Anna's Christmas Calendar 2025

I thought for a long time about what to write about Finnish Christmas food. I have already done so much, and there is still so much to do closer to Christmas Eve, so I decided that the simplest choice is the right one today: rice porridge and glögi!

The porridge is commonly eaten on Christmas Eve; different families have different traditions around it. My family has always eaten it for breakfast — simply with cinnamon and sugar, just like we did when my siblings and I were children.

It is also common to eat porridge for lunch, and I know several people who do this. Instead of cinnamon, the more traditional way to serve the porridge is with raisin soup, which is a cold, dessert-type fruit soup served alongside the warm porridge. Here in Finland you can buy it pre-made in a tetra pack, but many people also prepare it themselves.

In addition to Christmas Eve, porridge is served at schools and workplaces before Christmas; my workplace actually served it twice this year! As a big fan of porridge, I was definitely not complaining.

Rice porridge is also served at pre-Christmas parties organised by various organisations. The porridge is such an important part of the celebrations that these events are sometimes even called puurojuhla — “porridge party”.

1. Bring the water to a boil and add the rice. Cook until the water has evaporated.
2. Add the milk little by little to keep the temperature of the pot steady. Stir constantly for about 45 minutes to prevent the milk from burning.
3. Add the salt and serve with raisin soup or cinnamon and sugar.

In addition to rice porridge, Finland (and the other Nordic countries) has another speciality: glögi. Unlike European mulled wine, glögi is not necessarily made from wine and may not include alcohol at all. Even children drink glögi here and often like it too, since it is usually made from berry juice spiced with Christmas spices.

Just like mulled wine, glögi is served hot. It is also customary to add almonds and raisins to your cup.