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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 
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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!
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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/
The above video was shot in Northern Finland and Norway during winter 2011. Make sure you turn on your audio and make the video full screen. Enjoy, it speaks for itself.
Here we go again. Off to Finland next week for Christmas. Seven days away, here is what my check list looks like:
- Hold mail at the post office (I do this online)- DONE!
- Check the weather in Rovaniemi to plan what I will pack to wear (right around 20 degrees which is jean and sweater weather)
- Review the medicine and toiletry items that I can’t get in Finland and stock up (e.g. hair products, face wash, cold medicine- yes I can get some of these in Finland but some brands I’ve stuck with for years and like what’s familiar)
- Passport (Just like to double check that I know where this is)
- Gifts for family and friends (always nice to take something from the U.S. such as snacks, treats, and magazines)
- Start to mentally plan for everything else that needs to get done (I start making my check list of items I don’t want to forget and things to make sure I print out for travel purposes)
I’m excited!!!
It’s a cold one out there tonight! Holy cow. Check out the feels like temperature.
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Ice sculpture lantern (Jäälyhty), front of home
Originally uploaded by frozenreindeer
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Traditional Christmas Dinner Plate in Finland
Originally uploaded by frozenreindeer
After coffee and sauna it’s time for dinner. Above is a traditional dinner plate with pig, mashed potatoes, berry sauce, blue cheese, smoked salmon and a berry mouse. To the top left is a traditional pre dinner liquor shot to celebrate the holiday. This year the flavor was strawberry
