Santa’s Journal — Written by Santa Himself
In Finland, there is one Christmas tradition that makes my homeland truly unique. It has nothing to do with long lines in busy stores or imaginary stories about me slipping down chimneys. It is something far more personal — I come to your home.
When Finnish children spend the whole day waiting excitedly, listening to the crackling frost and watching for elves through the windows, the moment reaches its peak when I knock on the door and step inside.
That is the heart of a Finnish Christmas.
Not families visiting me — but me visiting them in their own home.
🎄 The Unique Finnish Way I Meet Children
Around the world, I am known as a kind, mythical figure who travels silently at night and drops gifts down chimneys. But in Finland, things are quite different.
Here, I:
- have lived for hundreds of years in Korvatunturi
- personally greet each child face to face
- ask about their year, their good deeds and their wishes
- hand out gifts one by one
- become part of the family’s Christmas celebration
This is not a new idea — it is a cherished part of Finnish heritage, passed lovingly from one generation to the next.
🎁 How This Tradition Grew
The way I visit families today has been shaped by many influences, from Saint Nicholas to modern stories about Santa Claus. But the most Finnish element comes from the nuuttipukki, the old masked figures who went from house to house after Christmas long ago. They did not bring gifts — they asked for them!
Yet the custom of knocking on the door and meeting people in their own homes survived.
In the 1920s, I began visiting families with gifts. At first, this happened mostly in upper-class homes, but soon the tradition spread to everyone. During the war years, I also visited soldiers at the front, bringing warmth and memories of home to those who could not return.
If anything captures the essence of Finnish Christmas, it is this: I go wherever the family is.
🏡 The Home — The Stage of Finnish Christmas
When international travelers arrive in Lapland today, they often expect something else — perhaps a visit to a Santa house or a decorated grotto. Stories from around the world have taught them that this is “the right way.”
But for Finns, the true tradition is very different:
- I come to the family’s own space.
- This happens on Christmas Eve, in daylight, with children wide awake.
- I do not hide in chimneys or sneak in the night — I walk through the door and look the children in the eyes.
- Families prepare for this moment with great emotion, and for many, it is the most meaningful tradition of the entire year.
It is warm, human and deeply personal — and entirely unique to Finland.
✨ Why This Matters to Visitors
When you invite me to your cabin, apartment or hotel room, you are not just booking an activity. You are taking part in an authentic Finnish Christmas tradition — one that Finnish families have cherished for over a century.
This experience is:
- personal
- deeply Finnish
- passed from generation to generation
- something you cannot experience anywhere else in the world
In many cultures, I am not even connected to Christmas. In Asia, for example, I represent goodwill all year round. But in Finland, I am real, present, and at the heart of Christmas — and I come directly to where your family celebrates.
🎅 Santa’s Journal — The Original Finnish Experience
When I arrive at your chosen location here in Lapland — whether it is a small cabin in the forest, a guesthouse room, a glass igloo or an Airbnb apartment — something happens that has been part of Finnish homes for nearly a hundred years.
It is a moment where:
- old tradition meets the present
- story becomes reality
- I am there just for you
This is not a copy of something from elsewhere.
This is not American, not German, not a commercial reinterpretation.
This is the original Finnish Santa tradition — and now, you are part of it.
Sources and Links to Additional References
Joulupukkisäätiö, Visit Finland
https://www.unwto.org/affiliate-member-organization/126477
YLE Elävä arkisto: Joulupukki muitten silmin (1966)
Visit Rovaniemi:Joulupukki ja joulun taika
M&M 14.3.2017: Uusi tutkimus selvitti Suomen kiinnostavimmat brändit
M&M 22.9.2016: Joulupukki Weibon hot-listalle Kiinassa
M&M 16.12.2015: Joulupukki kiinnostaa – Rovaniemi vetää kansainvälisiä mediaryhmiä
Lapin Kansa 16.10.2015: Turistimagneetti, joka tuottaa häpeää
YLE Uutiset 23.12.2010: Joulupukki lähtee matkaan
Aalto Satu ( toim. )1999: Suuri perinnekirja. Suomalaista juhlaperinnettä ennen ja nyt. Karisto. Nirkko Juha – Vento Urpo ( toim. ) 1998 (1994): Joulu joutui – Juhlatietoa, kuvia ja kertomuksia. SKS.
PIcture: Santa Claus and elves at Elanto’s Isku Christmas celebration in 1954. Photographer unknown. Helsinki City Museum.