As a farmers’ organization on a daily basis Future of the countryside normally points out this time of year the Christmas festival season – what Finns call it "Little Christmas" party – is in full swing.
Usually companies organize for employees or clubs for their members and are held a few weeks before Christmas, and this year even small events have been canceled.
Timo NiinimÀki , which owns and operates the Kievari Rantapirtti party and catering service in JÀmsÀ, told the newspaper that the events supported by the companies have been on and off since the beginning of the interest rate virus epidemic. He mentioned one reservation he had from employees of the company who wanted to organize a small sauna night at their own expense instead of the traditional Christmas party, but the company came up with the idea.
NiinimÀki says that reservations are coming and going. Although she has a wedding party reservation for next summer, many events scheduled for next fall have already been canceled.
While usually organizing small events, people may be wary of getting close to the social environment even within their own group, the CEO Asko MerilÀ The Future of the Countryside told about MerilÀ Manor in UtajÀrvi.
Normally, during the festive season, MerilĂ€ Manor serves 50â60 Christmas hams to guests, but Asko MerilĂ€ estimates that this year the number will be about twenty.
Home for Christmas?
Many Finnish city dwellers usually leave the city at Christmas to spend a holiday with large families in the provinces.
Tabloids Evening paper today points out that the increasingly stringent measures being introduced in different parts of the country and the accelerating epidemic are likely to affect many peopleâs plans this year.
It writes that, especially in Helsinki and Uusimaa, where the situation is currently most serious, many are wondering whether it is already worth going elsewhere at Christmas.
Traveling to the Uusimaa region is not recommended, and it is also recommended to avoid inviting Uusimaa guests to visit other areas.
The chiefs of several hospital districts interviewed by Iltalehti agree that the message should now be that unnecessary travel is currently a risk, regardless of direction.
For example, Antti HedmanThe chief physician of the Pohjois-Savo Hospital District described his situation in the area "reassure", but pointed out that traveling to and from the area can cause problems.
"It is now worrying what the Christmas party means in the area. Christmas usually means family celebrations, which now play a major role in the spread of the disease, and even small family Christmas is a problem for the elderly or at-risk groups," Hedman points out.
These medical experts urge anyone planning to travel at Christmas to take special care to stay out of the crowd, avoiding bars and pubs and any behavior that could increase the spread of the virus.
Antti Hedman also urged readers of Iltalehti to consider whether they really need to make physical visits during the holidays.
"We can connect in ways other than visits. Today, we have a variety of electronic tools to help us come together," Hedman points out.
Hospital staff
Helsinki Evening News reports that despite the fact that there may be a shortage of staff in medical facilities in the coming holiday season, many hospital administrators told the newspaper that they expect staff numbers to be roughly normal at Christmas time.
Ilta-Lehti points out that if the epidemic got bad enough for state doctors and nurses to impose an emergency law, they could be forced to cancel their vacation.
However, according to Ilta-Sanomat in some hospital districts, the late holiday time of nursing staff in the spring may pose challenges for healthcare during the Christmas holidays.
In many places, efforts are being made to prevent potential labor shortages by redeploying staff, for example by postponing non-acute surgical procedures. In the Uusimaa hospital district, non-emergency care has already been reduced, but it is not uncommon during the Christmas holidays.
This paper states that in a number of hospital districts, the situation is not expected to deteriorate critically. Christmas time is normally busy, but for many hospital districts, the situation is not critical, at least for now.
Used shopping
Finland’s largest daily circulation, Helsingin sanomat newspaper, reports that Finns have bought a record number of second – hand goods from websites since the start of the coronavirus epidemic.
According to Finland’s largest used Internet marketplaces, Tori.fi and Huuto.net, business has risen enormously this year.
Posti Posti says that the number of consumer-consumer packages it has delivered since the spring has increased by 40-50 per cent.
Helsingin Sanomat asked Tori.fi which second-hand products were best sold in different parts of the country in January-October this year.
The review found that the best-selling products in Helsinki and many other places are second-hand clothes.
But isnât this true everywhere. In Suonenjoki, for example, horse care products are at the top of the list. In Outokumpu it is used cars, in Kronoby it is parts for mopeds and scooters and Nakkila sound equipment.
In January-October, more used products were sold at Tori.fi than last year. This year, sales of children’s clothing, toys and games, home furnishings, furniture and hobby equipment in the online store have grown particularly strongly.
Unsurprisingly, e-commerce in second-hand goods has been boosted by peopleâs efforts to avoid risks during an epidemic, Elina NĂ€rvĂ€nen, Assistant Professor of Services and Trade at the University of Tampere.
Another reason is probably to save money.
âThe financial situation of many people is uncertain. This can increase the demand for cheap used products, âsays NĂ€rvĂ€nen.