If you don’t get all of your shopping done Thursday, never fear, you’ll have a final chance before the weekend on Midsummer’s Eve, Friday between 7.00 am and 12.00 noon. If you miss the Friday deadline, you’ll have to wait until Sunday to purchase necessary items, as most stores will shut their doors for the holiday Saturday. The only exceptions will be kiosks, shops in sparsely-populated areas and convenience stores at small service stations.
For many Finns, the Midsummer weekend is a popular time to kick back with a tipple of something strong. If your beverage tastes take you in the direction of the hard stuff, note that Alko, the state-owned monopoly alcohol retailer will keep its doors open until 8.00 pm Thursday and from 9.00 to 12.00 noon Friday. If you don’t get your liquor shopping done by then your next chance to slake your thirst will be Monday.
Post offices will close their doors from Thursday evening at 6.00 pm at the latest, so any mail that doesn’t make it to post office mail boxes before that time will have to wait until next week to be dispatched. The only exception will be Posti’s main office in Helsinki which will be open on Friday until 12.00 noon. Not surprisingly the service-minded (and possibly non-unionised) elves up at Santa’s post office in Rovaniemi will be showing up their southern counterparts by working through the Midsummer holiday on Saturday. Other companies providing postal services will do so according to their own Midsummer schedules – users are advised to check with them as required.
Hitting the road? Check commuter transportation schedules
Holidays usually mean lots of commuter travel – and changes in public transportation services. Commuters looking to make a getaway for the short Midsummer holiday should note that inter-city rail services on Thursday will run according to Friday schedules, while Friday’s trains will observe a Saturday schedule. Additionally, state rail service provider** VR** notes that maintenance work on the rail infrastructure will also mess with timetables. If all this is as clear as mud, don’t take any chances – consult the VR website for more precise information on summer and Midsummer weekend schedules.
Commuter bus and freight company Matkahuolto meanwhile, says it will be scaling back its services on Friday evening and on Midsummer, Saturday. In other cases, services on some routes will be cancelled altogether. If your preferred mode of travel is by bus, you’d do well to check the Matkahuolto website to ensure you aren’t left stranded waiting for a bus that will never arrive.
Public holidays also leave their mark on banking services. This week banks will open as usual on Thursday, but will remain closed from Friday through to Sunday, next opening their doors for business Monday morning. There should be no disruption to online banking and ATM services, however.
Sadly, data show that the Midsummer break brings its fair share of holiday emergencies. To ensure that everyone enjoys a safe holiday, national crisis hotlines will be open on Friday from 09.00 to 06.00 am Saturday. Service will resume Saturday from 3.00 pm and run until 06.00 am Sunday, and will once more pick up on Sunday from 3.00 pm to 10.00 pm. The hotline offers immediate counseling help provided by crisis workers as well as trained volunteers. Even if you don’t think you’ll need it, you should save the number: 01019 5202.
Finally, Midsummer is a flag day in Finland, with private individuals as well as public and corporate entities allowed to raise flags from 6.00 pm on Midsummer’s Eve, Friday until Midsummer Saturday at 9.00 pm.
NB: This article has been updated to include Alko opening hours on Friday: 9.00 am to 12.00 noon.