Where in Finland is the magical Santa Claus village? From a malicious goat to a good Joulupukki. Transformations of Finnish Santa Claus How joulupukki is translated into Russian
Scandinavian countries have always been famous not only for their high standard of living, but also for their interesting traditions. For example, Christmas in Finland is celebrated for three days, from December 24 to 26. All this time, residents of the cold country are enjoying the elegant streets, which are decorated with colorful garlands, and listening to Lutheran concerts with songs. And instead, Christmas grandfather Joulupukki, who turned from an evil spirit into a good winter hero, brings gifts to Finnish children.
Story
It is noteworthy that the tradition of this character in Finland has developed in an interesting way. The fact is that “Joulupukki” is a homonym for the phrase “Christmas goat”. And this is not surprising, because in the Middle Ages Joulupukki dressed in a suit made of goat skin, and according to another belief, he distributed gifts while riding a goat.
If we look at the etymology of the name of the Finnish Santa Claus, then the word “joulu” was borrowed from the Scandinavian languages, and it, in turn, was formed from the name of the German holiday Yule: on this day people celebrated the onset of mid-winter.
Also worth noting: in Suomi, something similar to Russian carols was adopted. Even in the pagan Old Finnish tradition, there are mummers “nuuttipukki” and “kekripukki”. The first to change were young people who dressed up in fur coats turned inside out. Their faces were adorned with masks, carved from birch bark according to a shaman’s model and resembling a horned creature.
Sometimes there were two “Christmas actors”: one depicted the head of a goat, and the other depicted its back part. The mummers went around the houses and delighted obedient children with gifts, and frightened the naughty ones. Previously, this event took place on January 7 (from 1131 to 1708), and since 1708 the holiday falls on January 13: the date was moved in honor of the name day of the male name Nutti.
In the twenties of the last century, little residents of a cold country heard a fairy tale on the radio told by Uncle Marcus, who hosted a program called “Children's Hour.” The story revolved around a grandfather who carried a bag of gifts on his shoulder on Christmas Eve: the old man went around many places and ended up in snowy Lapland.
On the way, the old man got tired, sat down to rest on a stone and was saddened: after all, the journey was still long, and the bag was filled with gifts that he did not have time to distribute on time. The fairy-tale hero was heard by gnomes and elves, who helped deliver surprises to homes, but set the condition that Joulupukki remain in Lapland.
Image and prototypes
The Finns believe that Joulupukki actually lives in Lapland, while other heroes claiming to be holiday grandfathers are localized in Canada, Greenland or Veliky Ustyug.
The gift giver's furnished house is located on Mount Korvatunturi, or so the Finnish Broadcasting Company announced in 1927. They say that Joulupukki's residence is located on the border with Russia and resembles ears. Thanks to this form, the old man can hear the dreams and desires of all children.
If a child wants to send a letter to his grandfather, then his address is not a secret: Finlandia, 99999, Korvatunturi. The main thing is not to forget to put a postage stamp on the envelope. But first, the child gives his message to his parents so that they can correct the mistakes, because, as you know, the Finnish language is quite complicated. Children also make gifts for moms and dads: as a rule, these are cards decorated with colorful ribbons and beads. In the Northern European country, surprises made with one's own hands are valued.
It is noteworthy that Joulupukki is not at all alone; his wife Muori, who is the personification of winter, lives with him. True, he does not like to talk about his wife, keeping his personal life secret. Previously, the festive character walked from house to house with horns on his head and with rods, which were given to bad children. And the residents of the houses tried to appease this frightening creature with treats.
Now Joulupukki resembles Santa Claus. He wears a white beard and a red cap that hangs almost to his waist, but still retains some national characteristics, despite the influence of American culture. However, these colleagues also have significant differences, for example, Santa Claus positions himself as an inveterate bachelor who prefers to live as a hermit.
Since grandfather has poor vision, he wears glasses, but he does not have a staff: in order to easily move through the winter snowdrifts, the Finnish Santa Claus uses a sleigh harnessed to a reindeer named Petteri - red face. They say that Joulupukki is so old that he does not remember his true age, but he does not lag behind technological progress: the fairy-tale character has a mobile phone - a red Nokia.
It is worth saying that Joulupukki is not as active as Santa Claus: the Finnish hero does not climb pipes and does not go down into the fireplace. The holiday grandfather prefers to give gifts to children personally, so residents of Finland receive gifts before anyone else: on the evening of December 24th.
Some lovers of surprises wonder when Joulupukki has time to give surprises, because more than one million children live in Suomi. The fact is that the gnomes help grandfather: they help with the housework and pack gifts. Also, the gnomes sit in the “Cave of Echoes” and listen to how children behave throughout the year, and then grandfather finds out who deserves congratulations on the holidays.
These magical characters appear from fir cones. At night, Grandma Muori collects pine cones in the forest, and then puts them in a large cauldron, which she carefully wraps in a warm blanket. And by morning the little helpers are ready.
- All countries have their own Christmas traditions and an original main character. In Poland, gifts are delivered by Saint Nicholas, in the Czech Republic by Grandfather Mikulas, in Italy by Babo Nattale with his assistant fairy Befana, and in France by Père-Noël.
- In 1996, children saw an animated film called “Yolupukki and the Shaman’s Tambourine.” The director was Mauri Kunnas, and the main roles went to Esa Saario, Ulla Tapaninen and Henne Haverinen.
- In 2017, a traditional meeting between Joulupukki and his Russian colleague Father Frost, with whom his granddaughter came, took place on the Russian-Finnish border. In addition, a truck carrying Finnish gifts for Russian children entered the city of Sortavala.
- If in Russia on New Year's tables there are "Olivier" and "Herring under a fur coat", then in Finland they prepare traditional milk rice porridge with spices, which is served to children for breakfast. Residents of the northern state also prepare vinaigrette without peas and sauerkraut, fish appetizers, Karelian stew, and red wine-based glög. Among other things, milk and fish soup is prepared for the holidays.
- In Finland, they prepare for Christmas in advance, and the countdown to the cherished holiday continues throughout the month. Boys and girls have special calendars where chocolates are hidden behind numbered windows. And before the holiday, women organize charity fairs where they sell jewelry.
- Christmas in Finland is a family holiday, where all relatives gather around the table. Therefore, Christmas lovers who remain at work have come up with an adult holiday that is reminiscent of corporate parties.
In every country, New Year is celebrated differently. And every country has its own wizards. But our compatriots know only two: Father Frost and Santa Claus. In this article you will learn about another elderly man who fulfills the wishes of children. Read below about the name of the Finnish Santa Claus, what his marital status is and where he lives.
Strange name
Few people know the name of the Finnish Santa Claus. Probably precisely because his name is complex - Joulupukki. If you literally translate the two words from which the wizard’s name is formed, you get “Christmas” and “goat.” It's a bit strange, isn't it? But the Finns know the history of their Joulupukki, so this name does not seem strange to them.
Previously, the winter wizard went to congratulate children in the skin of a goat. After all, unlike his European colleagues in office, the Finnish Santa Claus moved on foot. But history is silent about where grandfather got the horns on his head. But even in our time, not only a decorated Christmas tree, but also a goat is considered a symbol of Christmas in Finland.
Finnish legend
Children are told tales about each of the New Year's wizards. And there is a legend about Joulupukki. Once upon a time, a wizard went to wish children a Merry Christmas. But his path was long, because he walked alone and moved exclusively on foot. And then he reached Lapland and realized that before Christmas came he would not have time to give gifts to all the children. The wizard was sad.
The good gnomes heard Joulupukki's lamentations and decided to help him. But life was boring for them in snowy Lapland, and they set a condition: after all the gifts were given to the children, the Finnish Santa Claus would move to live with the gnomes. Joulupukki was ready to do anything to deliver the gifts on time. After Christmas was over, the wizard kept his word. He moved to live with the gnomes, and they not only built him a fabulous residence, but also sewed him a suit in the latest European fashion.
A red fur coat and a hat with a pompom replaced the goat sheepskin coat. But, unlike his European counterparts, Joulupukki is accustomed to the warmth. His residence maintains a positive temperature, and very often young visitors can find grandfather in a red vest over a white shirt.
Joulupukki's wife
We found out what the name of the Finnish Santa Claus is, and now we will reveal the secret of the personal life of the elderly wizard. The gnomes helped their friend get a home and change his wardrobe, and they also advised him to settle down. So, Joulupukki, already at an advanced age, married Muori. In Finnish legends, this elderly lady is mentioned as the personification of winter. So the two people most beloved by children began to live together. Of course, they don’t have children, but they don’t need them. After all, all year round, elderly wizards are busy making gifts for children who behave well.
Joulupukki Summer Residence
Finnish Santa Claus, like any other wizard, has his own castle. Moreover, Joulupukki has two houses - one summer, the other winter. During the warm season, Finnish Santa Claus lives in Mount Korvatunturi. It is located on the very border with Russia on the territory of the Urho Kekkonen Nature Reserve. The mountain has a height of 486 meters. It is the successful location of the residence that helps the Finnish Santa Claus Joulupukki collect information about the behavior of children. Indeed, in translation Korvatunturi means “eared mountain”. There are ears on three sides that help Santa Claus collect information about which children behave well and which children behave poorly. Naturally, the gnomes help Joulupukki collect and systematize the information received. After all, it’s difficult for one person to look after the children of the whole world.
Joulupukki Winter Residence
With the onset of cold weather, Finnish Santa Claus moves to his office in Rovaniemi. It is connected by an underground tunnel to Mount Korvatunturi, the summer residence. Here in the capital of Lapland, every child who speaks Finnish knows and loves Santa Claus. After all, how can you not know him when the winter wizard has his own town in Rovaniemi. Here is not only the residence of Joulupukki, but also a bakery where you can taste real gingerbread, a museum of ice figures, a school of elves, and also its own post office. Where would we be without her? There are children all over the world who know the name of Finnish Santa Claus. They send their letters to the wizard with New Year's wishes. And of course they get answers.
But the main thing is that children rush to the residence in Rovaniemi to see Santa Claus. After all, as you know, the Finnish wizard does not hide from children. He brings gifts personally into the hands of each child, and therefore children from a young age believe in the famous grandfather and love him. In his office, Joulupukki usually greets children not in a parade, but in his everyday attire.
Children come to the wizard’s office, he writes a line in his book, looks up and asks the traditional question: “Are you good children?” And only after a positive answer does the grandfather honor the guys with a conversation. His wife sits next to Joulupukki, knitting socks that are then used to decorate the fireplaces.
The Finnish Santa's name is Joulupukki. The literal translation of his name into Russian means “Christmas goat.”
You can recognize Santa by his red fur coat, hat of the same color and white beard.
Until the 19th century, it wore goatskin and had small horns.
Joulupukki has a wife, Muori, whose name means "Old Mistress". Help them with housework gnomes, who live in the “Echo Caves” and monitor how children behave. Before Christmas, the responsibility of preparing gifts falls on their shoulders.
Joulupukki lives in a wooden house built in the forest on Mount Korvatunturi. This place is known as “Sopka-Ears”. It is located on the border with. This is not the only residence of Joulupukki in Finland, but it is to this house that children send their letters with their requests for gifts.
Official address Joulupukki residences: Finlandia, 99999, Korvatunturi. Every year up to 500 thousand letters arrive here. You can also write a letter to Santa Claus at: Joulupukki, 96930, Arctic Circle, FINLAND.
Village location
That Santa Claus lives in an ancient region of Finland, Lapland, all the children on the planet know. This amazing land geographically affects 4 states:
- Finland;
- Russia;
You can find Santa in northern Lapland, whose cultural region is the country of Suomi (Finland). This region is inhabited by Lapps and Laplanders. Santa Claus Village is located 8 kilometers from the city of Rovaniemi.
How to get to Lapland?
You can get to the official residence of Santa Claus “Santa Village” by driving to Rovaniemi by train or by flying to it. It's only an hour's flight from Rovaniemi. This city is the center of Lapland and is considered the twelfth largest in Finland.
Choose your plane ticket right now using this search form. To get into a fairy tale, just enter cities of departure and arrival, date And number of passengers.
At his official residence, Santa Claus welcomes guests all year round.
Rovaniemi has its own airport And Train Station. From the airport to the city you can take an Airport Taxi. The best way to get from the city to Santa Claus Village is by taxi. You can call him at the hotel reception.
The cost of a taxi depends on the number of passengers, time of day, day of the week and distance to be traveled. Children under 12 years of age are not considered passengers. For groups of tourists more than 4 people served "tilataksi". This is a small minibus.
There are also buses in the city, but they run very rarely. At each stop there are special devices that serve as a help desk. Departs from Rovaniemi train station to Santa Claus Village bus number 8. The bus travel time from the station to the village is 8 minutes. The final stop of the bus is in the center of Santa Claus Village next to his shopping center. It is only 100 meters from Santa's office.
Where can I stay?
In Santa Claus Village, built to accommodate guests cottages. They are all located in the same part of the city. Each house has 2 rooms with an area of 37 sq. m. meters. They are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay. You can park your car next to the cottage.
The room has wide bed, folding sofa, wardrobe, table, TV. You can prepare your own food in the small kitchen located in the room. The bathroom has a small sauna. There is Wi-Fi.
You can also stay in hotels in neighboring cities and travel to the village by bus. This way you can visit more interesting places.
To book a room, use our convenient search form. Enter city, check-in and check-out dates And number of guests.
Find out what visa is needed to visit Finnish Santa Claus.
Tours to Finnish Santa Claus
Lapland has an amazingly beautiful nature, reminiscent of a fairy tale. In addition to the Santa Claus village, you can see a lot of interesting things here.
Among the best tours to Lapland are tours of natural areas and reserves, safaris, skiing, and visits to the zoo.
You can relax in Lapland all year round. In the summer there is beauty on the local lakes and rivers, of which there are a large number in these parts. In these places you can go skiing, reindeer riding, and sledding. The Finnish sauna leaves an unforgettable impression.
Official website of the residence
You can find out all the news about the life of Santa Claus in Lapland on the village websites:
On these sites you can write letter to Santa Claus, it will definitely be read.
The birthplace and home of Santa Claus - photo
The residence of Santa Claus consists of several objects, all of which are open to the public and are very popular among tourists. The most important object is Santa Claus post office. Correspondence from all over the world arrives here. Santa's famous reindeer live on a farm in the village and can also be visited.
You can learn everything about Christmas traditions at the local exhibition-museum. IN Santa Claus's workshop They will show and tell you everything about New Year and Christmas gifts, and you can buy souvenirs in the shops.
Tourists visiting the village love to visit Santa Park and the Arctic Park known as "Winter World".
Office
Read about the ski resorts in Finland that you can visit during your trip to see Santa Claus.
Santa Claus's office is the most popular place in the village. More than 500 thousand tourists visit it annually. Every day guests come from all over the world to Santa's office. You can get to the office by passing a long fairy-tale corridor. Santa Claus's office has a massive wooden door. In the office you can take a photo with Santa Claus as a souvenir. There is a belief that if you make a wish at this moment, it will certainly come true.
Santa mail
After visiting Santa Claus's office, tourists head to his mail. There are elves working there, they all have different nationalities. Their main job is to process letters coming to Santa Claus. You can send cards and gifts to your friends and family using mail.
Next to the post office there is a house that is known as Eleanor Roosevelt's cabin. She is considered the first tourist to visit these places.
Santa Park
This unique place is very similar to a fairyland. It is interesting to visit it not only for children, but also for adults. There is Elven School, all year round it reveals to students all the ancient secrets of these mysterious characters. Graduates of the school are issued diplomas of completion. In Santa Park there is also an elf workshop and a calligraphy school.
IN gingerbread In Mrs. Claus's kitchen they bake gingerbread cookies that have amazing taste and aroma. It is very difficult to resist the temptation to try them.
Along with gingerbread, you can also find other Finnish delicacies here, as well as wine prepared with special spices.
IN Ice Gallery bar You can try the “Kiss of the Ice Princess” soft drink. Ice sculptures are located in the gallery halls.
Special train "Seasons", passing through the secret workshop of the elves, takes a tour of the four seasons.
Operating mode of objects
You can get to the village any day of the week. From 1 to 30 November and 7 to 31 May it is open to the public from 10:00 to 17:00. During the summer period from 1 to 31 August the village is open from 9:00 to 18:00. And from January 1 to 6, its operating hours are from 9:00 to 19:00.
What else to see?
In Pilka there is a center created to get acquainted with the forest, its industrial processing and protection.
Educational games for children are held at the center. Near Pielke there is Arctic Museum.
On the hill Ounasvaara, which is located a few kilometers from the center of Rovaniemi, there is a gaming pavilion known as Funpark, a swimming pool, a gym, massage and bowling.
A real ice kingdom - Snowland. Even the tourist hotel there is made of ice. True thrill-seekers stay here for the night. Only a glass of hot mulled wine can save you from the cold. Special unforgettable impressions remain after the Arctic disco.
There are many nature reserves and nature parks in Lapland. One of them worth visiting is "Ranua". This is the northernmost zoo in the world. There you can see not only the most northern animals, but also a large number of different species of birds living on the planet. All the inhabitants of the zoo live in huge enclosures, so traveling around the zoo resembles a safari.
Since 1966, every January in Lapland there has been a famous rally, which runs along icy, snow-covered roads.
- When going to Lapland, you need to remember what kind of climate. Winters here are quite harsh, and temperatures can reach +30C. Your travel wardrobe should be selected according to the season.
- In Lapland good roads, and there is a railway connection between the cities, but public transport leaves much to be desired. You shouldn't count on him. You will have to travel by taxi or rented car.
- In winter, some roads in Lapland closed due to ice. Before traveling by car, it is better to make inquiries about which routes in the country you can travel on.
The tradition of celebrating the New Year on a grand scale exists in every country, because this holiday brings with it not only hope for a bright future, but also unites all peoples, creating a certain force that generates sincere joy and happiness in the hearts.
It is also worth noting that in almost all countries the symbol of this holiday is a special character in human form. Outwardly, they all look the same, but their names are completely different. For example, in Russia this symbol is called Father Frost, in the USA - Santa Claus, in Belarus - Dzed Maroz, in Belgium and Poland - St. Nicholas, in France - Père Noel, in Great Britain - Father of the Nativity, in the Czech Republic - Mikulas, in Slovakia – Jerzyšek, etc.
Read New Year 2013 together
Surely many have heard about the name of the Finnish Santa Claus, because his name is the funniest and most memorable. And it sounds like this - Joulupukki. As you know, translated from Finnish, this word means “Christmas goat”. Santa Claus received this name quite a long time ago, when the villagers of this country put on goat skins on a festive night and went from house to house, handing out gifts and tasty treats.
After people learn about the name of the Finnish Santa Claus, they immediately become interested in what exactly this fairy-tale character looks like. It is worth noting that it is practically no different from the Russian symbol of the New Year.
Read Decorating a children's room for the New Year
Joulupukki lives in a wooden house in the forest, where everything is decorated with colorful lights, tinsel and toys. He is kind and wise, likes to wear a red short fur coat and hat, he has a bushy white beard and a huge red bag in which he places all the toys and sweets for the children.
However, it is worth noting that, unlike the Russian Father Frost, Joulupukki moves not with the help of three beautiful horses, but with the help of stately and strong reindeer. They are the ones who carry him on Christmas night from one house to another. Finnish Santa Claus also has many friendly gnomes as his assistants, who work with him and collect thousands of gifts for obedient children every day.
His sleigh flies. His deer talk, his bag is always full of gifts. He is known all over the world and in each country they call him differently: Per Noel, Julbokk, Futter Christmas, Santa Claus... But in his homeland, in Finland, he is better known as Joulupukki.
Translated, the name does not sound very nice - Christmas goat. The Finnish Santa Claus received such a strange nickname thanks to the villagers who on Christmas night put on a goat's fur coat and delivered gifts home. They say that it was these impostors who scared Santa away. He no longer walks the streets on Christmas Eve, but sits in his winter residence in Rovaniemi and receives everyone.
The owner of Rovaniemi sits in a small wooden house dotted with light bulbs. It is difficult to understand whether Santa Claus is smiling when little fans approach him... Due to his abundant beard and mustache, his face is almost invisible. Only eyes, very wise and kind, examine visitors through glasses. "Are you good children?" - with these words Santa greets his little guests. We warn you right away - it is useless to lie. You can't fool Santa. He knows everything. The huge books that line the high shelves in Santa's office can tell a lot about every child on the planet. Where he lives, whether he behaves well, what his desires are.
These Talmuds are filled out by Santa's little helpers - gnomes. But Santa Claus receives information thanks to his extra ears. Everyone knows that in the summer Joulupukki lives on Mount Korvatunturi. This mountain has three ears. They catch the slightest changes in the life of any child. And they are the first to tell Santa who has stopped believing in the Christmas miracle. They say that at these moments it rains stars over Korvatunturi, and the page with the story about the grown-up child turns white. The gnomes do not write anything on it, since Santa is convinced that someday the adults will come to their senses and believe in him. Then forgotten names and surnames will appear again on blank pages.
The gnomes also help Santa deal with the letters. Every year more than 600 thousand letters arrive in Rovaniemi. And it’s impossible for one person to read them all, not even for Santa Claus.
At the main Christmas post office there is smoke like a rocker. Little gnomes fill out forms, put stamps on envelopes, and discuss some Christmas matters. Santa's main assistant is in charge of this entire team. Her official title is "Chief Postal Gnome". Her responsibilities include marking on the board how many letters have arrived, so that God forbid any are lost. The Chief Postal Gnome knows better than anyone what kind of letters Santa likes most. After talking with the Chief Gnome, we learned a few golden rules in writing letters to Santa Claus. First of all, don't ask for too much. Secondly, tell us more about yourself. And thirdly, Santa loves gifts too. A large glass cube filled with nipples. These are the gifts for Santa Claus. The value of an ordinary pacifier lies in the fact that it was with this object that each of us began life. Santa himself does not use pacifiers, he gives them to little gnomes, with the condition that later the pacifiers will return to their place.
All the bustle at the post office, and in the village itself, stops at midnight on Christmas Day. As darkness falls over Lapland and nothing but stars can be seen, the quiet sound of Christmas bells echoes throughout the village. This is a signal for Santa. It's time to go on a trip around the world. In order to deliver gifts to everyone who managed to order them before morning. In writing, in words or just in dreams.
