New Year and Christmas are the favorite holidays of children and adults around the world. No matter how different their traditions in each country, faith in miracles is common. Her personification is certainly a good winter wizard, every year mysteriously bringing gifts to children … What is the name of the Finnish Santa Claus? Who is he and where does he live? Why don't we just peek into the old Lapland tale?..
What is the name of the Finnish Santa Claus?
Far, far away, in the severe frosty Lapland region, in the very north of Finland lives … Santa Claus. In Finnish, “Joulupukki” - and that is the name of the fabulous Grandfather in this country - means, oddly enough, “Christmas goat”. According to legend, in the Middle Ages this character traditionally dressed in goatskin. According to another belief, sitting astride a goat, he carried gifts.
This tradition has long sunk into oblivion - now Joulupukki is more like Santa Claus, known throughout the world. However, his funny name remained that way - however, he seems to have nothing against …
The Tale of Youlupukki
In the twenties of the last century, Finnish children heard on the radio a fairy tale story about a good Christmas old man. She was told to them by Uncle Marcus, the host of the popular program "Children's Hour". Once, carrying a heavy bag of gifts on his shoulder, grandfather went around the world, and finally reached Lapland. He was very tired on the way. He sat down on a stone to rest and was saddened: the path is still far, the bag is heavy … No, he will not have time to give out all the gifts on time.
It is not known what would have happened if the Dwarves and Elves had not heard the Joulupukks. They got out of their shelters and promised to help the old man in time to deliver all the gifts. But they only set one condition - that grandfather stay in Lapland forever.
Since then it has been so. Finnish Santa Claus, Joulupukki, settled in Lapland, on Mount Korvatunturi. The shape of this mountain is like rabbit ears, and not just like that: after all, it manages to hear the requests of children from all over the world … Moreover, the magic mountain has another tricky feature - in some incomprehensible way, it can recognize whether the children behaved well or badly. year. She passes this information to Grandfather, and he decides who to congratulate on the holidays, and who, perhaps, did not deserve …
What does Finnish Santa Claus look like?
Today, Joulupukki wears a red coat with a white fur trim just below the knee and red pants that he tucks into high boots. He girdles a fur coat, as a rule, with an elegant red sash decorated with white and green bells. On Joulupucca's head is usually a red cap with a white edge and a pompom that hangs almost to the waist.
Joulupukki does not see very well, so he puts on round glasses. But he has no staff.
In addition, Finnish Grandfather can often be seen in public without outerwear. Indoors, he walks in a white shirt and red vest.
