Finnish Christmas Food: What Exactly Do The Finns Eat On Christmas Day?
Finnish Christmas Food.
People usually start the day with light but good breakfast. It could include some special Christmas bread called Joululimppu . Some families, mine included, usually have this with other things for breakfast, and then a special rice porridge called Joulupuuro for lunch. Some families have this rice porridge for breakfast…
From the very first Christmas I spent in Finland, one of the things that struck me was how keen most Finns are when it comes to Christmas traditions. Although Christmas is celebrated almost the same way in most Finnish homes, each family have their own traditions and routines that make Christmas special for them. It also depends on the city in question.
Christmas spirit seem to differ in each Finnish city. In my years as an Expat in Finland, one of the things I have come to love is the Christmas atmosphere in Rovaniemi. Well I cannot say the same for all the cities in Finland due to the peculiarities.
One thing I have noticed in Finland is that each city is unique and different in terms of weather, local dialects spoken, social life, and most interestingly the people. I talked in detail about it in this post here: Moving To A New City In Finland; Why Finland? Life Between Two Finnish Cities Rovaniemi And Pori. The Good And The Challenging.
Now back to Finnish Christmas Food.
In as much as the Finnish cities stand unique from each other, most homes eat almost very similar Christmas food on that day. I just uploaded a video on YouTube where I shared about some Christmas Culture Shocks for me as a Nigerian living in Finland. Definitely check it out.
I am sure you will find most of them shocking as well, especially if you are coming from a culture that is like mine.
Christmas is usually celebrated on the 24th in Finland, not the 25th. I shared about this in detail as well as how Christmas shopping goes in Finland. Here it is: Christmas Shopping In Finland: Best Time To Shop, Gift Ideas, and Where To Get The Perfect Christmas Gifts For Your Loved Ones.
Okay, so what do the Finns eat during the Christmas? What does the basic Finnish Christmas Food look like?
Well most people usually start the day with light but good breakfast. It could include some special Christmas bread called Joululimppu. Some families, mine included, usually have this, with other things for breakfast. Then we have the rice porridge for lunch. Other families have the rice porridge for breakfast. Below is a picture of how it looks.
The porridge is also eaten with some fruit soup or syrup made with dried fruits called sekahedelmäsoppa. In my family (most families too i think), we put an almond into the porridge and the person who finds it gets some present. I have never been quite successful with that almond. Hopefully next year. :D.
For the main Finnish Christmas food, for dinner, it is usually some potatoes (mashed or boiled), baked ham, boiled carrots and beetroots and cucumber dices, some kind of beetroot dish (I love this), and some casseroles made from sweet potatoes, rutabaga, liver, and carrots, each separately.
The meal also includes some green peas, salmon (smoked and salted), and some meat stew, could be Karelian stew or reindeer or elk. Each family usually have their own traditions and what they add to the table each year but all in all, the food table always includes the basics.
Below are some pictures of Finnish Christmas Food from last year’s Christmas and this year’s Christmas.
Christmas 2019.
Christmas 2020
And let’s not forget the snacks, there are a variety of Christmas snacks enjoyed by all in Finland during the Christmas holidays. In this video below, I spread them out on the table in a Mukbang form as I tried them all and also explained what they are. Which was my favorite? Well check out the video and see for yourself. Some of them are really so so good.
How did your Christmas go? Hope you are still in the Christmas mood, like I am over here? There is still a lot to enjoy. :D.
Happy Holidays!
Love,
Olivia.
Written by Olivia Kumpula
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