Hello
everyone! Today we're learning about another Christmas tradition from
a far off place. Today's lesson is about Finland! In Finland the
people believe that Father Christmas actually lives in there. He's
said to live in a place called Korvatunturi or Lapland, there is even
a theme park up there devoted to Christmas called Christmas Land.
Many people from all over the world write to Father Christmas in
Finland. Santa never has far to travel to get the Finnish people!
There's
a kind of weird nickname Father Christmas has in Finland. They call
him Joulupukki which means Christmas Goat. This comes from a
traditional Finnish myth about a Yule Goat who asked people for
presents instead of giving them. He was scary in the old legend but
somehow became a gift-fiver and Father Christmas took over
gift-giving but they kept the name for him! Joulupukki rides a
reindeer and leaves gifts under the tree, like most other Christmas
stories.
Something
I really like is, animals get a Christmas in Finland! Farmers will
hang wheat on a tree to be eaten by the birds. They also leave out
suet and nuts to be hung in bags from tree branches. Everyone in
Finland does a thorough clean of their house to be ready for the
three holy days of Christmas. These are Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
and Boxing Day.
Christmas
trees are bought on Christmas Eve or the day before. Christmas Eve is
the most important day of Christmas. It's a tradition to eat rice
porridge and drink a plum fruit juice for breakfast. The tree is then
decorated. At noon, there is a radio broadcast called the Peace of
Christmas and is given by the City Mayor of Turku.
It
gets dark so early in Finland at Chirstmastime, around 3 pm, that
families now go to cemeteries and visit their dead family members.
There are many candles hanging in lanterns which are left at the
grave. Picture the dark cemetery completely lit by hundreds of
beautiful lanterns with the light dancing off the snow! It would be
lovely!
The
main meal for Chirstmas is eaten in the early evening. Lutefish used
to be the big main dish, but it's lost popularity in recent years.
Now you're more likely to see a leg of pork served with mashed
potatoes traditionally slow baked in birch bark boxes in the oven .
There are also casseroles containing different vegetables such as
rutabaga, carrot and potato. Some families have cured salmon and
others prefer turkey. The usual desert is baked rice pudding eaten
with spiced plum jam. An almond is hiden in the desert and whoever
finds it will be lucky for the next year.
After
their meal, Joulupukki comes to visit the house. He comes in with a
sack and asks if any children live there. They reply that there are
and he then asks if they have been good all year, and they again
reply to this. When the children are given their presents, the whole
family gathers to watch them open their presents. Then it's off to
bed! Christmas Day is a quiet day with families staying in home
together. On Boxing Day they enjoy going out to ski or skate.
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