New Year in Finland is a special celebration. According to tradition, he enters into his rights in this country on the night of December 31 to January 1. Local residents usually begin to prepare for the holiday a few weeks before its onset and celebrate the coming of the New Year with a wide scope. Finns associate a large number of different customs and traditions with the New Year celebrations. How is New Year celebrated in Finland? The answer to this question can be found in this article.
Preparation for the celebration
Christmas in Finland is celebrated before the New Year, on the night of December 24 to 25. As in a large number of European countries, local residents begin preparing for the New Year holidays already in mid-November. In large settlements of the country, Christmas streets and even entire blocks are traditionally opened. Buildings, squares, avenues, and even trees and lampposts in them are decorated with colorful garlands.
Finns place Christmas wreaths decorated with red ribbons and various figures in front of the entrance to their homes. On the windows they put the original candlesticks with seven burning electric candles. In each house, locals install beautiful Christmas trees that create a magical festive atmosphere. They decorate the facades of their houses with garlands with a large number of light bulbs, symbolizing the "light of well-being." Many consider New Year and Christmas in Finland to be family celebrations.
Celebration Features
If on Christmas, locals invite only their closest people to their homes, then on New Year's Eve they meet with friends, colleagues and acquaintances in restaurants and social events. A large number of events are traditionally held in the daytime, few people celebrate the holiday all night. As the ancient Finnish belief says: whoever gets up early on January 1 will be full of energy and strength all year. Also, local residents try not to scold their offspring on the first day of the coming year, they believe that this contributes to their obedience in the next 12 months.
Representatives of the younger generation prefer to celebrate the holiday in private homes. The elderly, especially single people, rarely sit at home, they go to visit. The main events on the night of the upcoming year are held in this country on the Senate Square of the capital. At midnight, locals open champagne and watch the broadcast from Helsinki. Mayor of this city congratulates the Finns on the holiday.
Another feature of the magical holiday is the New Year’s fireworks display, which is allowed to be launched in Finland from 6 pm to 6 am. But for its launch there are certain restrictions. All fireworks must comply with safety rules and have special markings. Run them is allowed only to persons who have reached the age of eighteen years, having in their hands permission from the rescuers. Firecrackers are also prohibited from being allowed on squares and in city parks.
Finnish Santa Claus
In ancient times, one custom was prevalent in the countryside in Finland. Local men went into every house and gave everyone presents. They certainly wore goat coats and therefore were called Jouluppuki (Christmas goats). After some time, this strange name was called Lapland Santa Claus. As one legend says, he was offended by people for this and began to rarely leave his residence. Gifts to the addressees are mainly delivered by Santa Claus Joulupukki's assistants. However, on the eve of the New Year, he visits all the cities of Finland with a Christmas greeting.
This Finnish wizard lives in the vicinity of the city of Rovaniemi, which is located a thousand kilometers from the capital of Finland. Its fabulous and cozy residence is decorated with bright bulbs. Finnish Santa Claus owns a large deer farm and the most beloved children deer Rudolph. When Santa Claus leaves his home to give people a holiday, Rudolph and other deer quickly deliver it to their destination.
Helpers of Santa Claus
Santa Claus in Finland has smart and wise eyes testifying to his kind and cheerful character, and a large beard hiding a smile. Children cannot tell him a lie, according to legend, Joulupukka has a large library, which includes books about all the children of the world. From them he learns about all the secret desires of the children.
Grandfather Frost's assistants in Finland are gnomes who are constantly working to make each kid a fabulous present. They keep notes, parse a huge number of letters arriving at the Central Post Office of the country, pack gifts. The main post gnome is above all the leader. He makes sure that all letters reach the addressee. The pre-holiday bustle in the Joulupukki house ends at midnight Christmas. When the earth is wrapped in a deep night and the stars shine brightly in the sky, the bells start ringing in the district announcing the arrival of the holiday.
Holiday traditions
New Year in Finland is filled with many interesting traditions.
- On a holiday, the Finns set fire to tar barrels. Thus, they signal that with the tar the outgoing year also burns, taking with it all the troubles and problems.
- Locals especially respect family values. Therefore, according to ancient tradition, before the New Year, they pay tribute to their late ancestors. A huge number of funeral candles are lit at this time in cemeteries.
- One of the traditions is related to turnips. The Finns keep it for a year, and then wash it on a turnip for a holiday, clean it and put a small candle in it. The symbol of this tradition is then given to the kids for fun.
Among the modern traditions and customs of the New Year in Finland, one can distinguish: cross-country skiing competitions, an appeal from the government and the broadcast of a festive concert from Vienna.
New Year's fortune telling
On the night of the holiday, local residents try to unveil the curtain on their future, resorting to divination. Most often, Finns guess on tin. A few moments before the New Year, they remember with a good word the passing year, think over plans for the coming 12 months, melt the tin and pour it into a bucket of cold water.
A figurine formed from frozen tin indicates whether their plans are destined to materialize or not. The heart symbolizes love feelings in the New Year, elaborate patterns - profit, a person's outlines - a wedding celebration, keys - career growth, a boat - a journey. If the tin breaks up into a large number of tiny particles - this is a sad event.
At midnight, local beauties, according to tradition, divine at the suitors. They stand with their backs to the door and throw the shoe over their shoulder. If the front of the shoe points to the door, the girl should have a lover in the next twelve months.
Finnish holiday table
Women on New Year's holidays traditionally prepare festive dishes typical of Finnish cuisine.
- Finland is a maritime country, the climate in it is not conducive to the development of agriculture, so the locals mainly focus on fish dishes.
- On Christmas Eve, the Finns cook a large number of treats. They bake, salt and smoke salmon and potatoes with carrots or rutabaga, prepare herring, stuffed turkey and other mouth-watering dishes. Crowned festive food in Finland are baked hams.
- At the festive table in this country, there are often dishes made from fish with the addition of meat.
- Not a single New Year in Finland can do without a local beet salad seasoned with vinegar and cream.
- A festive table in this country cannot be imagined without gingerbread and cinnamon cookies.
Gifts for the New Year
Presentations in Finland on the night of the holiday are distributed by the so-called "Father of Christmas". His role in most cases is played by the disguised father of the family. To get a holiday gift, everyone, regardless of age, sings songs before bedtime. He gives everyone presents at night, when family members are already sleeping.
For the New Year in Finland, it is not customary to give expensive gifts; they are usually presented here on Christmas Eve. The most common Christmas present in this country is considered to be a candle, symbolizing the manifestation of love or friendship. Finns also love to give each other sports equipment.
Travel Tips
Vacationers who find themselves in the New Year's holiday in Finland, in order to get as many vivid impressions as possible from its celebration, will not hurt to listen to certain recommendations.
- To fully experience the fabulous atmosphere of the New Year in Finland (the traditions and customs of this holiday are distinguished by originality and originality), you just need to go outside on the evening of December 31 and go to your favorite restaurant or pub. In it, having plunged headlong into the atmosphere of the holiday, you can drink beer or wine, taste dishes of Italian, German, Italian, Mexican, Japanese and Chinese cuisine.
- On the night of the holiday in Finland, as already mentioned, it is officially allowed to launch fireworks on the streets of cities. New Year's fireworks, illuminating the sky with bright flashes, sound everywhere here. Tourists can buy fireworks at a nearby store and take part in spectacular shows.
- In a large number of cities of the country on the main squares at night are festivals that will be interesting to visit. Local residents, congratulating each other on the holiday, uncorked bottles of champagne, shoot crackers, charged with serpentines and sweets.
General conclusion
On New Year's Day in Finland, everyday life is closely intertwined with swirling snow flakes, the warm glow of candles and a general manifestation of joy. The exquisite originality of ancient customs and traditions in this country contributes to the fabulous atmosphere of holidays.