Celebrating 105 years of Finland’s independence at Christmastime in Manila
Finnish Ambassador to the Philippines Juha Pyykkö reopened Finland’s embassy in Manila in the latter part of 2020. It was right smack in the middle of a pandemic but thankfully, he arrived as the restrictions were starting to loosen up. Still, setting up an embassy must have been quite a challenge. Just two years later, however, the embassy’s lean team in Manila is already making great strides.
As Finland’s “first” new ambassador since the closure in 2012, Pyykkö has been very active in promoting his country in various sectors, especially in business and education. He’s also about to end his term as the 2022 European Union Gender Champion on a high note after a successful campaign against gender-based violence, an issue, he says, the Philippines and Finland can work on together. The ambassador is the first male to hold the position.
The embassy also held a reception on Dec. 6 for the 105th year of Finland’s independence. It was their first big event since the reopening now that people can gather a lot more freely. At The Blue Leaf in Taguig, it was attended by the diplomatic corps, the media, and friends of the embassy. Snowflakes were projected on the walls while the venue was mainly covered in blue light, giving an illusion of a cozy, winter night in the Nordic country. Renowned Finnish photographer Ritva Kovalainen also shared a moment of peace and calm with her video The Flowing Forest, a meditative voyage into the depths of Finland’s primeval forests.
“For us Finns, being happy in life is more of being content,” Pyykkö shared. “This feeling and experience are based on our freedom, relationship to nature, social security, gender equality, and trust. Trust in society and among inhabitants is, to me, the most important thing that defines Finnish society and us Finns.”
Bringing holiday cheer
Christmas is a big thing for both Filipinos and Finns and the ambassador recently shared their holiday traditions at the Mano Amiga Academy, a school that provides international quality education to underprivileged communities.
“I think both Filipinos and Finns take Christmas seriously, in a good way,” Pyykkö said. “In both countries, Christmas is really the highlight of the year and the main celebration.”
The school, founded by educator and women empowerment advocate Lynn Pinugu, hosts a yearly activity near Christmas called Around the World. “Since most of the kids cannot travel outside of the country during the holidays, we try to give them a similar feeling here in school,” Pinugu said. This year, one of the classrooms was dedicated to Finland, with Ambasssador Pyykkö and his wife, Mme. Riitta Laakso, leading the activities. Stringing sweet, gingerbread cookies that made the room smell like Christmas, the couple was such a class act and a hit among the children.
‘Even for us adults in Finland, Santa Claus represents magic. I hope we all keep magic alive in our lives.’
It’s not every day you meet an ambassador who’s game to dress up as one of their country’s most famous personalities, especially if it’s a character that’s hard to give justice to like Santa Claus. Pyykkö donned the costume with a smile, counting it as part of the job to promote his country.
“Christmas is special time, and children all over the world make it extra special,” Ambassador Pyykkö said. “Visiting Mano Amiga Academy around Christmas time gave my wife Riitta and me an opportunity to spread the word about Finland, Christmas in Finland, and about Santa Claus who comes from Finland, and settle into the Christmas spirit.”
He told the kids about Santa Claus’ home, which could be found in Rovaniemi, an area in Finland’s northernmost region called Lapland. “The ambassador isn’t here today but he told me to tell you all about Finland,” he quipped as the kids listened intently. The children also performed Christmas carols with Santa Claus singing along. Mme. Riitta then led the children in doing fun holiday activities like decorating a gingerbread house using icing and candy.
“I felt that for the kids at Mano Amiga Academy was certainly more important and rewarding,” he said about the experience. “I hope, meeting Santa Claus rather than Ambassador Pyykkö, the children were able to feel the Christmas spirit,” he added. Finns are known for their humility and it really shows in the way the couple were interacting with the children and how they prepared everything themselves.
Clutching makeshift passports, the kids were also excited to get theirs stamped by the couple as they moved on to their next “country” of destination. Ambassador Pyykkö admits that education is a cause that is really close to his heart. “Finland is an education superpower and a big part of my work in the Philippines is about engaging in dialogue with Philippine colleagues and partners on education,” he said. “In so many respects, education has been the foundation for the development of our society and economy in Finland, and I hope that education can play the same role in the Philippines as well.”
While the children were decorating their gingerbread houses, I asked one of the girls what she thought of Finland after meeting Santa Claus. “I want to study harder so I can work and visit him in Finland,” she said with a huge smile. Finland is currently home to around 7,000 Filipinos, mostly professionals and largely in the healthcare sector.
As we celebrate the most wonderful time of the year for children and as harried adults are trying to get everything done before noche buena, the ambassador wanted to remind people not to forget that along with our Christian traditions, it’s best to also pause and appreciate this time of year. “Even for us adults in Finland, Santa Claus represents magic. I hope we all keep magic alive in our lives,” the ambassador said.
Happy holidays, everyone!