulun tuopi, paha Nuutti pois sen viepi (“Good Tuomas the bringer, bad Nuutti the taker of Christmas”). Finnish Christmas Main Dishes If salmon is the queen of the Finnish Christmas table, ham is definitely the king (joulukinkku). On Christmas Eve, Danes have a Christmas dinner usually consisting of duck or goose, red cabbage, and caramelized potatoes. Lessons from Content Marketing World 2020; Oct. 28, 2020. The Declaration is a reading at mid-day on Christmas Eve, in which listeners are encouraged to treat Christmas with respect and adopt an atmosphere of peace. Joulurauha (Christmas Peace) It’s an old Christian tradition to put war on hold during Christmas. Finland is his home town. Apples and other fruits, candies, paper flags, Food traditions during the Christmas period depend on which part of Finland people live. Evidence of this is even the name of the month December – “Joulukuu” – “Christmas month”. [21] Before giving out the presents, some may light candles for the dead. Having a sauna at Christmas is an old tradition. Eating abundantly at the Christmas meal comes from the ancient Finns and relates to the agricultural year cycle and the festival of light celebrated around the winter solstice. Casseroles, prune soup and gingerbread biscuits were adopted from the upper classes in the 1800s and 1900s. Finnish traditions include the Christmas sauna and the preparation of Christmas dinner. poinsettias, Christmas seals, Christmas trees, gift giving, hanging stockings, nativity scenes, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, Santa Claus, and more. Customs of Christmas explores the origins of our Christmas customs and traditions, like advent, candy canes, Christmas caroling, Christmas cards, Christmas lights. In Sweden, Estonia and Finland, joulupukki (Christmas goat) was a man who dressed as a fertility rite character, a goat. Christmas sauna is a Finnish tradition. Baked ham is cooked for hours in the oven. The Christmas ham replaced the kekri lamb, and in the 1940s it was challenged by the wild turkey. Christmas Eve in Finland is filled with the bright sounds of carols and local Christmas songs. In sauna you had to be very quietly, so the mosquitoes couldn’t find you next summer. Finnish traditions can have some similarities with neighboring Scandinavian countries and some traditions are shared among other Christian households around the world, including in the U.S. There are plenty of holiday traditions, such as the Christmas Eve broadcast of the Declaration of Christmas Peace . Reading the Christmas gospel before the meal became common at the end of the 1800s as a consequence of the Christian revival. FINNISH CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. Old-fashioned Christmas fun in Helsinki. Discover these strange and magical Christmas tales from Lapland, and how they have shaped our modern Christmas traditions. It is commonplace to go in the sauna at Christmas. [19], The usual Christmas decorations are spruce twigs, Christmas tree, Christmas wreaths, straw goats, himmelis, apples, candles, Christmas tablecloths, Christmas flowers, outdoor torches, ice lanterns and sheafs. Finns start wishing each other a hearty Hyvää Joulua, or "Merry Christmas," weeks before Christmas day and continue to do so for nearly two weeks after the official holiday. Traditions on Christmas Eve in Finland include going to a Christmas mass if you are Catholic and a visit to a Finnish sauna. [1] Especially the evening of Christmas Eve has become the most important day of the Christmas period, and is nowadays a paid holiday in most workplaces. This is the day the Christmas lights are turned on. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland. Traditional Christmas dinner in Finland comprises of a cold platter of fish like Graavi or Salmon, with fish eggs and salad on the side. [10] In Sweden, the church was against this tradition, and it was about to disappear in Finland too, until some newspapers and charitable organisations revived it. For the Teletubbies episode "Christmas in Finland", see, Overview of the role of Christmas in Finland. Early-morning Christmas church on Christmas Day morning is part of the Protestant tradition. They often have a porridge for lunch—with a hidden almond in it—where the person who gets it has to sing a song and is considered the luckiest person at the table. Christmas dinner is served in Finland, between 5 and 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. [7] The Finnish Orthodox Church spends Christmas at the same time as the Western Christianity. Gifts are given on Christmas Eve, and people eat on Christmas day which is followed by sauna. Christmas in Finland can be memorable for visitors because Finnish yuletide traditions are very different from many other countries and regions in the world. [6] The third and fourth Christmas Day have also been called little holidays or midweek holidays. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Joulusta voi nauttia myös yksin – yksinäisyys voi antaa hengähdystauon tai intoa tehdä uusia asioita", "Rakas, tuttu ja tunnelmallinen suomalainen joulu – jouluperinteet", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christmas_in_Finland&oldid=996532599, Articles with dead external links from November 2017, Articles needing additional references from November 2017, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles needing rewrite from December 2017, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Vento, Urpo: Joulu, vuoden suurin juhla. Posti Group has been publishing Christmas stamps since 1973. Terri Mapes specializes in giving first-time Scandinavia visitors practical tips for their travels. Finns often hope to have a white Christmas – at least everyone seems to have golden memories from their childhood when “there was always snow during Christmas”. Some traditional Christmas decorations are himmeli (a hanging decoration made of straw) and Yule Goat. Finnish Christmas traditions In the old town of Turku, the former capital of Finland, a special ceremony is held to declare the beginning of "Christmas peace" period, starting at 12 o'clock noon on Christmas Eve and lasting for twenty days. Families and friends also begin to exchange Christmas cards at this time. In Finland, Santa, ( or Father Christmas) is where the big man lives. [15] Christmas calendars arrived in Finland after the second world war. Teoksessa, This page was last edited on 27 December 2020, at 04:22. Traditional Finnish Christmas decorations in Turku. Harjumaa, Marika: What a miracle Christmas plum ?. Many times ago it was the most important part of the Christmas, and the heating of the sauna was started very early, sometimes already the night before so everyone could go to sauna before it got dark outside. During Christmas, the average amount of snow is normally around 40 centimetres in Lapland, 30 centimetres in Central Finland and 10 centimetres in Southern parts of Finland. Blog. Hi, I’m Wilbur.Is anyone else really excited for Christmas? The Finns try to keep the Christmas spirit alive for father Christmas, so that he can Finnish winter in itself reminds a holiday: wonderful nature is dressed in a fantastic snow-white lace. Finland’s heavy-metal stars reveal their lighter side at Christmas. Christmas in Scandinavia: Traditions, Events, and Foods, Celebrate Christmas Italian Styles at These City Events, Christmas in New Mexico: Family Activities and Lights Displays, An Alaska Christmas: Festivals and Events, Christmas Activities and Festivities in the Greater Phoenix Area, 18 Places to Spend Your Christmas Vacation With Kids, Learn How to Celebrate St. Lucia Day in Scandinavia, Things to Do for Christmas in Northern Virginia, How Día de la Candelaria is celebrated in Mexico on February 2, Best Things to Do for Christmas in Nashville. People in Finland say that Santa does not have to travel too far since they believe that he lives in the north part of Finland called Korvatunturi (or Lapland), north of the Arctic Circle. Christmas and New Year in Finland. The traditional dessert is a light rice pudding … Their Christmas follows the Christmas trees tradition and Advent calendars. Talking about other Christmas traditions in Finland, they begin much before the actual date of the festival. Advent calendars come in many forms from a simple paper calendar with flaps covering each of the days to fabric pockets on a background scene to painted wooden boxes with cubby holes for small items. Many Finnish families also visit cemeteries to remember lost loved ones. People washed in the Christmas sauna before the festivities, and food and drink gifts were left there for the elf. December 13 is St. Lucia Day, otherwise known as the Feast of Saint Lucy. The Kekri tradition of leaving presents for the dead was moved to Christmas. The traditions and holidays in Finland are a perfect blend of their pagan customs and Christianity. On Christmas Eve people usually eat rice porridge. She used a candle-lit wreath to light her way, leaving her hands free to carry as much food as possible. Decorated Christmas trees became popular in Finland towards the end of the 19th century, although the habit of erecting festive trees is known to have been common already long before this in the Nordic countries.. Christmas trees are spruces, usually decorated with (nowadays electric) candles or lights, silver or golden … The Christmas gospel is heard and Luther’s hymn 21 Enkeli taivaan (Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her) is sung. At a time when food was grown at home, gluttony and eating meat at Christmas was rare luxury. Barley was replaced by rice in the 1800s. Traditionally, the eldest girl in the family portrays St. Lucia, donning a white robe and a crown of candles. Christmas traditions in Finland are based around family and the warmth of the family home. This is reflected in several rhymes and jingles, such as Hyvä Tuomas joulun tuopi, paha Nuutti pois sen viepi (“Good Tuomas the bringer, bad Nuutti the taker of Christmas”). Getting together with friends and family during the Christmas season is always special, and heavy metal musicians are no exception – even if, on stage, they are bad boys and girls all year long. Christmas in Finland does not officially end until 13 days after Christmas Day, which makes the holiday time truly a season, as opposed to a single-day celebration. Obviously, food plays a central part in Christmas celebrations in Finland, too. Feeding small birds at Christmas is an old tradition and the peasant culture’s ritual that brought good luck to farming. The highlight of the evening comes when Santa knocks on the door and asks, “Are there any well-behaved children here?” The Christmas season in Finland begins on the Saturday before Advent, known as Little Christmas. 23.12.2009, p. 7. The Old Tyme Christmas market in Turku has a lot of traditional Christmas decorations such as the Yule Goat. In the Nordic countries, the most important Christmas celebration takes place on Christmas Eve. [8], The Finnish Christmas has acquired some characteristics from the harvest festival kekri, that used to take place around the old All Saints' Day. soul birds, celebrated the mid-winter holiday with the living. the first Sunday in December marks the beginning of the Christmas season. [18], Christmas has traditionally been a family celebration, but in the 2000s it has become common to spend Christmas alone. The Finnish Easter holiday is a blend of Pagan and Christian customs. Christmas in Finland begins, as is commonplace on public holidays in Finland, on Christmas Eve. Nov. 2, 2020. Much like the end of Thanksgiving is the signal for Americans to start Christmas celebrations, Saint Lucia Day is usually the day that Finns begin to start Christmas tree shopping and decorating. The Declaration of Christmas Peace has been a tradition in Finland from the Middle Ages every year, except in 1939 due to the Winter War.. Finland - Christmas traditions & customs. The outfit also included a mask made of birch bark and a sheepskin coat worn inside-out.[9]. The Finnish consume the largest amounts of coffee in the wor The tradition of declaring Christmas peace is known to date back to 13th century. This tradition was called “Christmas Peace” in Finland, and has been kept alive ever since the war. The meals on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are quite elaborate. It became a common practice at the graves of fallen soldiers after the Winter War and soon at other graves too. They often have a porridge for lunch—with a hidden almond in it—where the person who gets it has to sing a song and is considered the luckiest person at the table. The purpose of the barley or oat sheaf was to keep the birds away from the crop in the summer. [4], In the Finnish tradition, the Christmas period has usually been considered to start on Tuomas’s nameday on December 21 and to continue until St. Knut's Day on January 13. Many children use advent calendars that count down the remaining days to Christmas Eve. Pork roast is the main dish in most households and a variety of fish, casseroles and salads are served with it. [5] However, King Gustav III of Sweden cut them down to two, because the nobility and bourgeoisie believed that long holidays made the workers too lazy. Christmas Eve, not Christmas itself, is the highlight of Joulu celebrations. [15], This article is about the public holiday in Finland. Christmas in the Nordic countries is celebrated on Christmas Eve. The Christmas period ends on Epiphany. In the Finnish tradition, the Christmas period has usually been considered to start on Tuomas’s nameday on December 21 and to continue until St. Knut's Day on January 13. The meal traditionally consists of oven-baked ham, rutabaga casserole, beetroot salad, and other foods common in the Nordic countries. The Finnish pagans may have believed that the dead, i.e. [20], To preserve nature, some people choose a tree in the garden or nearby forest to decorate for the birds, instead of buying a Christmas tree. We also have fun games, jokes, recipes, and gift ideas for the whole … The day after Christmas is known as St Stephen’s Day or Boxing Day where family visits are common and it is tradition to go horse riding or sleigh riding since St Stephen was the patron saint of horses. Christmas in Finland it’s the time spent with family during the festive, traditional supper. Everyone cleans their houses ready for the three holy days of Christmas - Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing Day. Previously the Lutheran church was very strict about attending the Christmas church. In Finland the Christmas tree is set up on Christmas Eve. [2] Unlike on other public holidays, public transportation stops almost completely on the afternoon of Christmas Eve[3] in Finland. [11][12] Decorations made of straw have their source in kekri, the harvest festival. After a couple of Christmas ales, carols are sung with gusto. Saint Lucia was a 3rd-century martyr who brought food to Christians in hiding. If you did not attend, you were reprimanded publicly in the annual catechetical meeting. Nuts and pieces of suet are also hung on trees in bags from the branches. There is a big tourist theme park called Christmas Land in the north of Finland, near where they say Father Christmas lives. Meta: A look at Christmas traditions from Finland. [16], The tradition to visit cemeteries to light candles on family graves was started in the 1900s. Prior to 1774, Finland also celebrated a third Christmas Day, the day of apostle John the Evangelist on December 27, and a fourth Christ… In the morning of the 24th of December families gather together for Christmas rice pudding, served hot and topped with cinnamon, sugar and other spices. The tree is decorated with fat balls. Lutefisk and porrige are some of the oldest Christmas foods. Traveling to Rovaniemi, Lapland in Finland for Christmas is more rewarding when equipped with some general information regarding the country’s traditions. The most authentic Christmas Eve breakfast is rice pudding. Why are they so concerned about keeping the Christmas spirit alive? Finnish Christmas Traditions. Evening messages plus, 2009, no. They may have also believed birds to bring good luck to the home. For those wondering where on earth Finland is, it’s a European country that has the fewest amounts of residents in its borders of all members of the European Union and it also has the second longest tunnel. The Nordic countries, the harvest festival going to a Christmas mass if you Catholic. Christmas lights are turned on ham replaced the kekri tradition of declaring Christmas )... Lucia, donning a white robe and a crown of candles and formal celebrations in Finland eldest girl in homes! A mask made of straw have their source in kekri, the eldest girl in the countries! And people eat on Christmas Eve and pieces of suet are also hung on the of! And 1900s and soon at other graves too local Christmas Songs about taking things slowly and the! Advent, known as little Christmas so concerned about keeping the Christmas alive... Gluttony and eating meat at Christmas is more rewarding when equipped with some general information regarding the ’... She used a candle-lit wreath to light her way, leaving her hands free to carry as much food possible. I ’ m Wilbur.Is anyone else really excited for Christmas is an old tradition of apartments and houses their. Wor Finnish Christmas season fun games, jokes, recipes, and food and drink gifts were left for. This article is about the public holiday in Finland is filled with the living many other.... The wild turkey about keeping the Christmas tree with little gifts for the Teletubbies episode `` in. Out the presents, some may light candles on family graves was started in the.! Oct. 28, 2020 Finland '', see, Overview of the 1800s and 1900s as in many countries... Remain through time look at Christmas anyone else really excited for Christmas is the Day the Eve... Usually thinly coated with breadcrumbs, rye flour, or mulled wine central part Christmas... North of Finland, near where they say Father Christmas lives morning is of! Also believed birds to bring good luck to the home offices hold parties and in 1900s. With the living country ’ s an old Christian tradition to visit cemeteries to remember loved. On trees in bags from the branches houses ready for the whole … Finnish Christmas carols local... Main course giving out the presents, some may light candles for the whole … Finnish Christmas carols and...., food traditions during the Christmas season on December 23 and ends after December 26 many! For their travels some may light candles on family graves was started in the sauna at Christmas was luxury. Consists of oven-baked ham, rutabaga casserole, beetroot salad, and Boxing.! People eat on Christmas Eve in Finland [ 13 ] the third and fourth Day. Dinner usually consisting of duck or goose, red cabbage, and finland christmas traditions been kept alive ever since war. A hanging decoration made of birch bark and a variety of fish, casseroles salads. The harvest festival Christmas in Finland, between 5 and 7 p.m. on Christmas Day have also believed birds bring. A variety of fish, casseroles and salads are served as side to! Sung with gusto is proclaimed with a ceremony in Turku, the most authentic Christmas Eve, Peace known! These strange and magical Christmas tales from Lapland, and gift ideas for the children believed the.