Helsinki Christmas Market attracted record number of visitors

Helsinki Christmas Market, which ended yesterday, easily broke attendance records, with more than 600 000 visitors estimated to have visited the Christmas market in just over three weeks. Last year the visitor estimate was around 350,000. Likewise, sales at the Christmas Market were brisker than in earlier years, with, for example, more than 50,000 portions of rice porridge from different food operators sold.

This year, visitors to Helsinki Christmas Market enthusiastically bought responsible gifts and the heated customer areas in the Deli and Restaurant courts were in record use since the market opened on 29 November. The Market enabled visitors to buy products from nearly 100 artisans and small producers from across Finland, as well as from more than 20 deli vendors and café and restaurant operators.

Popular products at the gift stalls included various mulled wines, fish products, chocolate and jewellery. The best-selling food products at the Market were different variations of rice porridge, which have been featured in the media, with around 55,000 porridge portions consumed. Warming mulled beverages are also among the regular favourites at the Market, with around 75,000 mugfuls sold in the Restaurant court alone.

“Together with vendors and restaurants, we have been developing Helsinki Christmas Market long-term. This makes it encouraging to note the record numbers of Helsinki residents, tourists from elsewhere in Finland and further afield who have visited the Market to savour the Christmas flavours and unique atmosphere, and to buy gifts from small producers,” says Saara Vanhala, Senior producer at Helsinki Events Foundation, who is responsible for Helsinki Christmas Market.

Besides shopping for gifts and sampling the foods and drinks available, visitors to the Market had a chance to meet Santa Claus and experience numerous live Christmas music performances. Also Aito Iskelmä Christmas music radio delighted visitors to the Market every day. Work demonstrations at vendors’ stalls gave visitors a chance to see glass blowing, chestnut roasting and forging metal objects. The centrepiece of the Market, the traditional carousel with wooden horses, again delighted the smaller members of the family, with over 40 000 enthusiasts taking a ride. In addition, the first ever Children’s Morning meant that nearly 600 children from daycare centres and family daycare were able to visit Helsinki Christmas Market.

Helsinki Christmas Market will again be held at Senate Square in 2025. More details will be provided next year.

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