Click to view the video.
In mid-December, heavy snowfall brought over 30 centimeters of snow to Helsinki. In the past week or so, the snow has almost melted away leaving puddles and ice on the cobblestones.
One of the Christmas traditions that was celebrated in cold weather and snowfall was the national coronation of Lucia maiden.
This year the crown of candles was placed on the blonde curls of Wilma Grönqvist, 22, from Raasepori, a town and municipality in the western part of southern Finland.
She follows in the footsteps of her grandmother, who was selected as the Lucia maiden in 1958.
Wilma Grönqvist and her entourage, or choir, greeted the presidential couple the following day. They sang. President Sauli Niinistö and his spouse, Jenni Haukio, — and the observing media — seemed moved by the evangelical voices.
At this writing, Christmas Eve is approaching, and the weather forecast is cold and snowy.
The dream of a white Christmas may come true even in southern Finland.
With all this being said, we leave you with a video and gallery that document the aforementioned traditions.
We wish our readers a Merry Christmas!
President Sauli Niinistö and his spouse, Jenni Haukio, enjoying a cup of warm liquid during the traditional receiving of Christmas greetings at the Finnish president’s official residence, Mäntyniemi, on December 14, 2022. Photograph: TONY ÖHBERG/FINLAND TODAY / Click to view the gallery
