The Old Tyme Christmas market in Turku has a lot of traditional Christmas decorations such as the Yule Goat. The Finnish pagans may have believed that the dead, i.e. Pork roast is the main dish in most households and a variety of fish, casseroles and salads are served with it. soul birds, celebrated the mid-winter holiday with the living. Finland’s heavy-metal stars reveal their lighter side at Christmas. ... Easter traditions in Finland are very interesting. Christmas in Finland begins, as is commonplace on public holidays in Finland, on Christmas Eve. Christmas tree. Apples and other fruits, candies, paper flags, Food traditions during the Christmas period depend on which part of Finland people live. Many Finnish families also visit cemeteries to remember lost loved ones. 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 it’s the time spent with family during the festive, traditional supper. At noon on Christmas Eve, peace is proclaimed with a ceremony in Turku, the former capital and oldest city in Finland. Customs of Christmas explores the origins of our Christmas customs and traditions, like advent, candy canes, Christmas caroling, Christmas cards, Christmas lights. Christmas in the Nordic countries is celebrated on Christmas Eve. Christmas and New Year in Finland. Christmas in Finland (as all over Scandinavia) is mostly about taking things slowly and enjoying the company of loved family members. [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. 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. Evidence of this is even the name of the month December – “Joulukuu” – “Christmas month”. Traditional Finnish Christmas decorations in Turku. [21] Before giving out the presents, some may light candles for the dead. The Finns try to keep the Christmas spirit alive for father Christmas, so that he can Turku is considered to be the oldest city in Finland and it has for centuries integrated Christmas traditions from all over Europe into the Finnish culture. Obviously, food plays a central part in Christmas celebrations in Finland, too. Joulurauha (Christmas Peace) It’s an old Christian tradition to put war on hold during Christmas. 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 first Sunday in December—also called the First Advent—starts the Finnish Christmas season. Traditionally, the eldest girl in the family portrays St. Lucia, donning a white robe and a crown of candles. 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. Christmas in Finland can be memorable for visitors because Finnish yuletide traditions are very different from many other countries and regions in the world. 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. Discover these strange and magical Christmas tales from Lapland, and how they have shaped our modern Christmas traditions. People from all over the world send letters to Santa Claus in Finland. The Finnish Christmas starts on December 23 and ends after December 26. Lutefisk and porrige are some of the oldest Christmas foods. Christmas In Finland goes on for another 13 days after Christmas which is why it is called the Christmas season. Finnish winter in itself reminds a holiday: wonderful nature is dressed in a fantastic snow-white lace. The meal traditionally consists of oven-baked ham, rutabaga casserole, beetroot salad, and other foods common in the Nordic countries. On Christmas Eve people usually eat rice porridge. The purpose of the barley or oat sheaf was to keep the birds away from the crop in the summer. There are plenty of holiday traditions, such as the Christmas Eve broadcast of the Declaration of Christmas Peace . 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. Evening messages plus, 2009, no. [11][12] Decorations made of straw have their source in kekri, the harvest festival. The highlight of the evening comes when Santa knocks on the door and asks, “Are there any well-behaved children here?” The traditions and holidays in Finland are a perfect blend of their pagan customs and Christianity. Finnish traditions include the Christmas sauna and the preparation of Christmas dinner. 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. Harjumaa, Marika: What a miracle Christmas plum ?. 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”. If you did not attend, you were reprimanded publicly in the annual catechetical meeting. [8], The Finnish Christmas has acquired some characteristics from the harvest festival kekri, that used to take place around the old All Saints' Day. Their Christmas follows the Christmas trees tradition and Advent calendars. Saint Lucia was a 3rd-century martyr who brought food to Christians in hiding. The tradition of declaring Christmas peace is known to date back to 13th century. Reading the Christmas gospel before the meal became common at the end of the 1800s as a consequence of the Christian revival. In Finland the Christmas tree is set up on Christmas Eve. Christmas traditions in Finland are based around family and the warmth of the family home. We also have fun games, jokes, recipes, and gift ideas for the whole … 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. Finland is his home town. Traditions on Christmas Eve in Finland include going to a Christmas mass if you are Catholic and a visit to a Finnish sauna. Beetroot salad, smoked salmon and/or pickled herring are served as side dishes to the main course. 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. The Finnish consume the largest amounts of coffee in the wor Lessons from Content Marketing World 2020; Oct. 28, 2020. FINNISH CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS. 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