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For anyone traveling to Finland at any point ever in the future there are a couple of things to be prepared for. ESPECIALLY if you have plans to visit family and/or friends or become an invited guest to a person’s home. Finns put a lot of emphasis on hospitality and the cultural norm involves providing guests a full plate of freshly baked goods with coffee or tea throughout the day (finland is the largest coffee consumption country in the world so opt for coffee if you can). Below is a photo of the type of spread of treats I’m referring to
It should be noted that this is for just out of bed, morning coffee for five people AND, when my partner’s mother wakes up it will no doubt be added to with cakes and cookies that I could not find this morning (I’m an early riser so do the best I can to put the pastry plate together.) this happens every morning. around the holidays, the spread is of course bigger than usual but it isn’t too far off from the norm. And like I said, somedays, the goodies will spread two, even three plates depending on the number of guests at the table. We sig, we talk, we read the paper. It’s a Finnish ritual. If a friend stops by your house one day in Finland it’s automatic to put on a cup of coffee, pull out the cakes and pastries you have on hand and serve them on a platter to have a chat.
For us younger types during work weeks, our coffee treats for us and a partner at home resemble more like a couple Oreos, sugar cookies, snicker doodles, doughnuts, muffins, just something sweet to enjoy with our coffee while we read the paper and prepare to start the day. We wake up early to be able to enjoy this morning ritual whenever possible.
Oh and in Finland, be prepared to drink at least three sometimes five cups of coffee a day! Maybe more…and turning someone down for coffee or at the minimum tea, puts a target on your back as being a little “strange.” You can probably get away with asking for tea. I can manage coffee and water nicely. And if you want to make good impression, try a couple pastries 
but know that you are by no means expected to eat them all- Finns just want to offer a wide variety to guests so at least one might draw interest
Oh and quick followup, I was right, second plate of pastries just added to the table (photo below)
Want to get a live shot of Rovaniemi at any time of the day? They have great webcams that refresh every 3-5 seconds. Not full streaming but good still images that can give you a glimpse of some of the main sights and people.
http://rovaniemi.fi/suomeksi/Webcam.iw3
For views of downtown Rovaniemi select Lordi Aukio and Rovakatu for two separate views.
To view the ski slopes check out Ounasvaara.
Below are the views you will see during winter time. These were grabbed from the web a couple days ago at full “sun up”. If you are viewing these in the early morning or evening during winter you’ll see much darker photos as the sun as either set or yet to rise. During the summer you will always see sunlight!
Lordi Aukio, Dec 24th, 2011
http://rovaniemi.fi/layouts/rovaniemi/includes/360/lordi-aukio.asp?sek=10
Rovakatu, Dec 24th, 2011
http://rovaniemi.fi/layouts/rovaniemi/includes/360/rovakatu.asp?sek=10
Ounasvaara, Dec 24th, 2011
http://rovaniemi.fi/layouts/rovaniemi/includes/360/ounasvaara.asp?sek=10
As usual we had a traditional cloudberry and cheese dessert for Christmas day after dinner. I’ve tried this a couple of times and I just don’t like it. Probably the only Finnish thing I turn my nose up to and I’ve come around on most so believe me I’ve tried to like it. Finns say it is an acquired taste. The same was said to me about salmiakki and ruisleippä (Finnish rye bread) and in both cases they were right- I enjoy both, ruisleippä more than salmiakki. If history repeats itself I guess I will learn to like this too. For now, it’s ice cream for dessert for me on Christmas day- works for me!
I went out for another run today to celebrate the Christmas holiday and in keeping with the time of year decided to trek up towards Santa Claus Village. Finns observe all Christmas festivities on the 24th (e.g. Opening presents, Christmas sauna, big meal, and leaving flowers on tombstones at cemeteries. But for me, being an American and as most Americans do, we always did Christmas on the 25th so I guess I was hoping to be around something holiday related today. Enjoy the photos and videos from my journey below! I know I did.
1. It was a dark and cold start to the arctic circle
2. Santa Park signs helped me make the right turn (after I ran past it- no entrance this way, had to keep going to find the pedestrian road)
3. I arrived at the entrance. Still about a quarter of a mile to go but Santa looks welcoming to me
4. I made it. I never get tired of this place no matter how many times I go. Guess there’s a big kid in me.
Santa Claus’s main post office is at Santa Claus Village.
And Santa’s office is here too of course (he lives further north in Finland)
That dark line of string above those poles in the photo below is the arctic circle line. And yes, those snowmen are made completely out of snow!
And don’t forget about the reindeer!
Enjoy a video, listen to the music and everyone have a very merry Christmas!
The resolution of the photo isn’t great but below is a Finnish Christmas tree. I decorated it myself this year! Nothing too flashy and made to look like trees in nature but always full of ornaments, candle like lights and tinsel with a star on top.
Finns dot put their tree up until the 23rd of December (fake and real in most cases). Then it stays up until New Years when all Christmas decorations come down.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This is the table setting before we eat. Some of the extras including cheeses, beets, smoked reindeer and berry sauces for the pig.
This is my Christmas plate. Just pig and mashes potatoes for me this year with two different berry like sauces. And of course a side of milk. Milk or wine is the typical drink for Finnish dinners.
And fir dessert, a traditional plum mousse and cognac. I go nuts for the mousse but pass on the cognac. I’m not Finnish and won’t even try to drink like one
- Posted using BlogPress from msy iPhone
Some photos from my run. Out and about in Rovaniemi, Finland. This is the darkest time of the year here being on the arctic circle. Local time of these photos is about 11:30am. This is “sun up.” I enjoy what I can get. But it isn’t near as cold as it might look. Right around 30 degrees.
Christmas pig out of the oven after cooking overnight. Tastes GOOD and smells great! now a mustard sauce and more cooking before dinner tonight!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The Finns celebrate Christmas on the 24th of December. Our morning starts with the usual coffee and pastries then we have a traditional Christmas rice pudding. I would post a photo but we ate it all before I could. Today is going to be full of cross country skiing for some, running for others (me), lounging for many and an evening of food, sauna, presents and a visit from Santa Claus!
Rovaniemi rated as Christmas destination
ROVANIEMI TOURISM & MARKETING LTD
Rovaniemi scores highly as a Christmas venue
Three global publications have ranked Rovaniemi in their top ten Christmas break destinations. The capital of the Finnish part of Lapland is located on the Arctic Circle, approximately 800 kilometres north of Helsinki.
In its list of the ten most festive Christmas venues, Reader’s Digest ranked Rovaniemi fourth after New York, Montreal and London, advising its readers to travel there for holiday memories that will last a lifetime.
— For a storybook Christmas, Rovaniemi is hard to beat, the magazine says, adding that the city becomes a winter wonderland when blanketed with crisp, white snow and illuminated by the spectacular northern lights glowing overhead.
In its top travel destinations for Christmas, the Asian edition of Tatler ranked the Finnish city third behind London and Dresden.
— This year, instead of queuing for hours at a shopping mall to meet Santa Claus, travel with your children to the big man’s home patch of Lapland, deep inside the Arctic Circle, says Tatler.
Forbes worked with travel experts at Lonely Planet and Frommer’s to compile a list of holiday destinations which celebrate Christmas festivities unlike any other, placing the Santa Claus Village and Santa Park sixth on its list.
Interest in the city has increased significantly, Tourist Board Director, Sanna Kortelainen told Finnish media. International media visits have increased by a fifth compared to last year.
www.visitrovaniemi.fi/In_English.iw3
www.santaclausvillage.info/
