A large part of the holidays is entertainment; it would be naïve to say otherwise, in my opinion. At least here in Finland, the program schedule looks very similar from year to year, and many broadcasts are filled with childhood memories.
Christmas Eve morning starts with a live broadcast called Santa’s Hotline. In the show, Santa receives calls and messages from children, listening to their greetings and Christmas songs. The broadcast lasts several hours and includes shorter Christmas episodes from children’s programs.
The morning program ends with the short film The Snowman, which has been a tradition for even longer. My parents, at least, always wait for that. The broadcast finishes around noon, giving Santa plenty of time to prepare for his task of visiting children and delivering gifts.
At noon, another curious and extremely old tradition takes place in the former capital of Finland: the Declaration of Christmas Peace in the city of Turku. The tradition has lasted for over 300 years, which makes it remarkable that people still find it so meaningful. As most people live outside the Turku area, many watch it via a live broadcast.
Otherwise, there are all kinds of Christmas-related programs and films available throughout the holidays, but the schedule is less rigid. There are a few popular Finnish Christmas films, such as Joulupukki ja Noitarumpu and Joulutarina. And just like everywhere else, people here also love to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, The Grinch, and Home Alone.
A newer trend I’ve noticed online is Hallmark Christmas films. I somehow feel they haven’t quite found a large audience in Finland, although people are aware of them. Personally, I mostly know them through memes. As a working woman in my thirties living in a city, I find the concept slightly amusing — the idea that this life would somehow be unfulfilling. At least for now, I feel I’m living a very meaningful and satisfying life! But then again, you never know if a carpenter might convince me otherwise.
When talking about TV, we also have to talk about adverts. For several years now, there has been a major advertising campaign in Finland where a Coca-Cola truck tours different cities, and people can take selfies with it. I was very sceptical at first, but we decided to check it out anyway. As I expected, it wasn’t really my thing. However, talking with others revealed that the truck and the adverts have been extremely meaningful to many people. And I must admit, the photos from the event did look rather magical.
Leave a Reply