Pikkujoulu

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Pikkujoulu, Finnish for “little Christmas,” is a traditional Finnish pre-Christmas party. It is informal, very festive, and themed around Christmas. People hold Pikkujoulu in workplaces, clubs, schools, or with friends. It is not the same as Lilla jul, which Swedish-speaking Finns celebrate on the Saturday before the first Advent.

Pikkujoulu is more free-form and less religious than Christmas. It’s often the first time Christmas foods are served, such as rice pudding with fruit. The most traditional drink is glögi, a hot spiced beverage that can contain alcohol or be alcohol-free.

Entertainment can include speeches, jokes or humorous sketches, and mock awards. Song books are shared, and people sing Christmas songs in Finnish, English, or Swedish. Karaoke is popular, and there might also be a band, comedian, magician, or a short play. Every Pikkujoulu usually has Santa Claus giving out small gag gifts.

In Helsinki, 2011 Pikkujoulu celebrations led to many police calls due to drinking.

Pikkujoulu is similar to other Nordic pre-Christmas traditions, like Norway’s julebord and Sweden’s julbord, and some Norwegians have started adapting theirs toward Pikkujoulu.

The tradition comes from Advent—the waiting for Christmas. In the 19th century, Advent was sometimes called “little Christmas.” Pikkujoulu began in Germany and Sweden in the 1800s and was taken up by Finnish students. It really grew in Helsinki after World War I, building on school “Christmas tree parties.” In the 1930s it spread to other groups. Before World War II it was sometimes called “porridge parties.” The private family Pikkujoulu is linked to a Tuomas nameday on December 21, when tasting home-made beer became allowed. In Sweden, Tuomas nameday evening is called Lilla jul, which later became part of Saint Lucy’s Day celebrations, similar to Pikkujoulu.