Christmas Peace has been declared in Turku on Christmas Eve as an almost unbroken tradition ever since the 1300s. This 700-year-old continuity makes it one of the longest unbroken traditions in Finnish culture.

Christmas Peace has been broadcast to Finnish homes since 1935, when the declaration was broadcast over radio for the first time. In 1940, the radio programme was presented with the following words: “Finland’s Turku declares Christmas peace.”

Nowadays, it has become a tradition for many to follow the programme on television on Christmas Eve, and the broadcast has annually over 1 million views. On site, at the Grand Old Square, between 10,000–15,000 people follow the declaration live, but in 2022, a record number was reached, when approximately 18,000 people gathered to listen to the programme.

The declaration of Christmas peace in Turku is a significant occasion for Finland, because it initiates the entire nation’s peaceful Christmas celebrations. The Christmas peace is declared by the City of Turku’s Chief of Protocol, Mika Akkanen.

Preparing for Christmas Eve

Akkanen has worked for the city since 1997. He declared Christmas peace for the first time in 2013.

About two weeks before Christmas, Akkanen starts to rehearse reading the declaration text. At first, he reads it from a paper in the garage or in the bedroom, behind closed doors, so that he can concentrate and not be disturbed. Akkanen points out that it is important to time the reading, so that one does not read it too fast or too slow.

When there are only a few days to Christmas, Akkanen takes the parchment scroll. He needs to rehearse the grip on the scroll in order for the scroll to open smoothly, and to avoid unnecessary noise in the microphone.

The parchment is the work of artist Tauno Torpo from 1956, and there is also a copy of it, made by calligrapher Merja Koivuniemi in 2009. The parchments are kept in the city’s vault.

The Power of Continuity

As of the year 1886, the declaration of Christmas peace has been read from the Brinkkala Mansion’s balcony. Nowadays, this ceremony is the only one during which the balcony is used.

When Akkanen steps out on the balcony on Christmas Eve, when the Cathedral’s bells chime 12, he is hit by a strong sense of community and the spirit of a several centuries long continuity. You do not even have the time to cool down. Akkanen thinks that one could spend an hour on the balcony, because of how nice it feels. He says that the power of continuity is the most important message of the declaration of Christmas peace.

— Christmas is the time in society, when families come together. Christmas peace is a representation of continuity and the generational chain: People have come before us, and people will come after us.

Christmas Peace is a representation of continuity and the generational chain: People have come before us, and people will come after us.

Akkanen remembers the years of Covid in 2020–2021, when Christmas peace was declared in front of an empty Old Great Square.

— It was somewhat dreary, he states.

It was considered recording the declaration ceremony in advance, but with the mayor’s decision it was broadcast live. The declaration of Christmas peace has been broadcast live in television since 1983.

The Tradition Persists

History has not managed to disrupt the tradition, even if there are a handful of years when Christmas peace has not been declared.

During 1712–1721, the Great Unrest put the city to the test, and during 1809–1815 Finland was joining the Russian Empire. In December 1917, the militia went on strike, resulting in the Russian military bringing a machine gun to the Brinkkala Manchion’s balcony. In 1939, during the Winter War, public gatherings were avoided due to fear of aerial bombings. Also, after the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, there may have been a disruption in the declaring of Christmas peace.

Smaller setbacks do not threaten the declaration of Christmas peace. Christmas peace has traditionally been declared by an executive officer at the City of Turku, and initially, it was the city’s counsel’s secretary, who declared Christmas peace. The secretary of the Registry Office was also the reader during a point in time. In 1978, the task was given to the City of Turku’s City Secretary or the Chief of Staff. Nowadays, the Chief of Protocol has the honor.

If Akkanen, for one reason or another, would be prevented from declaring Christmas peace, the Senior City Secretary Ari-Pekka Korhonen, would stand in. He is the first in line and stands behind the curtain dressed in a dark suit in case Akkanen would trip right before the ceremony starts. The second in line is the Chief of Staff, Tuomas Heikkinen.

Peace and a Joyous Sense of Community

At one point in time, all kind of gluttony, heavy drinking, and noisiness were prohibited. The punishments given for committed offenses during the time of Christmas peace were also harsher than during normal times.

The content of the declaration has been preserved as the same, although the exact wording from the tradition’s first few centuries are not preserved. The oldest copy of the declaration found in Turku is from 1834. It was written from memory by the secretary of the Registry Office after the Great Fire of Turku. If the declaration would be destroyed now, Akkanen would know it by heart at any time, in both languages (Finnish and Swedish).

The declaration does not not have legal force anymore, but it reminds the citizens that Christmas peace has begun, calls on peaceful Christmas celebrations, and wishes a merry Christmas. As his favourite Christmas song, Akkanen mentions the traditional I Seek No Gold Or Majesty, which wants for world peace. He also has another favourite.

— Feliz Navidad by José Feliciano. It is full of a joyous sense of community, but it leaves out ravaging and noisiness, which have no place at Christmas, he concludes.

Akkanen is pleased with the current format of the declaration of Christmas peace, which dates from 1903. He says that the surprise lies in the declaration always being the same.

A Monthslong Project

Someone might have wondered about whether the person who declares Christmas peace has a similar job as Santa Claus: Only working for one day and being on holiday for the rest of the year. Akkanen assures that this is not the case.

The preparations behind the declaration of Christmas peace is a monthslong project, which requires cooperation between many different parties. Akkanen acts as the project manager for the Christmas Peace Project – in addition to his normal duties. The declaration that lasts two and a half minutes is the culmination of all the hard work.

Akkanen’s workday does not, however, end with the declaration of Christmas peace. Afterward follows a moment with coffee and mulled wine together with the people who made the ceremony happen. During the occasion, Akkanen holds a short thank you speech and the choir sings Silent Night. At around 13 pm., Akkanen can commence his own Christmas celebration, but before that, he returns the parchment scroll to storage, where it waits for the next year.

TEXT: VILMA AALTONEN — TRANSLATION: CARL-IVAR BACK — PICTURES: TIMO JAKONEN