Calm and harmony: A relaxing sauna continues to be a Finnish Christmas tradition

ChristmasChristmas traditions

While every family in Finland has its own traditions for year-end festivities, many consider a relaxing sauna with close family members an essential ritual for unwinding during the Christmas holidays.

Since the 14th century, Christmas Peace has been declared every year on December 24 at noon in the southwestern city of Turku. For many Finnish households, this proclamation marks the official beginning of Christmas. Today, a worldwide broadcast (on air at 11:55 am Finnish time) allows people everywhere to view this special moment.

Attention shifts to Christmas

A woman is lighting a fire in a wood-burning stove in a sauna.

You have to start heating the sauna early enough on Christmas Eve.Photo: Sauna from Finland

In Petri Karkola’s family, they begin to heat the sauna up after the declaration of Christmas Peace. It serves as a turning point on Christmas Eve. Before the sauna, regular chores are still allowed, but afterwards, all attention shifts to Christmas, family time and preparing for a festive dinner.

“Christmas sauna is a particularly dignified event, where everyone is expected to behave calmly,” Karkola says. “Beyond that, there are no strict rules, except for soaking the birch whisk we have stored since summer.”

Birch whisks are a quintessential Finnish sauna tradition, infusing the space with a summery aroma. These whisks can be gently tapped on the body to stimulate blood circulation, if desired. In summer, fresh whisks are used, but during winter, dried or deep-frozen ones -handmade or purchased from larger stores – are the only options.

Savouring stillness

Two men and a woman, all dressed in towels, are sitting in a sauna, and the woman is pouring water from a ladle towards a stove.

Water thrown onto hot stones creates steam in a sauna at Korsuretket, located in the forest 70 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of the Finnish city of Tampere.Photo: Laura Vanzo/Visit Tampere

For the Kivilompolo family, outdoor activities, followed by relaxing in their candle-lit sauna, are integral to Christmas. For them, the sauna is a time to unwind, soak in the warmth and silence, and enjoy the cosy ambience. It is more a personal retreat than a social gathering.

“With no rush anywhere, it is a peaceful extended session for me, relishing the stillness and the beauty of the decorative Christmas lights outside our sauna window,” says Maarit Kivilompolo.

Thousands of years of tradition

Two mostly naked men are sitting on wooden benches in a wooden room.

Saunas hold a significant place in Finnish cultural heritage and holidays.Photo: Jukka Rapo/Keksi/Finland Image Bank

When their children were younger, the family would sauna together on Christmas Eve. Now, however, everyone chooses their own schedule and preferences.

“The youngsters often enjoy bathing late at night and stepping into the snowy yard straight from the hot sauna,” Kivilompolo says.

The exact origins of saunas in Finland are unknown, but they are believed to have existed for thousands of years. Saunas hold a significant place in Finnish cultural heritage and are closely tied to holidays such as Midsummer and Christmas.

About sauna elves

A lantern and a bouquet of leafy branches are on a bench in a wooden room.

Atmospheric lighting and a sauna whisk made from birch leaves contribute to the relaxing Christmas sauna experience.Photo: Ismo Pekkarinen/Lehtikuva

Traditionally, back when all saunas were still heated by wood-burning stoves, preparations began early on Christmas Eve, especially in rural areas. That gave the sauna time to heat up and ensured that everyone had time to finish their work, bathe and savour a tranquil moment before gathering for Christmas dinner.

Nowadays, quite a few sauna stoves are electric, but the main traditions persist no matter how the sauna is heated. The wooden sauna benches receive a thorough scrubbing. Fresh linen seat covers and towels are brought in, as are fragrant birch whisks made the previous summer.

People usually avoid talking in loud voices in the sauna, not just at Christmastime but at any time of year. One traditional myth claims that every sauna has a guardian sauna elf, and that the sauna elf uses the still-warm sauna after the people have exited.

At the time of writing, we were unable to confirm whether sauna elves are related to the elves in Santa Claus’s workshop.

Abundant sauna options for visitors to enjoy

Two people in bathing suits are sitting on a wooden bench in a sauna with light coming in through a window.

Löyly is the name of a popular waterside public sauna in Helsinki. It is also the Finnish word for the steam that comes off the stones of the sauna stove.Photo: Karoliina Bärlund/Löyly

In addition to private and communal saunas, nearly every hotel and guesthouse in Finland offers sauna services, with options for general admission or private bookings. Many hotel rooms even come equipped with their own private saunas.

Here is a small selection of the many places in Finland where you can enjoy this tradition at Christmastime – and at other times of year, as well. (It’s advisable to call ahead to ensure availability.)

By Catarina Stewen, December 2024

How Finnish innovations are helping make the maritime industry more sustainable

Business & innovationSustainability

About 80 percent of world trade in goods occurs by sea, but 98.8 percent of ships still use fossil fuels, according to UN Trade and Development. This means that it is critical to make this important industry more sustainable if we are to fulfil net-zero goals.

The young Finnish company Norsepower develops sails. These aren’t the type of sails you see on sailboats, however.

They manufacture rotor sails, tall rotating columns that make use of the Magnus Effect. That’s the same force that allows soccer players to kick a ball and make it curve through the air.

Electric motors make the rotors spin. When wind hits the rotors from the side, a force is generated in front, helping to push the ship along. The forward thrust should far exceed the energy required to spin the rotors.

“Cargo vessels are our main market,” says Jarkko Väinämö, COO of Norsepower. “We have also installed our sails on passenger ships. We can install them on the deck of an old ship, but they work better on vessels which have hulls designed specifically for wind power.”

Reducing costs and emissions

A cargo ship with three unusual cylindrical masts is moored in front of a tree-filled hillside.

The Chinook Oldendorff, a ship capable of carrying more than 100,000 tonnes, is fitted with three rotor sails from Norsepower.Photo: Norsepower

As with traditional cloth sails, the performance of rotor sails depends upon wind conditions and proper handling of the equipment. Normally, rotor sails complement existing engines, yet when conditions are perfect, rotor sails alone can propel a ship.

“Typically, rotor sails reduce fuel use and emissions by five to 20 percent,” Väinämö says. “We are working on an Airbus transport ship which will have six sails and an expected savings of 50 percent. Recently, we had a French ship of 50,000 deadweight tonnes sail at eight knots using only two rotor sails.”

Lowering fuel use lowers costs, making rotor sails a compelling business case for ship owners. Stricter regulations like the FuelEU Maritime Directive are also driving demand for cleaner solutions.

“We believe 20,000 vessels around the world could benefit from rotor sails,” says Väinämö. “This is a potential 60-billion-euro industry.”

Smooth sailing with batteries

A woman in a hard hat and blue and orange work clothes makes adjustments to a machine.

A Wärtsilä employee works on the production floor at the company’s Sustainable Technology Hub in Vaasa on the Finnish west coast.Photo: Wärtsilä

Engines in passenger cars evolved from using fossil fuels to being hybrids to finally being fully electric. The same process is happening in shipping, and the Finnish company Wärtsilä is at the centre of the revolution. Founded in 1834, Wärtsilä focuses on the energy and maritime industries.

“The uptake of this technology is exponential,” says Torsten Büssow, director of the electrical and power systems business at Wärtsilä Marine. “We have already delivered over 100 battery-powered ships.”

While rotor sails work best in the sustained winds of mid-ocean journeys, batteries are popular among the variety of ships plying coastal waters and shorter routes. These include cruise ships, car ferries, cargo vessels and harbour workboats. A growing category for electrification is Ropax vessels, which are combined passenger ships and vehicle ferries. These are commonly seen on the routes between Helsinki and Stockholm, Sweden or Tallinn, Estonia.

“We recently worked with Finnlines on a new Ropax vessel with a hybrid power system and 5 megawatts of energy storage,” Büssow says. “They could use electric to manoeuvre in a harbour or when they are within sight of land, for example, and regular engines when they are out to sea.”

How to be net-zero by 2050

A long, sleek white ship with a pointed bow is shown on an expanse of water.

The largest electric ship in the world, a new 130-metre-long fast ferry for a route between Argentina and Uruguay, contains a battery electric propulsion system and waterjets from Wärtsilä.Photo: Incat Tasmania/Wärtsilä

The end goal, of course, is not to merely reduce CO2 emissions, but to eliminate them entirely. This is possible with fully electric vessels, if the batteries are charged with electricity generated from renewable sources like wind, solar and hydro. Wärtsilä has already delivered its electric propulsion system for several fully electric vessels, and is currently working on a 130-metre-long fast ferry that will operate between Argentina and Uruguay. It will be the largest electric ship in the world, powered by 40 megawatts of batteries.

There are other ways for ships to run emission-free, such as using biofuels or synthetic fuels. Büssow thinks a mix of fuels and technologies will make the maritime industry sustainable, not a one-size-fits-all invention. But we are running out of time.

“If a ship lasts for 25 years and we want to be net-zero by 2050, we are just one ‘ship lifetime’ away from our deadline,” says Büssow. “We need to work fast.”

By David Cord, December 2024

Report gives Finland top marks in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills

Life & societyEducation

Finnish adults were ranked as having exceptionally high literacy, numeracy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the new report for the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC). In addition to Finland, other Nordic countries and Japan performed well in the survey.

The OECD-organised study periodically examines key skills for processing information in a technology-rich environment. People need these abilities to participate in society and contribute to economic prosperity. The survey covers people 16 to 65 years old and is carried out about every ten years. The previous results were published in 2013.

Finland at the apex of all three rankings

In literacy, Finland ranked first, Japan was second and Sweden third out of 31 countries. Finland received 296 points, 36 points more than the OECD average. Literacy proficiency is measured in five levels. Finland had 35 percent of adults in the top two levels, compared to 23 percent in Japan, 20 percent in Sweden and 12 percent in the OECD. Altogether, 71 percent of Finnish adults were considered to have good literacy skills or better.

Finland was also first in numeracy, followed by Japan, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands. Finns’ ability to understand and use mathematics received a score of 294, 31 points more than the average. Less than half (45 percent) of adults in OECD countries were considered to have good numeracy skills (level 3 or above). While 67 percent of Finns reached at least a proficiency level 3, 31 percent were in top two levels.

In adaptive problem solving, people in Finland and Japan scored best. Finland and Japan (276 points each) were followed by Sweden (273) and Norway (271) in the rankings. The average score in the OECD for problem solving was 251 points.

Happy and content

Finnish participants in their 20s had the highest skills in all three categories, although Finns of all ages had better skills than the OECD average. There were no significant differences between men and women.

First-generation immigrants performed significantly worse in literacy compared to the rest of the population, but this gap narrows when they speak Finnish or Swedish at home (the survey was carried out in Finnish or Swedish, which are both official languages in Finland). The gap also narrows if they have lived in Finland for more than five years.

The survey found a strong correlation between education and skills. The strength of all levels of the Finnish education system is reflected in the survey results. Finland is also one of the few countries where skills have improved since the prior survey. In 2013, Finland ranked second in all categories – behind Japan in literacy and numeracy, and after Sweden in problem solving.

The PIAAC survey also found nine out of ten adult Finns are satisfied with their lives, the highest proportion in the OECD. For seven years in a row, Finland has topped the UN World Happiness Report.

Other PIAAC data shows that 31 percent of participants in Finland believe that their “opportunities to have a say in politics” are good. This is one of the highest results among the countries surveyed.

In answer to another survey question, 68 percent of Finnish adults say they “feel they can trust people,” also one of the highest percentages among the participating countries. The better people’s information processing skills are, the more likely they are to score well in this category.

By David J. Cord, December 2024

Finnish architects win international award for sustainable archipelago village

Life & societyWebpick

Majamaja wins the Small Project of the Year category at the Dezeen Awards in London.

The jury praised Majamaja’s self-sufficient, off-grid energy production and ecological credentials. It is designed by Pekka Littow and his colleagues at Littow Architectes.

“The future of sustainable tourism and more broadly the field of leisure living needs green and tangible innovations like Majamaja,” says Claire Barrett, director of the Dezeen Awards.

Sounds like Finland: Capturing the country’s essence in music

Arts & cultureMusic

Internationally renowned composer and musician Lauri Porra created the piece – actually 15 compositions, a total of one hour of music.

If you’ve ever experienced homesickness, you know the feeling when you close your eyes and flashes of memories come to life. Sounds, smells, sensations. People and places. While they’re all personal to us, taken together they also form the contours of a country.

Finland endeavoured to capture that sensibility in a piece of music, calling it Ääniä: Finland’s Official Soundscape. (Ääniä means “sounds” or “voices” in Finnish; see below for Soundcloud playlist.)

Sound possesses a unique capability to evoke powerful emotions and memories, making audio a great way of sharing Finland’s unique identity, both inside and outside the country. It’s also a medium that most people around the world can access easily.

Transcending languages and borders

An aerial view of a calm lake broken up by several forested points of land.

Peninsulas form bays on a lake in Leivonmäki National Park in central Finland.Photo: Markus Sirkka/Visit Finland

“Finns have always been deeply connected to their natural surroundings and cultural heritage,” says Paula Parviainen, Finland’s Ambassador for Culture and Creative Industries. “We wanted to bring these to a wider audience in a way that transcends languages and borders. We envision the soundscape providing a moment of peace and calm in people’s daily lives. Individuals can use it to create an opportunity to relax and reflect.”

Three hikers in winter clothes stand among snow-covered trees and look toward a frozen lake in the distance.

The snow-covered winter landscape is just as dramatic as the green forests of summer.Photo: Jussi Helttunen/Visit Finland

The idea for Ääniä initially emerged from discussions between Parviainen and Porra, a composer and musician who has collaborated with prestigious orchestras around the world. He also works as the musical supervisor for Moomin Characters, the company that manages the rights to the beloved characters invented by Finnish artist and author Tove Jansson.

One of Finland’s most sought-after composers internationally, Porra is an avid traveller who has performed in more than 50 countries. On those voyages, during countless hours on airplanes and in hotel rooms, he has found himself missing the places and moments he cherishes back home.

“The more I travelled, the deeper my love and longing for home grew,” he says.

Sensations and places

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Composer Lauri Porra talks about what inspired him to write Ääniä.
Video: Markku Pajunen

A fourth-generation artist, Porra comes from a long line of musicians. His great-grandfather was the iconic Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, his grandfather was conductor Jussi Jalas and his mother performed as an oboist at the Finnish National Opera. Given Porra’s background and profession, it was only natural that music became his way of coping with homesickness.

“I’ve discovered my own Finnish identity and the things I consider most important here by leaving,” he says. “That’s why I started making music for myself, initially to listen to on a plane when my heart was aching and I couldn’t get back to Finland, to the woods or to row on the lake.”

According to the composer, it’s not really a piece of music to be listened to in the traditional sense, but more a sonic work that aims to describe spaces, sensations and places, both mental and physical.

Space to think, feel and live

A person sits on a large rock overlooking a lake with islands in it, on a summer day.

The landscapes and stunning views of Koli National Park in eastern Finland are known to have inspired many of Finland’s famous artists and musicians.Photo: Harri Tarvainen/Visit Finland

“The composition features the cello, violin, flute, kantele [a traditional zither that is Finland’s national instrument], guitar, percussion, and sounds recorded in nature,” Porra says. “This is understated, minimalist music that’s not meant to be listened to as much as used to create an atmosphere. What’s being depicted is space. There’s space to think, feel and live in Finland – not only in nature, but also in the Finnish way of life.”

Finland’s soundscape takes listeners on a journey across the country, offering glimpses of diverse environments, moments and situations. It also encourages listeners to meditate and pause, providing a break from the rush of daily life.

A person descends a wooden staircase on a rocky mountainside that overlooks a forest.

A set of stairs eases the climb in Salla National Park in northeastern Finland.Photo: Harri Tarvainen/Visit Finland

“We envision the soundscape being used in embassies, cultural events and even political contexts, or just by individuals in their daily lives,” says Parviainen. “Whether you are on a crowded subway or attending a formal event, the soundscape can provide a moment of calm and reflection, allowing you to connect to Finland’s beauty, tranquillity and diversity.”

Parviainen also hopes the piece will inspire people around the world to discover Finland, with its unspoiled nature, changing seasons and clean air, all combined with the energy of urban life and a rich cultural scene.

Finding your own happy places

A man with long hair and a short beard sits in a smooth wooden chair and gazes into the camera.

To create Ääniä, composer Lauri Porra drew on the moments and experiences that he feels encapsulate the unique spirit of Finland.Photo: Markku Pajunen

During the creative process, Porra returned to his own personal happy places in Finland for inspiration, drawing on the moments and experiences that, for him, capture the unique spirit of the country.

“These places are personal to me – Heinola, Lammassaari, Koli, Lapland and the archipelago,” he says. “There are also specific urban sites. Each of them is tied to an emotion, and I try to capture that feeling in the music. I draw inspiration from something deeply personal, but the goal is to evoke emotions in the listener. The important thing is that people find their own happy places.”

A large tree is lying on the ground in front of standing trees that are casting shadows on the forest floor.

Rokua National Park is located about an hour’s drive from the northern Finnish city of Oulu.Photo: Saara Airaksinen/Visit Finland

With his family ties to Jean Sibelius, Finland’s most celebrated composer, whose works famously resonate with the Finnish national identity, Porra is especially suited to the soundscape project. Rather than seeing parallels between his music and that of his great-grandfather, however, he believes the two share a connection in their mutual love of Finnish nature and landscape.

“If there’s something burning inside of me, it’s probably my deep love for Finland,” says Porra. “My family has a strong tradition of national romanticism and Finnishness – perhaps it’s something that runs in the family. We enjoy gazing at pine trees on cliffs. That way of looking at the world is likely far more inheritable than anything genetic.”

By Elna Nykänen Andersson, December 2024

Ääniä: Finland’s Official Soundscape

Pronouncing Finnish with a smile: The sivistys video edition

Life & societyLanguage

Like sisu, that famous Finnish combination of courage and perseverance, sivistys is difficult to translate in just one word.

The Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (known as the KVS Foundation, based on its Finnish name) is willing to make an attempt. It even designated 2024 the Year of Sivistys.

Sivistys: A Finnish word meaning “enlightenment.” Or: “Civilised behaviour contributing to environmental, communal and societal wellbeing and development.”

The foundation points out that sivistys is not a measurement of training or education. Sivistys is there for everyone and anyone. Now try pronouncing it – we think you’ll like the sound of it.

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How do you pronounce sivistys?Video: ThisisFINLAND

By Peter Marten, November 2024

Music and memory: A Finnish rocker teams up with a neuroscientist

Business & innovationMusic

One song is a heroic, Bruce Springsteen-style power ballad about a highway. Another tells the poignant tale of someone whose groceries have spilled on the kitchen floor. A third is a playful approach to the words yes and no, which people often mix up after suffering a stroke. Each contains comforting, empowering lyrics and a touch of melancholy.

These are songs written by Heikki Salo for a rehabilitation programme for stroke patients, led by Teppo Särkämö, associate professor of neuropsychology at the University of Helsinki.

Salo (born in 1957) has led the rock band Miljoonasade (Million Rain) since the mid-1980s and written hits for many other groups and singers. He’s also done music for kids, TV shows and a music therapy app, as well as textbooks, school material and songwriting courses, including programmes for people with disabilities.

Though clearly well qualified for the task, Salo quips, “I guess I was asked to join this project because of my age! I share the same age reality with many of these rehabilitation patients.”

Music for mood improvement

A man is singing into a microphone in a black and white photo.

Heikki Salo, who has written hits for an array of Finnish bands, also wrote songs especially for a rehab programme for stroke patients, run by the University of Helsinki.
Photo: Antti Mäkijärvi

The project aims to develop a music-based remote rehab programme for stroke patients, with a clinical trial starting in early 2025.

“We’re well underway in developing this rehabilitation tool so that patients can train at home to boost their verbal, motor and cognitive functions, including attention and memory,” says Särkämö. “It should also improve their mood and outlook.”

If the programme is effective, he hopes to make it widely available for stroke patients to use alongside conventional physical and speech therapy.

Crucial to this project are tailor-made songs by Salo, based on his broad experience across various genres and personal study of the subject.

“The work took about a year and a half,” he says. “For the first six months, I just read everything I could get my hands on about strokes, aphasia and so on. During that period, I came up with dozens of ideas for songs. Teppo and his research team chose the ones they thought were good, so those were the guidelines for my work.”

The songs touch on issues close to stroke survivors and target words that aphasic patients can train through singing and melodic intonation therapy. For help with that, Salo collaborated with music therapist Jyrki Nikkilä, who he’d worked with on the music app – and with patients themselves.

He and Nikkilä sat in on chat room meetings for people in rehabilitation. “We discussed topics that were important to them and listened to their wishes,” says Salo. “In autumn 2023, we sang the first songs with members of rehab group.” After that, he revised the songs.

“Songwriting itself is a solitary job,” he says. “It helped to have a list of words that were important to the rehabilitees. I sprinkled them into the texts and used them to discover new topics and to create melodic intonation phrases for the research.

“I discussed the patients’ relationship problems, depressions, fears and hopes. I always aim to touch the people who will sing these songs – including those undergoing rehabilitation and their loved ones. But mainly I wanted them to sound like ‘ordinary songs.’”

Powerful musical memories

A man is smiling at the camera, with his arms crossed over his chest.

Music is useful in rehabilitating stroke patients, says University of Helsinki associate professor Teppo Särkämö.Photo: Kirsi Tuura

Särkämö says music has been proven to be useful in rehabilitating patients with stroke and other neurological disorders.

“Many musical elements, such as rhythm, melody, lyrics and emotional capacity, have been successfully used in rehabilitation of stroke patients,” he says. “Movements performed to musical rhythms can assist in regaining the ability to walk and move their limbs. Melodic intonation and singing can enhance communication and verbal skills. And listening to music every day can help recover memory and attention while alleviating depression.”

Aphasic individuals who have lost the ability to speak can often still sing, and those with dementia often recall memories triggered by a familiar song from their childhood or youth.

“Hearing a familiar song elicits emotions, which is turn are cues for recalling personal, autobiographical memories,” says Särkämö.

In the brain, speech occurs mostly in the left hemisphere, but singing occurs in both hemispheres – so it can be a bridge toward regaining speech.

The University of Helsinki programme combines singing, instrument playing, rhythmic movements and music listening, which patients do at home with a tablet and training videos. They also have weekly remote sessions with a music therapist.

While individual elements of the programme have been beneficial for stroke recovery in previous studies, they’ve always been used separately.

“Our project combines them all into an easily accessible remote platform so music can be applied more widely in rehabilitation and with more versatility,” Salo says. “Of course, we hope that patients will enjoy using it. That’s crucial for the success and results of the trial.”

Salo has already received positive feedback from patients.

“A woman who sang one of my songs asked if she could cut out the chorus and stick it on her refrigerator door so that she could read it every day,” he says. “That’s when I knew I was on the right track.”

By Wif Stenger, November 2024

Adventure of a lifetime: Director Charlie McDowell films Finnish author Tove Jansson’s Summer Book

Arts & cultureWebpick

It was as unpredictable as it was breathtakingly beautiful.

Shooting on Rankki Island in the Kotka Archipelago off the southern Finnish coast, they faced harsh weather conditions and discovered that the island itself became a character in the story, leaving an everlasting mark on the souls of the entire team.

In this remote, enchanting place, McDowell found the perfect setting to explore profound themes of humanity and connection to nature.