Advent Sunday marks the start of the Evangelical Lutheran Church's new liturgical year and the beginning of the Christmas season.
It also signals the start of Christmas preparations in Finland. Streets in many towns are adorned with festive lights, and people decorate their windows, yards or balconies with glowing displays.
Helsinki's Christmas Market (Tuomaan Markkinat), ranked the best in the world by CNN, kicked off this weekend.
Various concerts are also popular at this time of year. The First Advent Sunday is also one of the most popular days for Finns to attend church, where they typically sing the hymn Hosanna.
The four Sundays leading up to Christmas are known as Advent Sundays.
Traditionally, the Monday following the First Advent Sunday marked the beginning of the Advent fast, which lasted until Christmas Eve.
