In Finland, what is the name of the traditional Christmas ham?

In Finland, the traditional Christmas ham is called joulukinkku.

Joulukinkku is the centerpiece of the Finnish Christmas table, or joulupöytä. The name combines joulu, meaning Christmas, with kinkku, meaning ham. It is generally a large oven-baked ham, often coated with mustard and breadcrumbs after cooking, then served sliced with casseroles and other festive foods.

Finnish Christmas meals commonly include carrot, swede, and potato casseroles, along with fish such as smoked salmon or gravlax. The ham provides the rich meat course in a meal shaped by the country’s long winter and older agricultural traditions.

The dish is not the same as poronkäristys, which is sautéed reindeer, or kalkkuna, which means turkey. Julskinka is the Swedish term for Christmas ham; it is understandable in Finland’s bilingual Nordic context, but joulukinkku is the Finnish name the question asks for. Historically, Christmas ham replaced an older tradition of eating lamb connected with the harvest festival kekri.