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((About|the public holiday in Finland|the Teletubbies episode "Christmas in Finland"|Teletubbies))
((Multiple issues|section=|
((more citations needed|date=November 2017))
((cleanup rewrite|it lacks comprehensive writing and structure flow|date=December 2017))
))
((short description|Overview of the role of Christmas in Finland))
[[File:Skärgårdens_julbord_på_Klosterbacken_2009.jpg|thumb|Yule table at an island at [[Luostarinmäki |Luostarinmäki Crafts Museum]], Christmas 2009]]
'''Christmas in Finland''' (((lang-fi|joulu)); ((lang-sv|jul))) begins, as is commonplace on [[public holidays in Finland]], on [[Christmas Eve]] (((lang-fi|jouluaatto)); ((lang-sv|julafton))).<ref>((cite book| author = Aalto, Satu (toim.)| title = Suuri perinnekirja: Suomalaista juhlaperinnettä ennen ja nyt| location = Hämeenlinna| publisher = Karisto| year = 1999| page = 19| isbn = 951-23-3963-3))</ref> 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.<ref>((cite book| author = Helsingin yliopisto| title = Almanakka vuodeksi 2010 jälkeen Vapahtajamme Kristuksen syntymän| publisher = Ajasto| year = 2009| page = 4 (luettelo Suomalaisen kalenterin juhlapäivät) ja 28 (joulukuun aukeama, 24.12. merkitty arkipäiväksi)| issn = 1239-1654))</ref> Unlike on other public holidays, public transportation stops almost completely on the afternoon of Christmas Eve<ref name="etkirja">((cite web| author = Hartikainen, Erkki| url = http://www.dlc.fi/~etkirja/et4.htm#mozTocId933903| title = Joulu ja talvipäivän seisaus| work = Peruskoulun elämänkatsomustieto 4| accessdate = 24 December 2010| archive-date = 30 September 2007| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070930015340/http://www.dlc.fi/~etkirja/et4.htm#mozTocId933903| url-status = dead)) (linkin sisältö lienee muuttunut)</ref> in [[Finland]]. The Christmas period ends on [[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]] (((lang-fi|loppiainen)); ((lang-sv|trettondedagen))).<ref name="IsoTieto">((cite book| title = Iso tietosanakirja. 5, Ihminen–Kansallisfilosofia| location = Helsinki| publisher = Otava| year = 1933))</ref>

== History ==
In the Finnish tradition, the Christmas period has usually been considered to start on [[Tuomas|Tuomas’s nameday]] on December 21 and to continue until [[St. Knut's Day]] on January 13. This is reflected in several rhymes and jingles, such as ''Hyvä Tuomas joulun tuopi, paha Nuutti pois sen viepi (“Good Tuomas the bringer, bad Nuutti the taker of Christmas”).'' Prior to 1774, Finland also celebrated a third Christmas Day, the day of apostle John the Evangelist on December 27, and a fourth Christmas Day, [[Massacre of the Innocents]] on December 28.<ref>((cite book| author = Oja, Heikki| title = Aikakirja| location = Helsinki| publisher = Otava| year = 1999| pages = 166–167| isbn = 951-1-16334-5))</ref> However, King [[Gustav III of Sweden]] cut them down to two, because the [[nobility]] and [[bourgeoisie]] believed that long holidays made the workers too lazy.<ref>Harjumaa, Marika: What a miracle Christmas plum ?. Evening messages plus, 2009, no. 23.12.2009, p. 7.</ref> The third and fourth Christmas Day have also been called ''little holidays'' or ''midweek holidays''.<ref>((cite book| author = Vilkuna, Kustaa| title = Vuotuinen ajantieto: Vanhoista merkkipäivistä sekä kansanomaisesta talous- ja sääkalenterista enteineen| location = Helsingissä| publisher = Otava| year = 2007| version = 24. painos (1. laitos 1950)| page = 345−350| isbn = 978-951-1-12544-0))</ref> [[Finnish Orthodox Church|The Finnish Orthodox Church]] spends Christmas at the same time as the [[Western Christianity]].<ref>((cite web| url = http://www.copticheritage.org/parameters/copticheritage/calendar/The_Coptic_Calendar.pdf| title = The Coptic Calendar| publisher = Copticheritage.org| accessdate = 16 April 2010| language = en| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060928041231/http://www.copticheritage.org/parameters/copticheritage/calendar/The_Coptic_Calendar.pdf#| archive-date = 2006-09-28| url-status = dead))</ref>
[[File:Joulupukki.jpg|thumb|A Finnish Father Christmas]]
The Finnish Christmas has acquired some characteristics from the harvest festival [[Kekri (fest)|kekri]], that used to take place around the old [[All Saints' Day]]. In [[Sweden]], [[Estonia]] and Finland, [[joulupukki]] ([[Christmas goat]]) was a man who dressed as a [[fertility]] rite character, a [[goat]]. He put goat [[Horn (anatomy)|horn]]s on his head as in shamanistic tradition to look like a goat. The outfit also included a [[mask]] made of [[birch bark]] and a sheepskin coat worn inside-out.<ref>((cite book| author = Karjalainen, Sirpa| title = Juhlan aika: Suomalaisia vuotuisperinteitä| location = Porvoo Helsinki Juva| publisher = WSOY| year = 1994| isbn = 951-0-22920-2))</ref>

Feeding small [[bird]]s at Christmas is an old tradition and the peasant culture’s ritual that brought good luck to farming. The purpose of the [[barley]] or [[oat]] sheaf was to keep the birds away from the crop in the summer. The [[Finnish paganism|Finnish pagans]] may have believed that the dead, i.e. soul birds, celebrated the mid-winter holiday with the living. They may have also believed birds to bring good luck to the home.<ref name="Lempiäinen">Lempiäinen 2008, s. 96.</ref> In Sweden, the church was against this tradition, and it was about to disappear in Finland too, until some newspapers and charitable organisations revived it.

Some traditional [[Christmas decorations]] are [[himmeli]] (a hanging decoration made of straw) and [[Yule Goat]].<ref>((cite web| url = http://www.kirjastovirma.fi/joulu/himmeli.html | title = Himmeli| work = Tulkoon joulu| publisher = Kirjastovirma| accessdate = 24 May 2009))((Dead link|date=November 2017))</ref><ref>((cite web| url = http://www.pori.fi/smu/olkipukki.html | title = Joulun esine – olkipukki| date = December 2004| publisher = Satakunnan museo| accessdate = 6 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107013112/http://www.pori.fi/smu/olkipukki.html |archive-date=7 November 2007))</ref> Decorations made of [[straw]] have their source in kekri, the harvest festival.<ref name="Aurejärvi-Karjalainen192">Aurejärvi-Karjalainen 1999, s. 192.</ref> The first Christmas trees came to Finland in the middle of the 1800s.<ref name="HS">((cite web| author = Vuorio, Jukka| url = http://www.hs.fi/kotimaa/art-2000005020465.html | title = "Mässäily on aina ollut joulun ydin"| work = Helsingin Sanomat| date = 25 December 2016| accessdate = 27 December 2016))</ref>

Early-morning Christmas church on Christmas Day morning is part of the Protestant tradition. The Christmas gospel is heard and [[Martin Luther|Luther’s]] hymn 21 [[Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her|Enkeli taivaan]] (Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her) is sung. Previously the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran church]] was very strict about attending the Christmas church. If you did not attend, you were reprimanded publicly in the annual catechetical meeting. Reading the Christmas gospel before the meal became common at the end of the 1800s as a consequence of [[Christian revival|the Christian revival]].

Having a sauna at Christmas is an old tradition. People washed in the Christmas sauna before the festivities, and food and drink gifts were left there for the elf. People in wealthy families started giving each other presents at the beginning of the 1800s.<ref name="Aurejärvi-Karjalainen193">Aurejärvi-Karjalainen 1999, s. 193.</ref> Christmas calendars arrived in Finland after the [[World War II|second world war]].<ref name="Aurejärvi-Karjalainen191">Aurejärvi-Karjalainen 1999, s. 191.</ref>

The tradition to visit [[Cemetery|cemeteries]] to light [[candles]] on family graves was started in the 1900s. It became a common practice at the graves of fallen soldiers after the [[Winter War]] and soon at other graves too. The Kekri tradition of leaving presents for the dead was moved to Christmas. Nowadays candles may be lighted as a common experience to honor the dead.<ref name="Aurejärvi-Karjalainen190">Aurejärvi-Karjalainen 1999, s. 190.</ref>

Eating abundantly at the Christmas meal comes from the ancient Finns and relates to the agricultural year cycle and the festival of light celebrated around the winter solstice. At a time when food was grown at home, gluttony and eating meat at Christmas was a rare luxury. [[Lutefisk]] and porridge are some of the oldest Christmas foods. Barley was replaced by rice in the 1800s. Casseroles, prune soup and gingerbread biscuits were adopted from the upper classes in the 1800s and 1900s. The [[Christmas ham]] replaced the kekri lamb, and in the 1940s it was challenged by the [[wild turkey]].

[[Posti Group]] has been publishing [[Christmas stamps]] since 1973.<ref>((cite web| url = http://www.postimuseo.fi/nayttelyt/lainattavat-nayttelyt | title = Lainattavat näyttelyt| publisher = Postimuseo| accessdate = 25 December 2016))</ref>

Christmas has traditionally been a family celebration, but in the 2000s it has become common to spend Christmas alone.<ref>((cite web| author = Malmberg, Katarina| url = http://www.hs.fi/hyvinvointi/art-2000005020690.html | title = Joulusta voi nauttia myös yksin – yksinäisyys voi antaa hengähdystauon tai intoa tehdä uusia asioita| work = Helsingin Sanomat| date = 24 December 2016| accessdate = 27 December 2016))</ref>

== Celebrating Christmas ==
[[File:Christmas celebration in Rovaniemi.jpg|thumb|People celebrates Christmas in [[Rovaniemi]], [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], Finland in 2004.]]
The usual Christmas decorations are spruce twigs, [[Christmas tree]], Christmas wreaths, straw goats, himmelis, [[apples]], [[candles]], Christmas tablecloths, Christmas flowers, outdoor torches, ice lanterns and sheafs.<ref name="Thuleia">((cite web| url = http://www.thuleia.com/yule.html | title = Yule (talvipäivänseisaus)| publisher = Thuleian tupa| accessdate = 24 December 2010))</ref>

To preserve nature, some people choose a tree in the garden or nearby forest to decorate for the birds, instead of buying a [[Christmas tree]]. The tree is decorated with fat balls.<ref>((cite web| author = Hallivuori, Laura| url = http://www.vihrealanka.fi/teemat/viherra-joulusi | title = Viherrä joulusi| date = 27 November 2008| publisher = Vihreä lanka| accessdate = 13 February 2010))</ref> Before giving out the presents, some may light [[candles]] for the dead. It is commonplace to go in the sauna at Christmas.<ref name="Ellit">((cite web| url = http://plaza.fi/ellit/juhlat/joulu/joulunvietto/rakas-tuttu-ja-tunnelmallinen-suomalainen-joulu-jouluperinteet| title = Rakas, tuttu ja tunnelmallinen suomalainen joulu – jouluperinteet| date = 14 November 2007| publisher = Plaza.fi| accessdate = 6 December 2009| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090108231140/http://plaza.fi/ellit/juhlat/joulu/joulunvietto/rakas-tuttu-ja-tunnelmallinen-suomalainen-joulu-jouluperinteet| archive-date = 8 January 2009| url-status = dead))</ref>

The Finnish Christmas meal, [[Joulupöytä]] (literally “Yule Table”), normally features different casseroles made usually of carrot, swede ([[lanttulaatikko]]) or potato ([[sweetened potato casserole]]) and various fish, such as cold smoked [[salmon]], gravlax and Coregonus lavaretus ([[Coregonus lavaretus|graavisiika]]). On Christmas Eve people usually eat rice porridge.<ref name="Aurejärvi-Karjalainen193"/>

== See also ==
[[File:Oulu_City_Hall_20121206.JPG|thumb|upright=0.7|Christmas tree decorated with Christmas lights outside the [[Oulu City Hall|Oulu town hall]]]]
* [[Christmas traditions|Christmas Eve]]
* [[Joulupöytä|Finnish Yule Table]]
* [[Joulupukki|Joulupukki (Father Christmas)]]
* [[Pikkujoulu|Pikkujoulu (Little Christmas)]]
* [[Star singers]]
* [[Helsinki Christmas Market|Tuomaan Markkinat]]

== Sources ==
* Aurejärvi-Karjalainen, Anneli: ''Perheen omat juhlat: Siviiliseremoniat häistä hautajaisiin''. Porvoo Helsinki Juva: WSOY, 1999. ((ISBN|951-0-23761-2)).
* Vento, Urpo: Joulu, vuoden suurin juhla. Teoksessa ''Juhlakirja: Suomalaiset merkkipäivät'', s. 196–202. Toimittanut Urpo Vento. Kalevalaseuran vuosikirja 59. Helsinki: Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura, 1979. ((ISBN|951-717-178-1)).

== References ==
((reflist))

((Europe topic |Christmas in))
((Christmas))
[[Category:Christmas in Finland| ]]

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