Each year, at noon on Christmas Eve, the Christmas Peace Declaration is televised live on Yle from the Old Great Square in Turku, marking the start of the holiday celebrations for many people in Finland. But what is this medieval threat of harsher punishment for crimes committed over the holidays and where does it originate from?
The old Nordic legislation has its roots in the 14th century, when it was enacted by Swedish statesman Birger Jarl, who led the second Swedish Crusade and established Swedish rule in Finland.
The Christmas Peace, which meant that penalties for violations committed during the Christmas Peace period were harsher than other times, was put in place because Christmas brought with it free time for the masses - and unfortunately civil unrest often ensued.
"There was an actual purpose to it, in the past, when excessive alcohol use, especially over the holidays, led to all kinds of conflict and disturbance. The law used to pertain to each city, particularly the bigger cities, before it evolved into our national tradition," says Finnish Literature Society archivist Juha Nirkko.
The law and its consequences traditionally lasted for a period of 20 days, from December 24 to January 13, a day known in Finland as Nuutinpäivä. Although the declaration that is read still threatens harsher punishments for infractions during the holiday, it has carried no legal consequences since 1889.
Once practiced across the Nordics, Finland is the only country that has kept up the tradition. The exact wording of the legislation, used during the first few centuries, has been lost over time, but the main contents of the declaration remain the same; advising people to spend the festive period in harmony and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.
The version that has been delivered from the balcony of the Brinkkala building since 1886 is the same text that the magistrate's secretary reproduced from memory after the Great Fire of Turku in 1827.
A near-uninterrupted tradition
There have only been a few interruptions to the beloved institution over the centuries. It is presumed that the peace declaration was not read during the Russian invasion and occupation of Finland in 1712 and 1721, a period also known as the Greater Wrath, and possibly between 1809 and 1815, when the Grand Duchy of Finland was established within the Russian Empire.
The declaration was also canceled in 1917 when rival militias were preparing for civil war as well as in 1939, during the Winter War, when all outdoor gatherings were put on hold due to the threat of air raids.
In 2020, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the declaration was read to an empty town square instead of the crowd usually consisting of around 20,000 attendants.
The Declaration of Christmas Peace in Turku, which is read in both Finnish and Swedish, has been broadcast on the radio since 1935. National television broadcasts of the event started in 1983 and the event has also been broadcast on Swedish television since 1986. Nowadays the Declaration of Christmas Peace can be viewed live around the world online.
For Finnish people, the Declaration of Christmas Peace has meaning beyond the literal. It is a tradition that marks the official start of Christmas for many families, including Nirkko’s.
"With preparations still going on past the Day of Tuomas (December 21), the Christmas Peace is for many the moment when everything and everyone is finally ready," says Nirkko. "It’s a time to quiet down and actually start the celebration."
