Christmas CardsEvery year, Finns send tens of millions of Christmas cards. In 1999, the Finns sent 54 million Christmas cards, that's more than ten for every man, woman and child! Cards are sent to relatives and friends, customers and business partners. It is usual to affix a Christmas stamp on the Christmas cards. Before Christmas there are special Christmas labels for sale; the proceeds are channelled to charity.
The first Christmas card was drawn by an Englishman, John Calcott Horsley, in 1843. The event of postage stamps that took place at that time, and developments in printing technology made for the birth of a new industry: the Christmas card industry. In Finland the habit was taken up in upper class circles; initially cards were sent only to distant relatives. Rudolf Koivu and Martta Wendelin are two famous Finnish postcard painters.
Finns have always liked receiving Christmas cards. The cards are stowed away in drawers and kept for even decades. Reciprocity has always been an important consideration. In general, one gets as many cards as one sends. Many are those, who send Christmas cards to old acquaintances that they do not see any longer. Now as before, the most individual and valuable Christmas cards are hand made.
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Christmas for the animalsPeople have always associated animals with the Christmas tale. The Gospel according to Luke does not say so explicitly, but it's been thought that the manger was surrounded by several different animals. The belief that the animals, on Holy Night, got the power of speech and used that power for praising the Lord, lived for a long time. This is the reason why animals have been pampered and offered extra food at Christmas. Even in these modern times it seems very appropriate to ensure that bird feeders are full of birdseed and to give pets specially packaged Christmas presents. A Christmas sheaf of oats for the birds is an old Nordic tradition.
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Christmas GospelIt is customary to read the Christmas Gospel aloud to all the people in a house on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day. As the parents often were illiterate, the important task was given to the one of the children, who had been able to attend school. Nowadays the reading of the Christmas Gospel is performed at the table before dinner by the youngest child capable of reading.
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Christmas PresentsThe custom of giving Christmas presents started among the wealthy in the 18th century. The gift was accompanied by a poem that was considered as important as the gift itself. The poem must not specify the present, but it had to provide a clue. In the countryside and in working-class families the custom of giving presents emerged just over a hundred years ago. In those days the present was often a food item or a small artefact made by the giver.
Later, the present could be a luxury item in wealthy families, others had to do with utility items. In the 1960s, when it became normal for both parents to have jobs, people suddenly could afford to buy many presents, and started doing so as well. Especially the children may receive tens of Christmas presents from their parents, grandparents, godparents and other relatives. Finns have always appreciated self-made gifts, and those are still the ones that are cherished the most. Some families gather all the presents under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, to others all or part of the presents are brought by Santa Claus or his elves.
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Christmas SalesChristmas sales are ubiquitous in Finland. Many clubs, associations, schools and day care centres arrange sales in December, collecting funds for their operation or for charitable purposes. Nearly all the parents of the children, or, as the case may be, the members of the club or association, join in and bake cakes, coffeebread, gingerbread etc. and make decorations for the sale.
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