Halonen gets a ham and a tree, but no fish this year

Christmas came a couple of days early for President Tarja Halonen and her husband Pentti Arajärvi on Monday, as a series of delegations arrived at the gates of the official residence of Mäntyniemi, bringing traditional gifts and greetings.
      First the Presidential pair were regaled by a sung greeting from Ellen Husberg, this year's recently-crowned "Lucia" (traditionally drawn from the Swedish-speaking population and elected on St. Lucy's Day, December 13th - see picture in attached article), and thereafter students of agriculture and forestry carried a handsome Christmas tree into Mäntyniemi.
     
Later in the morning the President received a floral greeting from the Finnish Florists' Association and a traditional Christmas ham was delivered by an agricultural producers' association.
      Aside from saying her thank yous, Halonen chatted with the forestry students about the outcome of the Copenhagen climate conference, and with the farmers' representatives about the recent stories concerning the conditions of pigs on Finnish farms.
     
One thing was missing from the normal Christmas collection: the head of state generally receives a fish from the Turku archipelago community of Korppoo. Traditionally a pike, the fish was this year not on the programme, but according to the President's Office it will be back on the list next year.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  It´s going to get cold - Are you ready for it? (15.12.2009)

See also:
  Video of the day´s gift arrivals here

Links:
  President of Finland (this particular page in Finnish only)
  Presidential website