Suomalainen Joulu

Hyvää Joulua kaikille! 

Merry Christmas everyone!

So another Christmas has just been and gone. My Christmas this year was definitely one for the history books! My first Christmas away from the Australian Summer and my own family's Christmas traditions.

There are many differences between the Australian and Finnish Christmas'. Aside from the obvious weather difference (summer in Australia and winter here in Finland) there are many differences in how it is celebrated. I feel that the traditions are much stronger here in Finland. That's not to say that I think it is more festive or that there is more Christmas spirit here in Finland compared to Australia, I actually felt the opposite but I'll get to that later.

In Finland Christmas is celebrated on the 24th of December. The main Christmas meal was on Christmas Eve and my host sister and I read the Christmas story from the Bible and my older sister played a Christmas Carol on the clarinet before we began eating. On Christmas Eve my youngest three siblings also reenacted a traditional short skit for the family.



Presents are opened in the evening of Christmas Eve rather than the morning of Christmas Day. I was lucky enough to be with a family that has younger children so I had the chance to see the Christmas Eve traditions around present opening. Joulupukki (Santa) comes to the home, we sing the song 'Joulupukki, Joulupukki' to invite him in, he chats and hands out presents and then we sing the song again as he leaves.

Joulupukki song- YouTube

Lapset (children):

Joulupukki, joulupukki,

valkoparta, vanha ukki,

eikö taakka paina selkää?

Käypä tänne, emme pelkää!

Oothan meille vanha tuttu,

puuhkalakki, karvanuttu.

Tääl on myöskin kiltit lapset

kirkassilmät, silkohapset.

Joulupukki, joulupukki,

valkoparta, vanha ukki,

vietä iltaa joukossamme

täällä meidän riemunamme.

Tervetullut meille aina,

käypä tänne, puuta paina

tai jos leikkiin tahdot tulla,

kahta hauskempaa on sulla!

Joulupukki (Santa):

Kiitos, kiitos, kiltit lapset,

kirkassilmät, silkohapset.

Terve teille, pienokaiset,

leikkiväiset, laulavaiset!

Hauska tääl ois iltahetki,

vaan on vielä pitkä retki:

kuusen luota kuusen luokse

mulla matkan suunta juoksee.

Lapset (children):

Joulupukki, joulupukki,

valkoparta, vanha ukki,

viivy vielä pieni hetki,

vaikka onkin pitkä retki.

Tässä tuomme sulle mettä

vilpoisaa kuin lähdevettä.

Sitten jaksat pitkän tiesi

kulkea kuin aimo miesi.

Joulupukki (Santa):

Kiitos vaan nyt kiltit lapset,

kirkassilmät, silkohapset!

Täs on teille muistiaiset,

pienet joulumaistiaiset.

Lapset (children):

Kiitos sulle, oiva ukki,

ystävämme joulupukki.

Taas kun päästään ensi jouluun,

tervetullut meidän kouluun!

On Christmas Eve we also went to the church at 11pm where, for about an hour, the local choir sang Christmas carols. The Church was dark except for the soft light from the Christmas tree and some candles. It was really beautiful. The church was completely full, apparently it's quite a big thing every Christmas.

To top it all off, when we walked outside afterwards, it was snowing! We had already had a bit of snow but it was so beautiful to actually witness it snowing over the Christmas period! It was a white Christmas for me this year!

It was a little funny for me to see Christmas creeping up but not really notice, the only indication that Christmas was coming was the few lights that were strung up in the streets of my town and the cities I visited in the month lead up.

In Australia it's normal to have the Christmas tree, lights and decorations up for a couple of weeks even before Christmas Day. However, in Finland the tree is usually put up maximum a few days prior (I think this is mainly due to the fact that most people have real trees rather than plastic, so this is more a practical thing).

Not many people in Finland have house lights, they have simple candle decorations, etc. but don't really decorate the outside of the home with lights. As a part of Christmas in Australia, not all but many, people decorate their houses in lights for about a month before Christmas. It's all a part of the lead up to Christmas when families go out driving and looking at the people's house Christmas lights, a lot are quite impressive! You can also hear Christmas Carols being played just about everywhere you go, and maybe it's annoying for some but I love that about Christmas. Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year!

There were many differences between Christmas here and the Christmas' I've had in Australia but of course I didn't expect it to be the same nor did I want it to be! I came to Finland excited to experience the different traditions and lifestyles of Finnish people and I was not disappointed! Finland is full of quirky traditions and lifestyle habits, some of which I have fallen in love with and will definitely be integrating into my own life and traditions when I get home to Australia.

Christmas this year was different for me but it was great! I was so lucky to be able to have a true Finnish Christmas which was filled with their traditions and I was so blessed to be a part of a beautiful family that I love to bits for it!

Some might be surprised to hear that I was not homesick at all during this festive season. Maybe it was because it felt very different to the Christmas I know and so it didn't feel like Christmas, maybe it was because I was a part of a family that I love and I really feel a part of, or maybe it was because I am leaving soon and so it's not so sad to be away when I'll be back in a matter of weeks... or maybe a combination of all of those things or something else completely. I don't know, but what I do know is that I'm grateful that despite spending Christmas away this year, I didn't spend it without family ♥♥♥

 

Piparkakkutalo (Gingerbread house) making with my sisters!

We went a little crazy and it looks more like a bunch
of 3 year olds made it...

But it was fun to make and it'll taste good
which is the main point! ;)

Enjoying every last moment! ♥

Late in this year I joined the town orchestra and last Sunday we had a performance. At the church we played Christmas carols along with the local kids choir.

Last Monday evening I attended my Rotary Club's pikkujoulu (Christmas party) and gave my final presentation.... In Finnish! It wasn't so long, only about 10 minutes or so of just talking, but I was very proud to have not done it in English. Everyone was full of compliments and praise for my ability to pronounce and articulate the Finnish language which is very different to English. Everyone was thrilled and I was very proud of myself!

I went home and then set off on the night train down to Turku in Southern Finland. I spent a week in Turku seeing the city's sights and visiting Helsinki (the capital) for one day also. It was a lovely week spent with some of my exchange friends and seeing some of the bigger cities of Finland.

Lapland tour!

In the early hours of the morning of the 30th of November I jumped on a bus at one of Oulainen's local petrol stations to a bunch of exchange students, a few Rotex' and a Rotarian. We headed even further north, to Lapland and well up into the Arctic Circle! My final Rotary trip was upon me- Lapland tour!

Four busses and a total of around 140 exchange students arrived in Harriniva, Muonio at around 10:30am and we all quickly made friends with all of the new exchange students we didnt know and greeted all the ones we did like old friends.

Day one involved lunch, and then we took the busses up to Olos to go downhill skiing/snowboarding, or crosscountry skiing. I went downhill skiing and am proud to say that I have managed to learn how to fall without bruising or concussing myself! ;D



The first night also graced us with a welcome party of Northern Lights! (Sixth time for me now! SO lucky to live in the north! :D )

Day two I stayed at Harriniva with a small group and we made snow sculptures and grilled makkara in a small hut by the river that seperates Finland and Sweden.

We went to sauna in the afternoon, which of course involved running outside from the  90-100+ degree sauna into the -20 to -30 odd degree weather and rolling in the snow! It's a thrill!
That night we made a little trip to the local primary school in Muonio where we had an evening of performances, dances by some students from the school, traditional Sami songs by a Sami man (indigenous Finnish person) and he also explained his traditional clothes that he wore, then we all had the chance to perform something from our own countries. It was good fun!

Day three was our last full day at Harriniva. We were split into four groups and all had the chance to visit Pallas Nature Centre, get to know about reindeer life and feed reindeer in Torassieppi, visit an arctic dogsled centre and go on husky rides, try snowshoes, go on a reindeer sled ride and stand on/cross the border of Finland and Sweden!

 At the border of Finland and Sweden with my Colombian Newbie!

Day three also marked our last night. We had a beautiful evening all together dancing and hanging out.
Us oldies had the opportunity to share some words of encouragement and to say our last things to our group of amazing newbies; it was a very sad and emotional night for everyone. It really hit home that I only have a month left here. It is unbelieveable to think that I have been away from Australia, my family and everything that I have ever known for 11 full months. It's incredible to reflet on the year I have had. I have made so many life long friends this year and the thought of it soon coming to an end truly does break my heart. This year has been an absolute adventure full of many highs and of course some lows but when it all comes down to it I wouldn't trade any of it for anything! As well as discovering the world, and exposing myself to some of it's many different cultures and languages, this year has been one of self discovery. From all of the challenges I have faced I have learnt valuabe lessons. I have always liked to think of myself as a rather independant person and even back home I liked to make decisions all by myself, but this year I have been forced to face each day as a complete adult, independant from my parents. I have had to make choices and draw my own boundaries and I have learnt what I myself value and what my morals are. It has really been a year of learning.
All of my beloved friends from all over the world will forever be a part of me and I will cherish the memories of our times together forever.
Whilst I never want this year to end, I also am excited for the next chapter. I believe it's impossible to say that I haven't changed, after all that this year has brought me, however I don't know how much or really in what ways. I guess in coming home to Australia next month and back to the same life that I had last year I will really see what I learnt and how I changed and grew over my exhcnage year. It will be interesting to see how my life, that will basically be the same as before, will be different now that I am different.
This year has really opened my eyes to the world and now my plans and dreams for my future are so much bigger and brighter and seem so much more within reach than I had ever thought possible! I love Australia but she can't keep me forever, I am now a citizen of the world and I plan on leaving my mark on many more places around the globe! Life is an exciting adventure and I am so happy to have realised that more so this year and am so happy to have already started mine so young!

The 18 of us that started this adventure together in January,
all together for the last time

On the morning of Tuesday the 3rd of December we started our journey back south but this time via Rovaniemi. In Rovaniemi we visited the real Santa Claus at Santa's Village!
We chatted and took a photo with Santa and then wandered around, saw some more reindeer and a lot of christmas trees, snowmen and a slide for tobogganing.

We had one last meal together at a restaurant in Rovaniemi and then the four busses parted and went their seperate ways. It was another sad time because for us oldies it was the last time we were going to see a lot of people before we set of back home in a months time :(

This year has gone incredibly fast, I can't believe it and still now it doesnt feel real that in a month I will be on my way back to Australia. Not that I dont love all you guys back home but I'm sure you understand why I dont want to leave! This is another home to me now, a whole other world, with family, friends, school and a life. It's going to be hard to leave it all behind and wonder when I will get the opportunity to return, but I will come back- that I know for sure!