This Year’s Christmas Presents

Finlandis getting all wintery. Northern Finland is already wrapped in pure white snow and skiing centres have opened their slopes. They welcome warmly all enthusiastic winter sportsmen, despite of the recent strike threats of slope workers. Southern Finland is also eagerly awaiting for white snow cover to soon land on it.

The darkest time of the year is brightened up by Christmas lighting both in people's homes and on pedestrian streets. The whole nation is counting days until the winter solstice, the whole year's darkest day, and following it, Christmas. However, Christmas is still out of sight on the street scene - fortunately so. The overwhelming commercialism of the Christmas season will still have a plenty of time to fill our senses.

Ahead of us is the very first Christmas since the global economic crisis billowed also to Finland. How are we going to see that while doing our Christmas shopping?

The current economic trend of trade continues looking murky. However, Christmas trade is expected to grow by two per cent, which means that its growth will be slower than the average in the 21^st century. This year's Christmas trade will be more crucial for many traders than ever before.

The new law providing an extension of opening hours supports this year's Christmas trade. At last Finnish grocery stores have the right to keep their doors open also on Sundays. Small convenience stores of fewer than 400 square meters are entirely unbound by restrictions of opening hours, which means that they can now keep their doors open 24/7 if they wish to do so.

Although the possibilities for shopping increase, at the same time consumerism - during a time of climate change and economic crisis - is badly out of fashion. So, therefore, I will take this opportunity to propose alternative, sustainable Christmas presents, which will warm up the hearts and minds of your loved ones. People, who already have everything anyway.

Take your pick: books for unprivileged schools, blankets, mosquito nets against malaria, water purification tablets, polio and measles vaccinations and therapeutic milk for malnourished children, a goat, a cow or a profession for a mother supporting her family in a developing country and the list goes on…