'Hyvää joulua', meaning 'Merry Christmas', is the most common phrase used at Christmas time in Finland. Many languages have words that are only appropriate to use in informal or formal circumstances, but 'Hyvää joulua' is a suitable greeting for everyone. Occasionally, Finnish people may use the word 'joulunaikaa' instead, which means 'Christmastime'.

When writing Christmas cards, Finnish people may extend the greeting to 'Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta!' (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!) This is no different to most western countries where Christmas is celebrated a week before the end of the year.

Finland is a Christian country, but as with many places, people of other religions and cultures have made the country their home. To avoid upsetting or insulting those who do not celebrate Christmas, the Finnish greeting 'Hyvää vuodenvaihdetta!' is used, which literally translates as 'Good turn of the year!' This is appropriate for many religions and none due to the approaching New Year celebrations. Several other religious holidays also take place during the winter, therefore, the neutral greeting wishes people well for every festival taking place.

More Info: herfinland.com