The song Taivas sylsäni has become one of Finland’s most popular Christmas songs

What is Finns’ favorite Christmas carol?

The answer to this question has been explored numerous times over the years, and there are just as many answers.

There are, for example, perennial favorites in the polls Zacharias Topelius lyrics, Otto Kotilainen composed by and among others Vesa-Matti Loirin became a classic as an interpretation A sparrow on Christmas morningthis year out of the “The most beautiful Christmas carols” booklet caused a small commotion Sylvia’s Christmas Carol and at the end of the 1980s Vexi Strait and Kassu Halonen worked on I make Christmas in my heart. Without forgetting, of course by Jean Sibelius composed and lyrics by Topelius I’m not looking for power or glory -vesua.

On the other hand, if you look at Spotify’s list of the most listened to songs from the Christmas days of the past years from music streaming services, the top spots are repeated foreign hits Wham Last Christmas and Mariah Careyn All I Want For Christmas Is Youon the other hand, from domestic Christmas songs, recorded by Haloo Helsingin in 2017 together with the Cantores Minores boys’ choir I share with Christmas mixed Summer of Steel Neck presented by Let Christmas come.

Along with all of these, a song recorded for the first time in Sweden in 1999 has become one of the brightest Christmas carol favorites of Finns.

Heaven in my arms -known in Finnish as the song is originally Carola Häggkvistin performed and composed by Erik Hillestadin a Christmas carol called Heaven in my arms. It appeared on Häggkvist’s Christmas carol album Jul i Betlehem in 1999.

The song didn’t immediately become a huge hit, but it has grown into a popular Christmas song in Sweden over the years.

The first Finnish-language recording of the song appeared in 2001 on a Christmas album published by the Finnish Mission Society. Heaven in my arms -interpreted the song named Maria Laaksoand the Finnish text was written by Pia Perkiö.

“In Swedish, the chorus starts with a question Are you one of a thousand little ones?? “You are like others” that I wrote in Finnish can be a statement or a question when heard. This further underlines the fact that every child is like the others, but at the same time completely unique.” Perkiö told about the song’s lyrics in an interview published by Finnish music makers in 2023.

The spiritual song tells about the deep reflections of Mary, the mother of Jesus, after the birth of her child.

“You are like the others, a child of promises / Will you bring my child, now hope into the world?”

It took however, its time, before Heaven in my arms -song became more widely known and a Christmas classic listened to and sung all over Finland.

In 2006, it was recorded Katri Helenabut the words in his version differ from the more commonly known text by Pia Perkiö. The text of the version presented by Katri Helena was translated by her daughter Maia Kalaoja.

Since Heaven in my arms -song has been recorded by numerous Finnish artists. Suvi Teräsniska’s version from 2014 and Evening interpretation from 2018. Their own vision of the song has also been recorded by, among others Saara Aalto, Juha Tapio, Diandra, Jarkko Ahola, Arja Koriseva and the Hard Christmas line-up.

The Broadcasting Society of Finland annually organizes a vote for the most beautiful Christmas carol. I’ll take the vote Heaven in my arms has already won three years in a row. This year’s voting is still ongoing.

In addition to listening, Finns clearly also love to sing a song. The song has been in the booklet of the most beautiful Christmas songs for a long time, and during Christmas even to the top of the karaoke charts the song had already gone up in 2023.

Which does Heaven in my arms -song so popular? This is how lyricist Perkiö analyzed the positive reception it received in an interview in 2023:

“The current popularity of the song probably means that any parent can sing this while reflecting on their child and think like this. And more broadly, all of us can think of any small child who is like others and at the same time unique, bringing hope to the world.”