Christmas

The priority of feast days has varied over the centuries, but Christmas, Easter and Midsummer have retained their position as the main festivities of the year. Christmas, coinciding with the darkest part of the long Finnish winter, is a holiday which centres on the family and the home. At about midday on Christmas Eve, 'Christmas Peace' is declared over all Finland from the country's former capital, Turku. This ritual, based on Medieval laws, lost its legal import centuries ago, but lives on as a ceremonial 'opening' of the Christmas season. A Christmas sauna is an important feature of Christmas Eve celebrations. At dusk, people light candles on their family graves. Families then gather together for the main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve. The high point of the evening is the visit of Father Christmas, who brings the Christmas presents with him in person. Candles and the traditional Christmas decorations made from straw help to achieve the traditional Christmas atmosphere.