Annual Church festivals
The Christian worship follows a yearly cycle of highlights, celebrations, and different themes in the Church life during the year.
The church calendar starts on the first Sunday in Advent, four to five weeks before Christmas. It has three major periods: Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.
Christmas period
At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. This is preceded by Advent, a four-week period of fasting and preparation. In Finland, the first Sunday of Advent is called ‘Hosanna Sunday’ because of the tradition of singing the popular Hosanna hymn (Finnish Hymnal #1) during the Gospel reading of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. This Sunday is one of the most well-attended services of the year.
Music and community singing are important parts of the Advent and Christmas season. The church organises many concerts and Christmas carol gatherings, including the popular ‘Most Beautiful Christmas Songs’ events. Offerings and proceeds from these gatherings generally go to the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Mission (Felm).
On Christmas Eve, many parishes hold several short devotional services to accommodate the crowds eager to attend church.
Christmas morning continues the celebration with a service often held at dawn.
Epiphany, on 6 January, marks the Magi’s visit to Jesus’ home in Bethlehem. This day focuses on the themes of light, revelation, and Christian missions.
Easter period
Easter is the most important celebration in the Christian calendar, marking Jesus’ rising from the dead. The Easter period begins with Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, repentance, and prayer, starting on Ash Wednesday and ending with Holy Week.
On Ash Wednesday, services are held to usher in the fasting season. During the service, people receive an ashen cross drawn on their foreheads as a token of repentance.
Holy Week includes Palm Sunday (Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem), Maundy Thursday (the Last Supper), Good Friday (Jesus’ crucifixion), and Holy Saturday (quiet reflection and the Easter Vigil service).
Easter Sunday celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, symbolising victory over sin and death, with joyous services, special hymns, and church bells. The Easter season lasts 50 days until Pentecost.
Ascension Day is celebrated 40 days after Easter. It marks Jesus’ ascension to heaven and his command to spread the Christian message worldwide, the Great Commission.
Pentecost period
Pentecost celebrates the Holy Spirit coming down on Jesus’ disciples 50 days after Easter, marking the birth of the Christian Church. It features vibrant worship services and red church textiles symbolising the Holy Spirit’s flames. Bible readings focus on the apostles speaking about God’s marvellous deeds in many languages to an international crowd in Jerusalem (Acts 2). Some parishes hold international and multilingual services on Pentecost.
The period from Pentecost to Advent focuses on the life of the Christian community and of individual Christians as Christ’s witnesses in the world.
Other notable feasts
All Saints’ Day, on the first Sunday of November, honours all saints and martyrs. Many people visit graveyards to light candles on the graves of their loved ones. In special services, the names of parish members who passed away in the past year are read.
