Elf Briskie makes his rounds on Kauppakatu at the crack of dawn. He sneaks around in the courtyards, hidden from view. Katinhäntä area has been his domain since the days of tall ships.
Elf Briskie makes his rounds on Kauppakatu at the crack of dawn. He tiptoes through the courtyards, hiding in plain sight. Since Katinhäntä area has been his domain since the tall ship era, he remembers many of the area's late residents.
In the homes of the shipowners, the Christmas trees shone like trees straight from paradise. They were adorned with a variety of paper decorations. Gold, silver and multi-coloured glossy paper had been bought from Heickell's mamsell and those were used to cut cheerful decorations for the trees.
Even in the small sailors' cottages, the spruce tree brought in the Christmas spirit. The porcelain dogs on the windowsills made it easy to tell whether the owner was at home or at sea. (If the dogs were facing outside, it meant the man of the household was away at sea. If the dogs were facing inside, he was most likely at home.)
In the 1960s, Kauppakatu street was the centre of commerce. Every year the opening of the Christmas street was a big public celebration. The opening ceremony was marked by a candy truck driving ahead and a herd of children running behind it. Boys would chase the car, waving their sparklers sticks.
Additional Information (In Finnish)
Naisten Ääni - Esteri Tokola
Naisten Ääni - Heidi Köngäs
Raahen Matkailuoppaat ry - Muistakko nää Korona- tai Ankkuri- tai Valio-baarin?
Onnen aika - Vanhan tavaran erikoisliike
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