The Declaration of Christmas Peace
Cherished tradition for locals
Dear tradition
In Rauma, the declaration of Christmas peace has a long tradition. The proclamation has been read continuously every year from the front of the Town Hall for likely almost 350 years. The Christmas peace proclamation from Rauma, dating back to the late 1600s, is known to be the oldest written proclamation text preserved in Finland.
The text currently read on Christmas Eve dates back to 1919. Only during the war year of 1939 was the proclamation not read, as Rauma had been bombed just before Christmas on December 22, 1939. The Christmas peace has been declared from Rauma to the Finnish nation via radio, most recently in 1943. In 2020 and 2021, the Christmas peace proclamation was organized as a live broadcast without an audience due to the COVID-19 situation.
The proclamation has been read continuously every year from the front of the Town Hall for likely almost 350 years.
Schedule
The traditional declaration of Christmas peace in the city of Rauma is held annually on December 24th, starting at 11:50 AM in the heart of Old Rauma at the Market Square. The program for the declaration of Christmas peace includes choir performances, and the mayor of Rauma proclaims the Christmas peace from the steps of the Old Town Hall at 12:00 PM.