Christmas in Finland

Christmas in Finland falls on December 24 afternoon and evening as the main celebration. For many families the celebration stretches across several days, with quieter moments at home alongside the busier public events.

The Christmas season is officially declared open at midday on December 24 with the Declaration of Christmas Peace, read aloud in Turku and broadcast nationwide. Many families visit a sauna on Christmas Eve afternoon and later light candles at the graves of relatives, a tradition that turns cemeteries into seas of light.

The Christmas table commonly features a slow-baked Christmas ham, root vegetable casseroles made from carrot, swede and potato, salted salmon or herring, beetroot salad and rice porridge with a hidden almond. Gingerbread cookies and glögi mulled wine are popular through December.

Gifts are exchanged on the evening of December 24, often handed out by Joulupukki himself, who is said to live in Lapland and may knock on the door in person.

The festive figure most associated with Christmas in Finland is Joulupukki, the Finnish Father Christmas, traditionally said to live in Lapland. Names, costumes and gift giving dates can vary from family to family and from region to region.

Many Finns light candles at family graves on Christmas Eve, creating one of the most striking visual traditions of the Finnish holiday season.