Finnish Christmas happens on the 24th, in the afternoon, at home, and it is quieter and earlier than almost anywhere else. The noon proclamation from Turku, the sauna at three, the ham at five, Santa at the door by six, everyone asleep by ten. If you are far from your own family it can be a hard week; it can also become the tradition you keep.
The lead-up
Pikkujoulu (little Christmas) is the office party season in November and December. The first of Advent brings the lights. Glögi, spiced hot juice or wine, appears at every event. Bakeries fill with joulutorttu, star-shaped prune tarts, and piparkakut, gingerbread. And 13 December, Lucia Day, the procession of the girl with candles in her hair, is celebrated in Swedish-speaking Finland and Helsinki Cathedral.
Christmas Eve, hour by hour
- Morning: rice porridge (riisipuuro) with an almond hidden in it. Whoever finds it gets luck, or has to do the dishes.
- Noon: the Declaration of Christmas Peace from Turku. Shops close.
- Afternoon: candles on the graves of family members; cemeteries glow.
- Three or four: sauna, the Christmas sauna is the most important one of the year.
- Five: dinner. Ham (kinkku), the casseroles (laatikot) of swede, carrot and potato, salmon, herring, rosolli beetroot salad, and the same on the 25th.
- After dinner: Joulupukki knocks. Presents are opened the same evening.
- Night: church at midnight for some, sleep for most.
Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Nothing is open. Christmas Day is for sleeping and leftovers, Boxing Day (Tapaninpäivä) for visiting relatives and the first sales online. Trains run, sparsely.
What is closed
| 24 Dec | 25 Dec | 26 Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grocery shops | close around noon | closed | mostly closed, some open afternoon |
| Alko | closes early | closed | closed |
| Restaurants | most closed from afternoon | few open, hotels | some open |
| Public transport | thin from afternoon, stops early | Sunday timetable | Sunday timetable |
| Healthcare | emergencies only, 116 117 | emergencies only | emergencies only |
When your family is far away
- Say yes to any invitation. Finns invite colleagues and neighbours without family; it is not charity, it is Christmas.
- Cook one Finnish thing and one thing from home. A casserole is easy; the ham is not necessary.
- Go to a Christmas service even if you are not religious; the singing in a candlelit stone church is the country at its most beautiful.
- Sauna on the 24th at three, wherever you are. Public saunas open specially.
- Call home after the proclamation at noon; it is morning in most of the world.
Christmas Finnish
| Finnish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hyvää joulua! | Merry Christmas! |
| Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta! | Merry Christmas and a happy New Year! |
| jouluaatto, joulupäivä, tapaninpäivä | Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day |
| Joulupukki | Santa Claus |
| joulukuusi | Christmas tree |
| joulukinkku | Christmas ham |
| laatikko | casserole |
| glögi | mulled drink |
| joulurauha | Christmas peace |
| Onko täällä kilttejä lapsia? | Are there well-behaved children here? |