Christmas in Scandinavia

Christmas in Scandinavia (in this post I'm referring in particular to Finland, but all Scandinavian countries have pretty similar traditions) is a long affair. It begins on the first Advent, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. A single candle is lit in churches all across the country (Finland is mostly Lutheran). A second candle is lit the next Sunday, and so on until all four candles are lit. Most kids have advent calendars that provide a picture, candy, or a toy for each day of December all the way through to Christmas Eve. Adults have Christmas parties with their colleagues and friends, called "pikkujoulut", literally translated "mini Christmas". These start already in November, and if you're the social type, you may end up with a different "pikkujoulut" every weekend and even on weekdays.

Christmas Eve is the main day of celebration. It all begins on the night between the 23rd and the 24th when most families put a specially salted ham in the oven and let it roast on low heat all through the night. The resulting smell of ham in the morning permeates all my Christmas memories - it has always been the real start of Christmas for me.

Christmas trees are often brought in and decorated only on Christmas Eve (in my family, I always do it). At noon the Christmas Peace is declared nationally. This is a tradition that dates back to the 13th century. The declaration (still in its original form and written on a scroll) is read aloud in the city of Turku and televised nationally, and for many people, this is when they quiet down to begin their Christmas celebration. The shops (and everything else) close down around noon and open properly only on the 27th. Buses and trains stop running for the most part, too, and the whole society simply shuts down to celebrate. This is an aspect I love about Christmas here; it's a very peaceful affair when it actually begins.

Many families visit cemetaries to light candles on the graves of their loved ones on Christmas Eve. A cemetary alight with candles is a beautiful sight! This is often followed by a meal of rice porridge, a thick, creamy, and delicious dish served with cinnamon. Church is usually a part of the celebrations as well; some families go on Christmas Eve, but many still prefer the early morning service on Christmas Day.

The Christmas Sauna follows in the afternoon. Saunas (steam rooms to many of you US peeps) are a Finnish invention (the word "sauna" is Finnish), and they're a prominent part of our national psyche. On Christmas Eve, most families fire up their saunas (I should point out here that owning a sauna is not a luxury here, and even many apartments have them), and take a long time to enjoy its heat. A historical tidbit: in the old days, most babies were born in saunas because they were the only places with enough warmth and water in our long and harsh winters.
After the sauna the Christmas dinner takes place, probably around 6 to 8 pm in most families. The dinner includes the ham (turkey or fish in some families), various casseroles, including rutabaga casserole and potato casserole, a red salad called "rosolli", peas, salmon, gravy, and boiled potatoes. Nothing too fancy, but in itself, very yummy. Plum cream is a traditional dessert (a mix of plum jam, whipped cream, and quark), as well as various other plum-my things (kiisseli, a translucent, thick, fruity soup is common, with spoonfuls of whipped cream). Gingerbread cookies and plum tarts are a staple, too.

After the dinner comes Santa, who according to Finnish tradition lives in Lapland near Mount Ear. Presents are distributed and opened, and the rest of the evening is spent in enjoying them, eating chocolate confectionary, reading books, and watching telly. Christmas Day and Boxing Day (the 26th) are both "lounging about" days when people stay at home in their jammies and do pretty much the same thing people everywhere do: eat, read, play games, relax and just enjoy. Boxing Day has traditionally been the visiting day of Christmas when people visit their friends and families. Before cars, sleigh bells were a frequent sound on Boxing Day when people rode around to visit each other.

The shops open again on the 27th, and then it's sales all around. The official Christmas season only ends in Epiphany, though (January 6th), which is a public holiday. This is also when most people throw out their Christmas tree and start a diet. ;-)

I may have forgotten some details, but these are the main points. I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about our Northern Christmas! With this picture of (the real!) Santa and his helpers in wintry Lapland I want to wish you a very merry Christmas if you celebrate! :-)