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Calendar Event
Information |
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English Event Name: |
Christmas Eve |
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Finnish Event Name: |
Jouluaatto |
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Date of this Calendar Event: |
24-12-2010 |
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Public / Bank Holiday: |
Yes |
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Official Finnish Flag Day: |
No |
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Calendar Event Description |
Christmas Eve, the day before Christmas, is traditionally the day in Finland, when the hustle and bustle leading up to Christmas, is finally over. The Christmas sauna is heated up, a scented spruce tree is brought home and decorated, a substantial Christmas dinner is prepared and Christmas presents are given and received. All around Finland Christmas candles spread their warmth and the mood is peaceful.
This is the day children have enthusiastically been waiting for. They have opened their Christmas calendars day by day, counting the days for Santa's ("Joulupukki") visit. It is also the day, when the National Declaration of Christmas Peace takes place in Turku and is read by the Mayor at midday, as it has been done since medieval times. This event is broadcast on radio and TV.
Families, grandparents and relatives gather together to spend their Christmas rejoicing and singing cheerful Christmas carols. Close friends and relatives, that have passed away, are remembered, by visiting cemeteries and graveyards to place candles and wreaths onto their graves. Cemeteries are especially beautiful at Christmas time, when thousands of candles glow in the darkness. Christmas church services are held all over the country and are attended by many people.
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Traditional Finnish Recipes |
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Finland Public Transportation Status |
Please be aware that the local and regional busses will be running "exceptional" timetables during the Christmas! In the Helsinki area you can get information on local and regional routes, timetables and tickets from the Traffic information telephone number 0100-111 (€ 0,41/call + local call charge). You can also use the YTV Public Transport Journey Planner, to check the available routes and transportation on the specific days and times. The Journey Planner can be found from the following URL: http://aikataulut.ytv.fi/reittiopas/en/ The new Finland Journey Planner launched by the Finnish Public Transport system can also be used to plan your journey. "Journey.fi allows you to search for the best public transport connections between selected locations. At the moment the service provides door-to-door information on the following: all trains and all express buses in the Helsinki metropolitan area, and local traffic in Joensuu, Kuopio, Lappeenranta, Mikkeli and Tampere. In the future, more cities will be added to the service." |
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Finland Shops and Services |
On Christmas Eve, the 24th of December, shops can be open from 7 am till 1 pm. Shops are closed on Christmas Day, the 25th of December. On Boxing Day, the 26th of December, smaller shops (400m2 at the most), can be open for four hours between 8 am - 6 pm. Alko (bottle stores) are open on the 23th of December until 8 pm, and will be closed on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December. Banks and post offices are closed on the 24th, 25th and 26th of December. Click here to view Finland Shops and Services |
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Finland Housing
January
