Traditional Christmas Greeting: "Hyvaa Joulua"
Location: Scandinavia
Tree Type: Traditional

Decorations:
- The star is on top of the tree and symbolizes the star of Bethlehem.
- The angel is to remind the family of the religious significance of the season
- Candles were originally homemade but these days they are electric. They symbolize the words of a popular Finnish Christmas song, "The tree blooms with candles which light up the dark winter nights." Candles always light up the tree.
- Straw ornaments: The first ornaments were made of available materials. These ornaments consist of angels, stars snowflakes and saints.
- Apples used to be a rare delicacy in the winter. The children polish the apples to high gloss. Then they are put on the tree.
- The elves (Joulupukki) are Santa's helpers. They are made out of homespun gray lamb's wool with a touch of red yarn.
- The flags represent Finland's independence.
- Garland represents international influences on the Finnish traditions.

Traditions:
The Finnish Christmas season begins with Santa Lucia Day on December 13th. Towns honor Santa Lucia, a martyr from the 4th century, by selecting a young girl to represent her. This girl, dressed all in white with a crown of candles in her hair, processes through the town to commemorate Santa Lucia's purity and sacrifice.

Christmas itself is heralded by the proclamation of ‘Christmas Peace' at noon on Christmas Eve. Since the 13th century, the Finnish people have observed Christmas Peace by closing all businesses, stopping all work (down to spreading straw on the floor), and listening to the bells of the cathedral.

Many families use this time of tranquility to visit the Christmas Sauna. They dress in clean, fresh clothes after the traditional steam bath and then settle down to enjoy Christmas Eve dinner together. Before the evening meal, most families visit the cemetery to honor and remember their deceased loved ones and place lit candles on their graves.

A traditional Christmas Eve dinner in Finland almost always includes food for the birds. People in Finland make sure that animals have enough food to share in the joy of Christmas, and some families refuse to eat their own dinner until the birds outside have eaten all of their oats and nuts. When the Finnish people sit down to enjoy their own Christmas feast, they usually eat herring or lutefish, Christmas ham, potatoes, and rice porridge.

In Finland, Santa Claus makes his appearance before all of the children have gone to bed for the night. He comes to every house from his home, Lapland, in Northern Finland, to ask, "Are there any good children here?" When the answer is an enthusiastic "yes," he delivers his presents and moves on to the next house.

Desserts before bedtime often include gingerbread cookies known as Piparkakut, prune-filled pastries, and a drink called glogg flavored with almonds, raisins, and cinnamon. The Riisipuuro, or rice pudding, always has just one almond in it. Whoever finds the almond in his or her serving has to sing or dance for the rest of the family!

Christmas celebrations continue in the following days with visits between families and friends. Sleigh rides are common on Saint Stephen's day (December 26), and Christmas trees highlight the festivity of the season until the 12th day of Christmas on January 6.