This December, I noticed I had really strong feelings about the decorations in Helsinki. Worryingly strong, in fact. Because there is nothing I love more than complaining, I decided to share my thoughts with our readers. Here’s a rating of five Christmas-related things in Helsinki. All of these are located in the city center.

Stockmann’s Christmas window: 1/5

What on earth is this and what does it have to do with Christmas? Stockmann’s Christmas window is a beloved tradition that children look forward to every year. Usually the window, for obvious reasons, is Christmas themed. Not this year. There are some Christmas elements included, but the window is still bizarrely tropical with butterflies and monstera leaves. This would have been a good chance to utilize the nostalgia people have for Stockmann. Unfortunately, they decided to attempt to do something unique. It’s not always cute to be quirky. (I would have taken a better picture of the window if I hadn’t been so embarrassed to do that in public. What if someone thinks I like this?)

The lights on Aleksanterinkatu: 4/5

Traditional, but a little basic. Somehow, even I manage to be excited about these year after year, even though they look the same every single time. You would think the official Christmas street would look flashier. However, I must admit that changing these lights would be sacrilegious. Besides, the huge letter A’s are useful if you somehow happen to forget which street you are on.

The lights in the Esplanadi park: 5/5

Gorgeous. Stylish. Just the right amount of decorations: enough to be interesting but not too much. The fact that the Christmas tree is white while everything else is yellow doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. It just makes it look like the tree is full of snow. The antler-shaped lights in the lampposts look beautiful and fit the reindeer theme really well. There’s even a small sleigh people can take pictures in. What’s not to love?

City Center’s lights: 2/5

Not many positive things can be said about these lights. In all honesty, they are an aesthetic nightmare. Although, I’m sort of sensing an inspirational message about embracing your flaws here. Admirable. The Christmas trees look nice, at least.

Helsinki Christmas Market (Tuomaan markkinat): 3/5

I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either. The market looks really cute from far away, but it ended up feeling really underwhelming. At least the restaurant yard is nice, and I like the fact that there are tables and seats there. I’m sure children enjoy the free carousel as well. I imagine the market is at its best when it’s dark, if you can stand a larger crowd than during the day. Honestly, the big Christmas tree is the highlight for me. Maybe I just like trees.