Christmas celebrated amidst festivity, joy

The Christmas celebration was observed on Monday across the country amidst festivity and joy.

People were found to celebrate the festival with their family members and dearest ones.

Several hundreds of people, mostly tourists were seen at the Santa Claus Village at Arctic Circle in Lapland on the Christmas day to celebrate the festival.

The celebrations included in exchanging gifts and greeting cards, preparing traditional foods, visiting family members and friends and spending holidays in the cottages and other accommodation facilities.

Earlier on the Christmas Eve on Sunday, the traditional Declaration of Christmas Peace resounded from the balcony of Brinkala House in Turku at the noon.

The Declaration of Christmas Peace was read aloud in Finnish and Swedish for eleventh time by Mika Akkanen, Manager of International Affairs, the City of Turku.

All the government, semi-government and private offices including bank remained closed on Monday and Tuesday, addition to weekly holidays on Saturday and Sunday.

Many markets and shopping malls remained open for limited hours in separate schedules during the holidays while most of the business centers remained closed.

The business organisations decide their own opening hours as retail opening hours have been de-regulated during the recent years.

The weather condition was moderate in most of the parts of the country while driving conditions were poor in many areas due to plus temperature.