Xmas Eve today sets mood for Xmas tomorrow

All-out preparations have been made in the country to celebrate Christmas Eve on Saturday and Christmas on Sunday amidst festivity and joys.

People will celebrate the festival with their family members and dearest ones after celebration amidst restrictive measures in the last two years against the backdrop of coronavirus outbreak across the world.

All government, semi-government and private offices and most of the business centres will remain closed on the occasion.

On Christmas Eve some shops may remain open until noon.

The alcohol shop Alko will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Main postal offices will also remain closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day with the exception of the Helsinki main postal office which will remain open until noon on Christmas Eve.

It is, however, important to note that the majority of postal offices, shops and other businesses operate according to their own timetable during the festive season.

The railway traffic will also slow down during the festive season.

VR Group commuter and long-distance trains will run sparingly on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Both commuter and long-distance trains will run mainly by the Sunday timetable on Boxing Day and on Epiphany.

Also the bus services will not be running some shifts during the Christmas holidays.

President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin greeted the people on the occasions of Christmas.

The President in a separate message also greeted Finnish peacekeepers, who are serving in ten military crisis management or military observer missions abroad.