Santa Claus, also known as the Finnish Father Frost or Joulupukki
Korvatunturi, a mountain in Finnish Lapland where Santa Claus has settled, is located 1,000 kilometers north of the country's capital, Helsinki. There Joulupukki lives with his wife and hundreds of gnomes. From the top of Korvatunturi they can hear the Christmas wishes of children from all over the world.
As the portal "This is Finland" notes, for Finnish children the countdown to Christmas begins with the start of Advent, when festive decorations appear on the streets. Children, like adults, enjoy opening the windows of the Advent calendar, one window a day until Christmas Eve. Usually behind the windows are funny pictures, and sometimes chocolate or other small gifts.
During the pre-Christmas period, as well as at other times of the year, Santa manages to appear and deliver a Christmas greeting in cities in Finland and abroad. People often ask him about the gnomes he works with, while residents of warm countries are interested in reindeer and snow.
In Finnish Lapland, snow lies from November until late spring – sometimes even until May. How does Joulupukki answer questions about snow? He does everything he can to describe snow and cold. Snow is a white, flaky substance made of crystals. You can make snowmen, snow forts, snowballs, and sculptures out of it. And when snowflakes dreamily fall to the ground, it is a beautiful winter day.
The temperature can drop to minus 30 degrees, so that the snow crunches under your feet as you walk, and the creaking of log houses joins in. But surprisingly, compared to southern Finland, it is not as cold in Lapland. The frozen sea in the south and the snowy fells in the north convey the feeling of cold differently.
Snow helps Joulupukki easily transport gifts. He glides effortlessly over the snow in a sleigh pulled by prancing reindeer with Rudolph at the head.
The most famous reindeer of the Finnish Father Frost is, of course, red-nosed Rudolph. But Joulupukki cannot make a trip to every home with just one reindeer, so Rudolph is one of many.
The working reindeer weigh about 100 kg each. They are strong enough to pull Father Frost and drag a sleigh full of gifts over long distances. Rudolph's presence is especially important because his red nose glows on dark Christmas evenings when Joulupukki sets out.
Reindeer calves are born in late spring and weigh about five kilograms. They grow very quickly, feeding on lichen. In autumn they eat tasty mushrooms that grow on the northern Finnish fells.
Tourists who come to Lapland can ride in sleighs pulled by reindeer. It is great fun when the reindeer pull you while snow swirls around.
When Joulupukki is not delivering gifts or making public appearances, he lives quietly at home. He, Joulumuori (the Finnish Snow Maiden), and the gnomes eat a lot of salmon, porridge, and delicious local berries.
Joulupukki and Joulumuori are not the only ones who have received help from gnomes over the years. The tradition of house gnomes dates back to ancient times, more than 2,000 years ago. The house gnome has always been a guardian spirit that protected the home discreetly and without unnecessary noise.
In Finland, such gnomes have always protected the country's inhabitants and helped them with household chores. They heated the sauna, looked after children, cared for grain, cattle, and horses in the stable. They were best friends with cats and dogs. The gnomes were also very attached to the old houses they lived in.
People value gnomes and give them food in exchange for their services. In many homes on Christmas Eve, a bowl of rice porridge is left in a corner. And, strangely enough, it is always empty in the morning.