Christmas at the Monastery

Christmas

The great feasts of the church year bring many pilgrims and guests fond of the Valamo atmosphere to Valamo every year. The peaceful atmosphere and atmospheric festive services create the best setting for celebrating the holidays. You can also visit the monastery for a day during the celebration.

In the Orthodox Church, Christmas is preceded by a 40-day Christmas fast, which only ends with the Christmas meal, which is eaten only on December 25, after the Christmas Day liturgy.

Christmas is one of the 12 Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church.

For Orthodox Christians, Christmas also includes two other feast days in addition to Christmas Day (December 25): the second and third days of Christmas. The second day of Christmas, December 26, is dedicated to the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary, and is also called the Synaxis of the Theotokos, and the third day of Christmas (December 27) is dedicated to the first martyr of the Christian Church, Saint Deacon Stephen (in Finnish, Tapani). The third day of Christmas is therefore ”Tapani Day” in Finnish, Saint Stephen's Day.

Christmas Program

Subject to change.

Christmas 2026 Full Board Packages

Christmas Full Board Package 23. – 26.12.2026

Prices:

Monastery Hotel 2-3 person room €433 / person

Lay Academy Hotel 2 person room €403 / person

Lay Academy Hotel 1 person room €478

Small Hotel single cell room €433

Guesthouse 2-4 person room €343 / person

Guesthouse 1 person room €418

Affordable extra nights in conjunction with the Christmas package 19.-23.12. and 26.-28.12

Monastery Hotel or Lay Academy Hotel €40/person/night in a double room
Guesthouses €30/person/night in a double room
Lay Academy Hotel €60 / person / night in a single room
Guesthouses €50 / person / night in a single room
Prices include accommodation and monastery breakfast

NOTE! Room reservations for the Christmas period are not available for booking on Booking.com or the monastery's booking site. Reservations only directly from Valamo Monastery Sales Service.

Additional information and Reservations:

Valamo Sales Service
tel. 017 570 1810 (weekdays 9 AM - 3:30 PM), salesservice@valamo.fi

Monastery Opening Hours for Christmas 2026

Wednesday, Dec 23

Reception, Tuohus, and wine shop 09:00 AM - 07:00 PM

Church 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Café-Restaurant Trapesa 07:30 AM – 08:00 PM

Library and exhibitions 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Thursday, Dec 24

Reception, Tuohus, and wine shop 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Church 11:00 AM - 06:00 PM

Café-Restaurant Trapesa 08:00 AM – 08:30 PM

Library and exhibitions 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM

Friday, Dec 25

Reception, Tuohus, and wine shop 10:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Church 10:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Café-Restaurant Trapesa 08:00 AM – 09:00 PM

Library and exhibitions 10:00 AM – 05:00 PM

Saturday, Dec 26

Reception, Tuohus, and wine shop 09:00 AM - 04:00 PM

Church during services and from 11:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Café-Restaurant Trapesa 07:30 AM – 06:00 PM

Library and exhibitions 12:00 PM – 05:00 PM

Nighttime peace in the monastery area and accommodation from 10:00 PM - 06:00 AM

Reception: tel 044 425 9228

Night duty: tel 044 425 9200

Church Services for Christmas 2026

Church Services

Tuesday, Dec 22.

06:00 AM Midnight and Morning Service, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

06:00 PM Ninth Hour, Vespers, and Small Compline and Rule of Prayer

Wednesday, Dec 23. Day before Christmas Eve

06:00 AM Midnight Service and Morning Service and First Hour

06:00 PM Ninth Hour, Vespers, Small Compline and Rule of Prayer

Thursday, Dec 24. Christmas Eve

06:00 AM Midnight and Morning Service, Royal Hours and Hours Service

09:00 AM Great Vespers and Liturgy of St. Basil the Great

10:00 PM Vigil (Great Compline, Litiya and Polyeleos Matins)

Friday, Dec 25. The Nativity of Christ, Christmas

12:00 AM Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

05:00 PM Ninth Hour and Great Vespers

Saturday, Dec 26. Second Day of Christmas

09:00 AM Morning Service, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and Panagia

12:00 PM Moleben, or Prayer Service to the Mother of God

06:00 PM Vigil (Great Vespers, Polyeleos Matins and First Hour)

Christ is born – glorify Him

Meals and Other Program

Wednesday, Dec 23. Day before Christmas Eve

04:00 PM – 07:00 PM Monastery Dinner

Thursday 24.12. Christmas Eve

08:00 AM – 10:00 AM Monastery Breakfast

11:00 AM – 03:00 PM Monastery Lunch

02:30 PM - 03:45 PM Guided tour, Father Sofroni and Brother Mattias, starts in front of the Service Center

04:00 PM - 06:00 PM Monastery Borsch Soup Dinner

07:00 PM - 08:00 PM Valamo Glögi Evening, free socialising with glögi and small snacks

Friday, Dec 25. The Nativity of Christ, Christmas

08:00 AM-10:00 AM Christmas Breakfast

11:00 AM-04:00 PM Karelian Christmas Buffet

12:00 PM-01:30 PM Valamo College open for visits

06:30 PM-08:30 PM Monastery Christmas Celebration, featuring the abbot of the monastery, Archimandrite Mikael and the brotherhood, restaurant Trapesa

Saturday, Dec 26. Second Day of Christmas

07:30 AM-10:00 AM Breakfast

11.00 AM-03.00 PM Christmas Buffet

Meals mentioned in the program are included in the Christmas package and are served as a buffet in the café-restaurant Trapesa. The day before Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve are fasting days according to Orthodox tradition, which is taken into account in the composition of the meals.

Christmas Eve sauna slots 01:00 PM-08:00 PM: For women: College Hotel sauna, for men: Monastery Hotel sauna. Please bring your towel from your room.

Christmas Menus

Christmas menus will be published later

Contact information

Driving directions and transport connections

Invoicing addresses and bank details
Accessibility statement

Visiting hours

Valamo Monastery is open year-round. Services' visiting hours vary by season.

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Thank you and welcome again!