New Year's Eve

In Finland, New Year's Eve is a festive occasion, which you either spend dining and socialising with close friends or family, or attending a big party. The highlight of the evening is fireworks, which are shot at midnight. People buy and fire their own fireworks from their yards, so every neighbourhood gets a show. A New Year tradition that is exciting especially for children is predicting the future from melted tin. There are special horse-shoe shaped tins for sale in shops, which you melt over the stove and throw into a bucket of cold water. The shape of the tin tells you about your future.

At midnight, people often open a bottle of champagne and wish each other "Hyvää Uutta Vuotta!"