The area around Turku Cathedral

There are several sites with seasonal lighting in the vicinity of Turku Cathedral.

Turku Cathedral Christmas Tree

The first Christmas tree lit with electric lamps was brought to Turku Cathedral as early as 1900, and it became a permanent tradition in the 1930s. According to folklore, there were some interruptions in this tradition during the war years. A record of Christmas trees has been kept since 1955, which indicates the donors and original locations of the trees.

The 2021 tree was retrieved from Säkylä. It is 55 years old and 23 metres high. The branches of the tree are decorated with 722 LED lamps. The tree is escorted to the Cathedral by the police and traffic officers. The lights of the tree are lit before the first Advent Sunday and they remain lit until St Knut’s Day. Traditionally, the tree is chopped and returned to the donors once it has served as the best-known Christmas tree in Finland. Some of the earlier trees have been made into garden furniture, and one of the trees was used as the raw wood of the museum ship Sigyn.

Brahenpuisto and Porthaninpuisto Parks

Many special lighting projects have been implemented with the support of Turku City Beautification Fund. One of these is the seasonal lighting in the Brahenpuisto and Porthaninpuisto Parks. Turku City Beautification Fund is an endowment fund whose assets can be used for various purposes, such as the improvement of parks, the acquisition of information signs, outdoor sculptures and works of art, as well as for maintenance work and the removal of unwanted graffiti.