4th December 2018

Santa Claus has a big bag of gifts, but he is not coming through the chimney, just trough the door. Wait for the bells ringing!

Santa Claus has a big bag of gifts, but he is not coming through the chimney, just trough the door. Wait for the bells ringing!

Santa Claus brings gifts for children and nice adults on Christmas Eve. It is considered as a good manner to to accept gifts as well as give gifts to family members even if today many people have everything they need. Well, needs are still different, so is the way families want to wish from Santa Claus.

Christmas tree brought from the forest or bought from markets and will be decorated with old family decorations and flag ribbons. It used to be a competition who dares to cut a fir tree from somebody else’s forest!

Some (men) came home on the afternoon and said they found a nice fir for Christmas. – From where? No one told it.

Christmas tree is decorated with old decorations from the family's history. Decades are different and so is this spruce. Guess why!

Christmas tree is decorated with old decorations from the family's history. Decades are different and so is this spruce. Guess why!

Nice gingerbread cookies from Oulunsalo Christmas Market wishing for Hyvää Joulua! Gute Weihnachten! Merry Christmas! God Jul!

Nice gingerbread cookies from Oulunsalo Christmas Market wishing for Hyvää Joulua! Gute Weihnachten! Merry Christmas! God Jul!

Gingerbread cookies baking brings Christmas taste and smell to every home. Even at this writing moment the dough is hardening in the fridge and waiting baking. The dough should be very thin when baking the nice gingerbread cookies.

Most of the Finns go to the Christmas Sauna (sauna) on Christmas Eve or just before or after Santa Claus comes to your home. You also can order a Sauna wagon to your temporary house or where you stay at Christmas. Or just for fun to your home!

Christmas sauna is a habit in Finland. People are bathing (even snow bathing) usually before Santa Claus comes if children are able to wait.

Christmas sauna is a habit in Finland. People are bathing (even snow bathing) usually before Santa Claus comes if children are able to wait.

Christmas Eve Dinner is served with traditional ham steak, potatoes, vegetable boxes, mushroom salad, green salads.

Christmas Eve Dinner is served with traditional ham steak, potatoes, vegetable boxes, mushroom salad, green salads.

Ham steak at the Christmas dinner and lunches before Christmas is rather compulsory. Some habits from abroad have brought new ways to eat Christmas dinner, but the traditional big ham steak is mostly roasted in the oven at home and eaten with other traditional Christmas dishes salt salmon and vegetable “boxes”. 

Gifts (lahjat) are for giving and getting and bought or home-made just before Christmas. Many people also want to give money to Red Cross or other organizations. There are no big difference between people in Finland, so there are not so many poor or so many rich people. The Finns are very equal in that sense.

Gifts are the best you can give for someone you care. Gifts are nice to get from somebody you love.

Gifts are the best you can give for someone you care. Gifts are nice to get from somebody you love.

Children singing at Liminka congregation Old Times´ Christmas Market

Children singing at Liminka congregation Old Times´ Christmas Market

Lucia performance at the Church of Liminka. Lucia singing is a very traditional habit in the Nordic countries and in Finland especially on the coastal areas.

Lucia performance at the Church of Liminka. Lucia singing is a very traditional habit in the Nordic countries and in Finland especially on the coastal areas.

At Finnish schools children are rehearsing Christmas carols even a month before Christmas. It has happened some changes teachers can teach at school about the Finnish way of celebrating Christmas. They are doing a great job to bring together all the children.

Turkansaari Village Museum Church is a part is from the year 1694. Many people want to go to the Christmas ceremony to old churches in Finland to feel the generations lives through decades.

Turkansaari Village Museum Church is a part is from the year 1694. Many people want to go to the Christmas ceremony to old churches in Finland to feel the generations lives through decades.

The Church of Liminka from the year 1826 is a beautiful building by the vast fields of Liminka.

The Church of Liminka from the year 1826 is a beautiful building by the vast fields of Liminka.

Snow covers firs and makes the landscape magic. So Finnish.

Snow covers firs and makes the landscape magic. So Finnish.

White Christmas with a lot of snow (Valkea joulu) in Finland is guaranteed at least in the Northern Finland. The snow covers and lightens the scenery in the dark Nordic whether. Also the stars and Polar lights enlighten landscape of this cold Nordic country. We love this change of light and dark.

Christmas brings family members together (joulu perheessä) even from the other side of the globe. Mostly. What makes Finland warm in the cold winter time? It is Christmas time and being together with people we love and care about. Also animals get special attention at the season.

 

Family having a Christmas Eve dinner at Syöte in a log cabin.

Family having a Christmas Eve dinner at Syöte in a log cabin.


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What nice things do you want to make you or your friend happy? Maybe Christmas spirit, gifts, new ideas of learning. Ask us at Mrs. Santa Claus Finland and we draw it specially for you!

If you are searching for a magic Finnish Christmas, you have come to the right place! It is Mrs. Santa Claus Finland with her elves who will lead your imagination to the Finnish Winter Wonderland of Hailuoto Island.