Day 3

My family has not had a real Christmas tree for decades. The last time we had one was probably in the 1990s. Too many spruce needles were on the floor, so we didn’t bother buying one. We used a small plastic one that my grandmother used to own. That’s the only Christmas tree I will have. I won’t stay home for Christmas anyway, so there is no point having one.

Instead of having a real tree at home, there is the official one in front of the local church. It’s not an unknown fact for the Finns, but for you who don’t know, the official Christmas tree has been a tradition since the 20th century. Every year, there’s a new one, and on January 13, it will be used for something else, so nothing will go to waste. Every city in Finland has one, but this tree is the most elegant. It also has a fresh scent that plastic trees don’t have. Going under a spruce tree feels like you’re in the woods. It’s not everywhere you can get under a Christmas tree, right?