FINNISH CHRISTMAS Iisvesi daycare center 4- 6 year old children are telling you about their Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve morning we eat rice porridge with cinnamon and sugar. There is an almond hidden in the porridge. The one who gets the almond, may wish something. Sometimes the wish comes true. We go to the cemetery when it is dark and take candles to the graves of loved ones. There are thousands of candles and it looks beautiful.

After coming from cemetery we bring the Christmas tree in and the children may decorate it. It`s a lot of fun. If we have done some presents to our family, we put them beside the Christmas tree. Father Christmas brings, of course, the real Christmas presents.

When our home looks beautiful and ready for Christmas, all the family goes to sauna together. When it is very cold outside, sauna feels warm and relaxing and we talk about nice things. It is very cozy. If we want more warm steam, we throw water to the hot stones. Sauna is often beside a lake and sometimes adults go to swim in a ice hole and then go back to warm sauna.

After sauna it is dinner time. On the table there are ham, reindeer, elk, chicken or sometimes turkey. With meat we eat potatoes, rice, sauses and vegetables. Adults love rutabaga casserole and carrot casserole, but children don`t like them very much. Desert is often made of plums or we have cakes and bisquits with coffee or juice. Gingerbread is often made by children

All the day children have been waiting for Father Christmas. He lives in Korvatunturi, witch is a mountain in northern Finland, Lapland. If you come to Finland, you can meet Father Cristmas there. In Finland all the children write letters to Father Christmas. In the letters they tell what kind of presents they would like to have for Christmas. Reindeers are pulling Father Chistmas in a sled. It`s not true, that reindeers can fly, but of course Santa’s reindeers must have some magical talents! Anyway in Finland there is snow all around the country so sleds are sliding easily! Father Christmas asks often, have the children been naughty or well-behaved. But every time all the children get presents. Children play with their presents rest of the evening and Christmas dishes may be eaten untill it`s sleeping time.