Saturday, May 31, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Finnish way to celebrate Christmas

Published 19 December 2024
– By Ivana Bratovanova
Porvoo-ds
Museum_Main_Room-ds
Museum_dinner_table-ds
Museum_Mens_Room-ds
Museum_kitchen-ds
Museum_Studio-ds
previous arrowprevious arrow
next arrownext arrow
 

There is no better place to explore Christmas traditions than Finland, the land of Santa Claus. Just an hour away from Helsinki, the city of Porvoo is immersive in all-things Christmas – markets, local shops, exhibitions, and food!

On the crossroads between tradition, present and future, we can all learn from Finns’ way of celebrating the holidays.

Porvoo, located just an hour from Helsinki, presents to visitors Finnish Christmas customs dating back from the 18th century. At the Holm House Museum I had the opportunity to experience first-hand the seasonal rituals of the Holm family, a distinguished merchant household.

The dinner table, set with green-rimmed Rörstrand dishes and wax candles, shows how important fine tableware was at the time. Traditional meals like root vegetable casseroles, rosolli salad, and rice porridge – prepared with rice, butter, and occasionally raisins – demonstrate how simple staples efficiently used to create festive and nourishing dishes despite limited resources.

The act of gift-giving was still novel in 18th-century Finland. Presents were often delivered in creative ways, such as being tossed through the door unexpectedly or brought by someone in disguise. The presents had clever, rhyming verses on them that reveal what is inside and who the gift is from. Gifts included practical items such as candles, handmade goods, or sweets such as marzipan and candied fruit.

Beyond family celebrations, community goodwill was key to the holiday. Bread baked for the poor and tallow candles symbolized generosity. The declaration of Christmas Peace from the Old Town Hall marked the start of quiet family time and religious traditions, like attending church and reading the Gospel of Luke.

Looking outside the window of the Holm House, the contrast between the calm, cozy serenity of the past and the lively buzz of the Christmas Path is unmistakable. The Christmas Path is an annual event with carousels, food stalls, and visits from Santa Claus, which stretches along Jokikatu streets. Vendors sell handmade goods and visitors can enjoy glögi, a traditional Finnish mulled drink made with spiced red wine or fruit juice, served hot with raisins and almonds.

Today, Finns continue to celebrate Christmas combining the old with the new. Santa Claus, or Joulupukki, remains a central figure, often visiting homes on Christmas Eve to deliver gifts. In these cases, families choose to hire a professional Santa or enlist a neighbor to dress up. It is not uncommon to see advertisements on the streets for “experienced” Joulupukki-s, who “do not drink”, important note for families who might have had a Christmas or two where Santa chose a bottle of liquor over warm milk and cookies.

Food is an essential part of the modern Finnish Christmas. Key dishes include oven-baked ham, often served with mustard, and root vegetable casseroles. Rosolli salad, a colorful mix of boiled beetroots, carrots, potatoes, apples, and pickled cucumber, is often topped with a sour cream-based dressing and sometimes garnished with eggs or herring. Fish also plays a major role, with foods like pickled herring, gravlax (cured salmon), and roe served with rye bread. Other staples are mushroom salad and boiled peas.

A Christmas sauna, decorated with candles, lanterns, or branches, is another Finnish tradition. A plunge into the cold snow or a nearby lake between sauna sessions is not only refreshing, but it also has several health benefits, such as improved circulation and boosted immune function. Finns usually choose to sauna on Christmas after breakfast when the typical rice porridge is served. A secret ingredient – the almond hidden in one of the portions – is believed to bring luck in the new year to the one who finds it in their dish.

The Christmas spirit in Finland does not cease to exist even in January. The Holm House Christmas exhibition continues until January 12, 2025. But if you still want to catch Santa Claus on time, you can find him on Porvoo’s Christmas Path every Saturday and Sunday leading to Christmas.

TNT is truly independent!

We don’t have a billionaire owner, and our unique reader-funded model keeps us free from political or corporate influence. This means we can fearlessly report the facts and shine a light on the misdeeds of those in power.

Consider a donation to keep our independent journalism running…

Fines increased for killing protected species in Finland

Biodiversity

Published yesterday 11:52
– By Editorial Staff
The fine for killing an Arctic fox in Finland is €17,656.

The Finnish Ministry of the Environment has significantly increased the fines for killing protected animals. For example, killing a freshwater pearl mussel is now three times more expensive than before.

Recently, it was decided to update the list of protected animals and the penalty for killing one of them. In Finland, the list was last updated in 2002, when a total of 286 animal species were included.

The new updated list now includes 320 animal species as well as 158 plant species that are protected and therefore illegal to kill or harm. Among others, the viper has been added.

The fines for killing a protected species have also been increased. For example, the fine for killing a Arctic fox has increased from €7,400 to €17,656. For the species black tern, it has increased from €185 to €9,865. The freshwater pearl mussel has increased from €589 to €1,496.

Some species on the list have received smaller fines, such as the white-tailed eagle, which has gone from €7,400 to just €407.

The value of a species is assessed on a number of criteria. These include the size of the population, how threatened the species is and how fast it is reproducing.

Worrying trend: More people driving under the influence of drugs

Published yesterday 7:23
– By Editorial Staff
Genre image - traffic accident. There is no information that drugs are related to this particular incident.

In Sweden, it is now more common for drivers to be under the influence of drugs than alcohol, while in Finland it is still more common to drive drunk than under the influence of drugs.

Between 2018 and 2022, 81 people died in Finland in traffic accidents where the driver who caused the accident was under the influence of at least one drug. This corresponds to 11 percent of all fatal traffic accidents during the period when drug testing was possible.

– Alcohol is still the most common intoxicant in fatal traffic accidents, but drugs are becoming increasingly common. This is particularly true of amphetamines, which are often linked to high speeds and risky decisions. Cannabis is also common among those who drive while intoxicated, says Kalle Parkkari, Director of Traffic Safety at the Finnish Accident Investigation Board, to Swedish Yle.

Statistics show that drivers under the influence of drugs are more likely to collide with other vehicles, while drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to drive off the road or crash in off-road terrain. However, Parkkari points out that the number of cases is so limited that it is difficult to draw firm conclusions.

– There is nevertheless a slight trend indicating an increase in drug-related driving under the influence. Traffic is part of society, and drug use in society appears to be on the rise. It is therefore inevitable that drugs will also begin to appear more frequently in traffic, Parkkari notes.

Sweden stands out in the statistics

In Sweden, the trend is more alarming. Between 2012 and 2022, 23 percent of drivers who died in traffic accidents were under the influence of drugs, compared to 11 percent who had alcohol in their system. Drug-related drunk driving has thus overtaken alcohol as the most common cause.

Lars-Olov Sjöström, traffic safety manager at the Swedish Motorists’ Sobriety Association, points to a change in attitude among young people as a possible explanation.

– For a hundred years, we have taught people not to drive with alcohol in their system, but the surveys we have conducted in collaboration with authorities in Norway show that the same young people who refrain from driving when under the influence of alcohol do not think as carefully when it comes to cannabis. We are lagging behind in providing information about cannabis and other drugs.

“We can learn from each other”

He believes that a more liberal and permissive view of “recreational drugs” among young people makes the work more difficult, but still sees hope for change within five to ten years. Both Parkkari and Sjöström emphasize the importance of cross-border cooperation to manage the development.

– It would be enormously helpful if we could learn from other countries’ experiences in this area. While the situation in Finland is still under control, it is very important to ensure that it does not get worse, says Parkkari.

Sjöström agrees, adding:

– We are seeing the same pattern in Finland as we have seen in Sweden, so we can learn from each other and discuss methods for dealing with the problem.

WakeUpTV aims to challenge the Nordic establishment media

Published 29 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Oddane, the focus of the TV house will be on news and social programs as well as investigative documentaries and interviews.

The creators behind the WakeUpGlobe channel, the Nordic network WakeUpFriends, and the WakeUpConference announce that they are planning to build a new Nordic television network focused on “truth and awareness”.

The stated goal is extremely ambitious – they say they want to seriously challenge and offer an alternative to the major Nordic TV companies with their millions of viewers.

It’s time to build a new Nordic TV house under the WakeUpTV brand that can seriously challenge the big Nordic commercial and state-owned players, such as SVT, TV4, DR in Denmark, and NRK in Norway”, says founder Michael Oddane in a press release.

With WakeUpTV, we want to take everything to a whole new level, where we will operate in professional TV studios on a par with the major TV houses in an environment where the masses feel at home”, he continues.

According to Oddane, hundreds of millions of people around the world have lost confidence in the narratives broadcast by traditional channels and are instead looking for new alternatives.

We will create truth-focused and life-affirming TV that will both be a force for changing society for the better and help people develop both personally and spiritually”, he says.

“Traditional media obscures and distorts”

The plans began five years ago, and the property where the TV station will be built is located in a scenic area outside Lund. Two large TV studios, control rooms, and offices will be built on the property.

Initially, the TV station will have five permanent employees, and various external presenters will be brought in for different projects. It will launch its own streaming service but will also broadcast much of its content via social media to achieve the widest possible reach.

Our focus will, as always, be on uncovering the truth about what is happening in the world and sharing knowledge about personal and spiritual development. It is quite obvious that traditional media both obscures and distorts the truth, contrary to the mission they claim to have. They seem to operate largely according to the wishes of those in power and have lost their function as the third estate. Even spiritual and personal development seem to fall outside the scope of public service and commercial television, which is highly remarkable”, Oddane continues.

Holistic health and alternative medicine

WakeUpTV will also focus on areas such as holistic health, alternative medicine, and treatments – but not on sports or pure entertainment programs.

There will be news-related and socially oriented programs, investigative documentaries, and interviews. There are also plans for debate programs and talk shows with live audiences and, as I said, a separate section where we will share knowledge about spiritual and personal development together with a large number of Nordic actors. Everything will be packaged with high production values”.

Oddane is now trying to attract investors – both micro-investors and those who are willing to invest larger sums. However, it is currently unclear when the TV station is expected to be ready and start broadcasting programs.

Finns are the world’s most active TikTok users

Published 23 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff

Screen time on Tiktok is significantly higher in Finland than in the rest of the world, a new survey shows. In Sweden, Youtube is most popular.

In Finland, around 1.5 million people use Tiktok. It is the app that Finns use the most, with YouTube coming in second.

On average, Finns spend 54 hours and 37 minutes a month on Tiktok, according to a report by consulting firm Kepios. This is almost 20 hours more than the survey average of around 35 hours per month.

In Sweden, the most time is spent on YouTube, with Swedes spending an average of 28 hours and 46 minutes each month. Close behind in second place is Tiktok, which people spend almost as much time with: 28 hours and four minutes on average each month.

Finns are also the ones who open the Tiktok app the most times per month compared to the rest of the world. On average, they open the app 587.7 times a month, almost 20 times a day, while the global average is 358.7 times.

The report is based on data from Android phones in November last year and adult users only. The total number of users is therefore likely to be much higher, as many people under the age of 18 use Tiktok and also YouTube.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Our independent journalism needs your support!
Consider a donation.

You can donate any amount of your choosing, one-time payment or even monthly.
We appreciate all of your donations to keep us alive and running.

Dont miss another article!

Sign up for our newsletter today!

Take part of uncensored news – free from industry interests and political correctness from the Polaris of Enlightenment – every week.