The festive season in Helsinki starts with the opening ceremony of the Christmas Street on 23 November – new route for the Christmas parade

As traditional, the festive season in Helsinki will be kicked off with a bang. The holiday season at the end of the year will offer a wide range of events, the first of which is the traditional Christmas Street’s opening ceremony. Helsinki will offer plenty of experiences from culture events to Christmas markets and delicious treats. Families with children will also have plenty to do. Find out more about the holiday season programme and find your way of getting into the festive mood.

A parade, festive lights and fairground feeling at the traditional Helsinki Christmas opening ceremony

The Helsinki Christmas opening ceremony will now be held for the 76th time. The event organised by Helsinki City Markkinointi ry delights the city residents with a parade and gives Aleksanterinkatu its festive lights. Tens of thousands of people come to see the parade every year. This year, the traditional parade will partly follow a new route, travelling along Aleksanterinkatu to Mannerheimintie and from there to Narinkkatori Square in Kamppi. The ceremony will now become a two-day event, as a free-of-charge Christmas fairground will bring joy to the residents on Narinkkatori over the weekend.  

The event will start at 4 pm on Saturday, 23 November, when the parade starts from the Senate Square and the Christmas lights of Aleksanterinkatu are lit. The parade is led by the Mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen, who will also declare the start of the Christmas season of Helsinki on Narinkkatori.  

On Saturday, Keskuskatu will offer programme and music to visitors, along with the chance to learn more about the operations of various charity organisations, such as We for You, the Salvation Army, HelsinkiMissio and the Helsinki Humane Society HESY ry. A toy collection will be open for the whole weekend on Narinkkatori, accepting toy donations to be distributed by Hope Ry to families with children for Christmas. 
 

Christmas market feel all around the city

The several local Christmas fairs and markets are a great way to foster Christmas spirit. The events offer plenty of chances of finding gifts and tasting the season’s best delicacies.  

Helsinki Christmas Market is the oldest outdoor Christmas market in Helsinki, open from 29 November to 22 December. For the second time, the American news channel CNN listed the Helsinki Christmas Market on Senate Square as one of the best Christmas markets in the world. The event offers a chance to enjoy the festive feel, find the perfect gifts or sample the taste of Christmas at various restaurant and delicacy stands. The food selection offers organic and local food as well as vegetarian and vegan options. The market also has events such as visits from Santa Claus and music performances. The market’s free carousel ride brings joy to children and adults alike.

Markets are also held indoors. As an example, the Vanhan Joulutori Christmas market 14–22 December is a perfect place to browse the products of artisans and small businesses. The Teurastamo Christmas Market will be held right before Christmas, 21–22 December, offering a great chance to pick up some treats for your Christmas table from a range of both traditional and more exotic delicacies.

Northeastern Helsinki will also have a festive feeling, when a three-day Christmas market is held on Ylä-Malmi Marketplace 12–14 December 2024.  The event is part of the OmaStadi project voted for by the city residents, aiming to improve the comfort, inclusion and community spirit in the area. In addition to the market stands of local businesses, the market will offer different free events for the whole family every day. 

Share the holiday spirit through charity organisations

For many, the holiday season means happy times spent together with loved ones, but for others it can be a lonely or financially challenging time. You can offer your help through charity organisations.

The Joulupuu Christmas campaign collects gifts for children and teens in low-income families. You can participate by taking a gift to a local collection point or by donating money for the operations online. The gifts donated to the Joulupuu campaign in Helsinki are distributed to the children and adolescents of Helsinki social services.  

The traditional Christmas Kettle collection points by the Salvation Army can be found around the city in December. The funds donated to the Christmas Kettle campaign help low-income people, individuals and senior citizens in Finland. Help is mostly distributed as food packages or vouchers. The Christmas Kettles will appear on the streets on 13 December.  

Charity organisations also offer help for the lonely. A Santa Claus campaign for seniors (‘Ole joulupukkina seniorille’) by Kotona Asuen Seniorihoiva allows anyone to delight a senior by buying them a Christmas flower. HelsinkiMissio also offers the chance to donate intangible gifts, such as a walking companion for a senior citizen or crisis help for a young person. The Hurstin Apu charity organisation holds a Christmas celebration serving a Christmas meal for lonely and low-income people at Messukeskus Helsinki.