A fabulous trip to visit Santa Claus in Lapland. Where in Finland is the magical Santa Claus village? Santa Claus lives

Finnish Santa's name Joulupukki. Literal translation his name means "Christmas goat" in Russian.

You can recognize Santa by his red fur coat, hat of the same color and white beard.

Until the 19th century, it wore goatskin and had small horns.

Joulupukki has a wife, Muori, whose name means "Old Mistress". Help them with housework gnomes, who live in the “Echo Caves” and monitor how children behave. Before Christmas, the responsibility of preparing gifts falls on their shoulders.

Joulupukki lives in a wooden house built in the forest on Mount Korvatunturi. This place is known as “Sopka-Ears”. It is located on the border with. This is not the only residence of Joulupukki in Finland, but it is to this house that children send their letters with their requests for gifts.

Official address Joulupukki residences: Finlandia, 99999, Korvatunturi. Every year up to 500 thousand letters arrive here. You can also write a letter to Santa Claus at: Joulupukki, 96930, Arctic Circle, FINLAND.

Village location

That Santa Claus lives in an ancient region of Finland, Lapland, all the children on the planet know. This amazing land geographically affects 4 states:

Finland;
Russia;

You can find Santa in northern Lapland, whose cultural region is the country of Suomi (Finland). This region is inhabited by Lapps and Laplanders. Santa Claus Village is located 8 kilometers from the city of Rovaniemi.

How to get to Lapland?

Get to official residence Santa Claus "Santa Village" can be reached to Rovaniemi by train or by flying to it. It's only an hour's flight from Rovaniemi. This city is the center of Lapland and is considered the twelfth largest in Finland.

Choose your plane ticket right now using this search form. To get into a fairy tale, just enter cities of departure and arrival, date And number of passengers.

At his official residence, Santa Claus welcomes guests all year round.

Rovaniemi has its own airport And railway station. From the airport to the city you can take an Airport Taxi. The best way to get from the city to Santa Claus Village is by taxi. You can call him at the hotel reception.

The cost of a taxi depends on the number of passengers, time of day, day of the week and distance to be traveled. Children under 12 years of age are not considered passengers. For groups of tourists more than 4 people served "tilataksi". This is a small minibus.

There are also buses in the city, but they run very rarely. At each stop there are special devices that serve as a help desk. Departs from Rovaniemi train station to Santa Claus Village bus number 8. The bus travel time from the station to the village is 8 minutes. The final stop of the bus is in the center of Santa Claus village next to his shopping center. It is only 100 meters from Santa's office.

Where can I stay?

In Santa Claus Village, built to accommodate guests cottages. They are all located in the same part of the city. Each house has 2 rooms with an area of 37 sq. m. meters. They are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable stay. You can park your car next to the cottage.

The room has wide bed, folding sofa, wardrobe, table, TV. You can prepare your own food in the small kitchen located in the room. The bathroom has a small sauna. There is Wi-Fi.

You can also stay in hotels in neighboring cities and travel to the village by bus. This way you can visit more interesting places.

To book a room, use our convenient search form. Enter city, check-in and check-out dates And number of guests.

Find out what visa is needed to visit Finnish Santa Claus.

Tours to Finnish Santa Claus

Lapland has an amazingly beautiful nature, reminiscent of a fairy tale. In addition to the Santa Claus village, you can see a lot of interesting things here.

Among the best tours to Lapland are tours of natural areas and reserves, safaris, skiing, and visits to the zoo.

You can relax in Lapland all year round. In the summer there is beauty on the local lakes and rivers, of which there are a large number in these parts. In these places you can go skiing, reindeer riding, and sledding. The Finnish sauna leaves an unforgettable impression.

Official website of the residence

You can find out all the news about the life of Santa Claus in Lapland on the village websites:

On these sites you can write letter to Santa Claus, it will definitely be read.

The birthplace and home of Santa Claus - photo

The residence of Santa Claus consists of several objects, all of which are open to the public and are very popular among tourists. The most important object is Santa Claus post office. Correspondence from all over the world arrives here. Santa's famous reindeer live on a farm in the village and can also be visited.

You can learn everything about Christmas traditions at the local exhibition-museum. IN Santa Claus's workshop They will show and tell you everything about New Year and Christmas gifts, and you can buy souvenirs in the shops.

Tourists visiting the village love to visit Santa Park and the Arctic Park known as "Winter World".

Office

Read about the ski resorts in Finland that you can visit during your trip to see Santa Claus.

Santa Claus's office is the most popular place in the village. More than 500 thousand tourists visit it annually. Every day guests come from all over the world to Santa's office. You can get to the office by passing a long fairy-tale corridor. Santa's office is massive wooden door. In the office you can take a photo with Santa Claus as a souvenir. There is a belief that if you make a wish at this moment, it will certainly come true.

Santa mail

After visiting Santa Claus's office, tourists head to his mail. There are elves working there, they all have different nationalities. Their main job is to process letters coming to Santa Claus. You can send cards and gifts to your friends and family using mail.

Next to the post office there is a house that is known as Eleanor Roosevelt's cabin. She is considered the first tourist to visit these places.

Santa Park

This unique place is very similar to a fairyland. It is interesting to visit it not only for children, but also for adults. There is Elven School, all year round it reveals to students all the ancient secrets of these mysterious characters. Graduates of the school are issued diplomas of completion. In Santa Park there is also an elf workshop and a calligraphy school.

IN gingerbread In Mrs. Claus's kitchen they bake gingerbread cookies that have amazing taste and aroma. It is very difficult to resist the temptation to try them.

Along with gingerbread, you can also find other Finnish delicacies here, as well as wine prepared with special spices.

IN Ice Gallery bar You can try the “Kiss of the Ice Princess” soft drink. Ice sculptures are located in the gallery halls.

Special train "Seasons", passing through the secret workshop of the elves, takes a tour of the four seasons.

Operating mode of objects

You can get to the village any day of the week. From 1 to 30 November and 7 to 31 May it is open to the public from 10:00 to 17:00. IN summer period From 1 to 31 August the village is open from 9:00 to 18:00. And from January 1 to 6, its operating hours are from 9:00 to 19:00.

What else to see?

In Pilka there is a center created to get acquainted with the forest, its industrial processing and protection.

Educational games for children are held at the center. Near Pielke there is Arctic Museum.

On the hill Ounasvaara, which is located a few kilometers from the center of Rovaniemi, there is a gaming pavilion known as Funpark, a swimming pool, a gym, massage and bowling.

A real ice kingdom - Snowland. Even the tourist hotel there is made of ice. True thrill-seekers stay here for the night. Only a glass of hot mulled wine can save you from the cold. Special unforgettable impressions remain after the Arctic disco.

There are many nature reserves and nature parks in Lapland. One of them worth visiting is "Ranua". This is the northernmost zoo in the world. There you can see not only the most northern animals, but also a large number various types birds living on the planet. All the inhabitants of the zoo live in huge enclosures, so traveling around the zoo resembles a safari.

Since 1966, every January in Lapland there has been a famous rally, which runs along icy, snow-covered roads.

When going to Lapland, you need to remember what kind of climate. Winters here are quite harsh, and temperatures can reach +30C. Your travel wardrobe should be selected according to the season.
In Lapland good roads, and there is a railway connection between the cities, but the work public transport leaves much to be desired. You shouldn't count on him. You will have to travel by taxi or rented car.
In winter, some roads in Lapland closed due to ice. Before traveling by car, it is better to make inquiries about which routes in the country you can travel on.

What does Santa Claus look like? This question worries almost all boys and girls, last days living in anticipation of the upcoming New Year. Santa Claus is the Western equivalent of our Father Frost. He also comes to the children, only on Christmas, not on New Year, and gives gifts. They have many differences. One of them is that it is not known for certain which area is considered his homeland. If Santa Claus comes from Veliky Ustyug, then his western brother is either from the vicinity of the North Pole, or from Lapland.

Appearance

Everyone who has seen him at least once knows what Santa Claus looks like. Outwardly, he is very different from the familiar and close Santa Claus. What Santa Claus looks like and where he lives, you will learn from this article.

While Father Frost's beard grows almost to his toes, Santa Claus's is always neat and short. Santa Claus wears felt boots, and Santa Claus always wears boots. Santa Claus moves on foot, and his Western brother rides in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, each of which has its own given name.

To find out what the real Santa Claus looks like, just look at any image of him. The Western New Year and Christmas wizard wears a neat jacket with a belt, but the domestic Santa Claus wears a warm sheepskin coat with a sash.

In addition, it is not difficult to recognize him, since the Santa Claus costume always looks the same. It only comes in red. But Santa Claus' clothes come in both blue and red. When describing what a Santa Claus hat looks like, it is worth noting that he has a cap with a neat fur trim. Comparing with Santa Claus, it must be said that the latter has a mandatory attribute - a fur hat.

How is Father Frost different from Santa Claus? Another fundamental point is that Western wizard There is bad habit. He can often be seen with a pipe, which he smokes incessantly.

When describing what Santa Claus and Father Frost look like, it must be recognized that the differences between them are very significant. They make it easy to distinguish one from another.

Origin

The way Santa Claus looks has a lot to do with his origin story. The prototype of a good grandfather with gifts is considered to be the Christian Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who is revered by both Catholics and Orthodox Christians. The saint himself became famous primarily for the fact that he devoted a lot of time and attention to charity. With secret gifts, he often helped poor people who had children.

Initially, St. Nicholas Day was celebrated on December 6th. It was then in European countries It was customary to give gifts in his name. Everything changed during the Reformation. The veneration of saints was no longer encouraged. Therefore, in Germany and some neighboring countries they began to give gifts to children in the name of the baby Jesus Christ. And the day of their presentation was moved to December 24, when Christmas markets were organized everywhere.

When the time came for the Counter-Reformation, children again began to receive gifts in the name of St. Nicholas, this time directly at Christmas. Only in a few European countries have ancient traditions been preserved. For example, in Holland, children expect surprises not only on Christmas, but also on December 6, St. Nicholas Day.

Santa Claus in the USA

It is noteworthy that it was the Dutch colonists who brought this image to the New World. This happened back in the middle of the 17th century. In America, Santa Claus first settled in the settlement of New Amsterdam, present-day New York. There they first began to replicate what Santa Claus looks like.

An important stage in the formation of this character is considered to be 1809, when in the book “History of New York”, written by the famous American writer Washington Irving, told about the times of Dutch rule, it specifically mentions how St. Nicholas was honored in New Amsterdam.

Transformation of Saint Nicholas into Santa Claus

In 1822, in fact, the biography of this hero began in American literature. Columbia University teacher Clement Clarke Moore wrote a Christmas story for children in which he spoke in detail about this character who always brings gifts to children who have behaved well in the past year. Shortly before Christmas, the poem was published in local press entitled "The Night Before Christmas, or the Visit of St. Nicholas." It became very popular and was reprinted several times. Many today argue that it was thanks to Clement Moore that St. Nicholas was finally transformed in the minds of millions into Santa Claus. By 1840, almost all residents of the New World knew who Santa Claus was.

Another important point: it was in this poem that the transport of a fairy-tale wizard was first described. It was indicated that he travels across the sky on a sleigh pulled by reindeer.

Santa's Popularity

In 1863 American artist Thomas Nast used this character in a series of his political cartoons. It was he who presented him in the image of a hero who gives gifts to children. Santa Claus has become very popular. Nast, in fact, made a name for himself on this. In subsequent years, he produced a large number of drawings intended for children, in which the life of Santa Claus was presented in funny scenes. In his works, he began to think about and describe in detail the life and habits of a good wizard.

It was then that a version appeared that Santa’s homeland is the North Pole, where he has a special home. In it, he keeps records in a special book, in which he writes down all the good and bad deeds of children from all over the world. From these drawings one can clearly trace the transformation of this image from the fat elderly elf, as he was originally presented, to a more realistic and humane character, who is very similar to our modern Santa Claus.

It is believed that Nast almost completely copied this character from himself. He, too, was a plump and well-fed man, very short in stature, but at the same time with a wide spade beard and a large lush mustache.

Santa Claus in the 19th century

It’s actually interesting what Santa Claus looked like in the 19th century. Initially, he was depicted as a kind elf who appears on the eve of Christmas in a cart pulled by reindeer. And it enters the house through the chimney.

Some historians note that the Confederates were absolutely demoralized to see Santa depicted on the enemy side.

There is even a legend that Lincoln during Civil War for independence asked Nast to portray Santa Claus along with the northerners. His only drawback at the time was that Santa for a long time remained black and white. He only got his famous red fur coat in 1885 thanks to the publisher Louis Prang. It was he who brought to America the tradition of Christmas cards, which were customary to give in Victorian England. They were made using the technique of color lithography, so it soon became necessary to figure out what color the robe of the hero of our article would be. So he got a bright red outfit.

Development of the image of a wizard

In 1930, the image of Santa was further developed. All thanks to the advertising campaign major manufacturer American soft drinks. They decided on a clever trick to ensure that their products are remembered all year round, and not just during the Christmas period.

The drink's red and white labels reminded marketers of Santa's similar attire. Illustrator Haddon Sundblom, originally from Chicago, consistently depicted a new winter wizard every year for the next 30 years. He turned into a giant, similar to his neighbor Lou Prentice. It was Sundblom who painted the ninth reindeer in the harness, to which he gave the name Rudolf.

Transformation of the image

It’s interesting that initially Santa in Nast’s illustrations wore a sheepskin coat that was invariably brown. Only over time did it begin to acquire reddish shades. At the same time, many researchers of the biography of this character argued that the red color itself does not carry any meaning.

It was only after the advertising campaign in which Sundblom participated that Santa's costume was only depicted in red. Wearing a sheepskin coat of the same type, he was depicted on the covers of the popular American humor magazine Puck, which was published at the beginning of the 20th century.

Santa's transport

Santa gets to his charges, to whom he brings gifts, on a sleigh drawn by reindeer. Interestingly, each of them has its own name. Initially there were eight of them. Their names were Swift, Lightning, Dancer, Thunder, Prancing, Cupid, Grumpy and Comet.

In 1823, another reindeer named Rudolph appeared in the poem "The Night Before Christmas." It is noteworthy that he has become the most popular among all Santa's reindeer today. He stands at the head of the team and is distinguished from the rest by his bright red nose.

And one more interesting fact about Santa Claus. In 1955, his image was used in entertainment program North American Aerospace Defense Command. In it you could watch the fictitious movements of Santa's sleigh. This was reported by the media mass media, they could even be monitored using a special hotline number.

Santa Claus remains a popular character today, regularly used in advertising, films and animated series.

Not only children, but also adults want to believe in fairy tales, especially Christmas and new year holidays. And, of course, the main characters of these days are the domestic Father Frost and the American Santa Claus. Both children and adults wait for their favorite fairy tale characters, thinking in advance what gift to ask for, what wish to make.

Dreams come true! And if Santa is still on his way to you, you can go visit him yourself. Yes, yes, Santa has an address. He lives in the small American town of North Pole, located in the very center of the cold state of Alaska, not far from the North Pole. About 2000 people live in the city.

North Pole - a fairy tale town

On Christmas Eve in the city of Santa, daylight hours are reduced to 4 hours, and frosts reach -30°C. There is snow here for 8 months of the year. This is what it is, the real patrimony of the ruler of winter and frost!

The fairy-tale city has amazing streets - “Holiday Road”, “Snowman Street” and many others with equally magical names.

The lampposts in this city are painted white and red, reminiscent of traditional candies, symbolizing the onset of the Christmas holidays.

Despite its small size and being lost in the snow, Santa's city cannot be considered isolated from civilization. Just 20 kilometers from North Pole is another city, Fairbanks. It even has a university. In the mornings, North Pole residents rush in their cars to work in Fairbanks.

Santa's residence

Right on the side of the highway leading to Fairbanks, on St. Nicholas Street is the residence of Santa Claus. Numerous tourists flock here to experience this fairy-tale character, and also buy Christmas souvenirs. It's impossible to drive past Santa's house. Painted in white With a bright red finish and numerous light bulbs, it invites everyone passing by to visit.

Several rooms inside Santa's house are filled with all kinds of toys, Christmas tree decorations and souvenirs. Products made by local artisans are displayed on a shelf with a “Made in Alaska” sign.

Some adults who don't believe in miracles grumble, criticizing the high prices for souvenirs. And children with joyful squeals discover live reindeer near the house, ready to lift into the air a sleigh with Santa Claus and bags of gifts for the children.

In the house itself, children are greeted by a real Santa Claus sitting in a chair. Quiet music is playing, everyone can approach Santa and ask him to fulfill his cherished wish, to receive from the hands of a living fairy tale hero present.

Santa Claus's house has already celebrated its 60th birthday. It opened in 1952, at which time North Pole received city status. Now the house where Santa lives has become world famous.

The veneration of Saint Nicholas very quickly spread throughout the Christian world, both in the East and in the West. Numerous churches were dedicated to him, people turned to him in prayer, hoping for healing and help. From folk legends that have appeared over the centuries, we learn that St. Nicholas helped the poor and unfortunate by quietly throwing gold coins into shoes left at the door at night and placing pies in the windows. By the way, around 960, the first musical work about St. Nicholas was written in the West, where he proposed new option translation of the life of the saint: instead of the word “innocentes” (innocents) in relation to the three inhabitants of the World, unjustly sentenced to death, “pueri” (children) is used. Due to the incredible success of this medieval musical work about the holy bishop, the tradition of venerating St. Nicholas as the patron saint of children arose. However, even before this, sailors, prisoners, bakers and merchants chose him as their heavenly protector.

When the Seljuk Turks began to devastate Byzantium at the end of the 11th century, the residents of the city of Bari, which is located in what is now Italy, “stole” the relics of St. Nicholas from Myra Lycia and thereby saved the shrine, revered by all Christians, from desecration. The relics were brought to Bari, where a majestic basilica was built especially for them. Pilgrims from all European countries flocked to this hitherto unremarkable city. Even the invaders who succeeded each other, from the Normans to the Suevi, revered the sanctity of the St. Nicholas Church, providing it with all possible protection and care. When Bari was captured by William the Fierce in 1156, who razed the city to the ground, sparing neither houses nor churches, the Basilica of St. Nicholas remained untouched among the smoking ruins. There is another significant moment associated with the transfer of the relics of St. Nicholas. In 1088, Pope Urban II officially established the celebration of this event on May 9. In the Byzantine east this holiday was not accepted, but in Rus' it became widespread and has survived to this day; people call it “Nikola the Spring”.

In Rus', Saint Nicholas was one of the most revered saints. For example, in the 16th-17th centuries, Russians avoided giving children the name Nicholas because of special reverence, and disrespect for the Wonderworker was perceived as nothing other than a sign of heresy. For Russian Orthodox Christians, Nicholas became the most “democratic” saint, the most accessible, quick and immutable helper. The attitude towards this saint is best shown by one of the countless Russian legends: “Traveling across the earth, Nikola and Kasyan (Saint Cassian of Rome) saw a peasant fussing around his cart, deeply stuck in the mud. Kasyan, afraid to stain his snow-white vestments and afraid to appear before God, in an inappropriate manner, did not want to help the poor man, but Nikola, without reasoning, got down to business. When the cart was pulled out, the assistant found himself smeared to the ears with mud, and on top of everything else, his festive vestments were greatly torn. Having learned why Nikola is so dirty and Kasyan is clean, the Lord gave the former two holidays a year instead of one (May 9 and December 6), and reduced Kasyan to one every four years (February 29). both a prominent hierarch and a simple, kind saint, and also a quick helper in troubles.”

However, we digress. How did Saint Nicholas become Santa Claus and become strongly associated with the Christmas holiday? To understand this, we need to move back to the Christian West.

Around the 10th century in Cologne cathedral began to distribute fruits and pastries to the students of the parochial school on December 6, on the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas, which, as we remember, thanks to the widespread piece of music, written in his honor, began to be revered in the West as the patron saint of children. Soon this tradition spread far beyond the borders of the German city. In houses at night, remembering ancient legends, they began to hang specially made shoes or stockings, so that Nicholas would have somewhere to put his gifts, which over time had already noticeably outgrown the scope of buns and fruit, although he still sometimes cannot do without them. It is worth noting that the saint’s memorial day falls on the Nativity Fast (Advent), when everyone is looking forward to the Joyful Feast of the Incarnation of the Eternal Word and the beginning of the New Year. Apparently, in connection with this, the Bishop of Myra, entering houses at night, brings gifts to obedient children and rods to naughty children, thereby reminding them of the need for good behavior. Therefore, long before the holiday, the children try not to play pranks, and parents diligently, at every opportunity, remind them of the rods, which can easily be received as a gift on December 6th. However, gifts are often accompanied by rods or a twig, wrapped in foil or painted in gold or silver paint. In some countries, the holy bishop does not hide and comes to houses not at night, but during the day in full liturgical vestments, and not alone, but with an angel and an imp. The head of this unusual company questions the young inhabitants of the house about their behavior, with the angel and the imp acting as a lawyer and a prosecutor, respectively, and then, based on the results of a kind of investigation, a gift is presented (or not).

The Reformation, which arose in the 16th century thanks to the speech of Martin Luther, excluded the veneration of saints from the liturgy of the new Churches. Along with their cult, the feast of St. Nicholas disappeared. But if it is easy to eradicate anything on paper, then to fight folk traditions more than difficult. Therefore, in the so-called “Catholic” countries, the feast of St. Nicholas still remains, joyfully celebrated on December 6, and in Protestant countries, the miracle-working bishop has transformed into a slightly different character, still bringing gifts and joy to children. Thanks to all kinds of folk legends and traditions different countries Saint Nicholas put on the mask of either the “Father of Christmas”, or “Grandfather Christmas”, or the “Stargazer”! He was depicted as a gnome and an old man, and acquired various companions. And he moved from the Mediterranean city to Arctic Lapland.

IN North America, which played an important role in the history of the Christmas miracle worker, Saint Nicholas came from Holland. In 1626, several Dutch ships, led by the frigate "Goede Vrove", on the bow of which stood the figure of St. Nicholas, arrived in New World. The seekers of fortune bought land from the Indians for $24 and named the village New Amsterdam (now this village is called New York). The Dutch moved the figurine of the saint from the ship to the main square. But bad luck, the inhabitants of the new land spoke not in English. And the phrase “Saint Nicholas” sounded like “Sinter Klass”, then, over time, the name of our character was transformed into “Santa Klass”, and a little later - into “Santa Claus”.

Dutch Sinterklaas

If you ask the Finns where Santa Claus comes from, they will answer: “From Korvatunturi, the hills in Lapland.”

The Dutch call him Sinterklaas, and the Germans call him Weihnachtsmann. Well, for you he’s probably just Santa.

It has many names, and every nation considers it its own. But still, one country has more reason to be called the home of Santa Claus.

It is believed that the prototype of modern Santa Claus was the generous Christian saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, who lived in the Middle Ages. In the 4th century, Saint Nicholas was the bishop of the small Roman town of Myra, which is now located in Turkey. And although the location of the saint’s relics is still in question (some believe that they are in Italy, while others claim that they are in Ireland), in October 2017, Turkish archaeologists discovered a burial place under the church of St. Nicholas in Antalya province, not far from the ruins ancient Myra. They assume that the remains in this grave are the ashes of the saint.

If Türkiye can prove that it is where St. Nikolay, then Santa’s fans will have to radically change their place of pilgrimage. However, Finland is entering the fray and has something to say.

Lapland, the birthplace of Santa Claus according to the Finns. Photo: Citikka/Alamy Stock Photo

If you ask the Finns where Santa’s homeland is, they will answer: “On Korvatunturi, the Lapland hill.”

Many Finns believe that Santa's secret workshop is located on this hill, where herds of reindeer roam through huge snowdrifts. Although the workshop was discovered there only in 1927 (announced by radio presenter Markus Rautio), belief in Santa Claus has existed in Finland for much longer.

Christianity came to Finland in the Middle Ages, and before that, pagan Finns celebrated the winter solstice holiday Yule, associated with many traditions. St. Knut's Day (January 13) in many Scandinavian countries closes the holiday week. On this day, nuutipukki (people in fur coats, birch bark masks and with horns) went from house to house, demanding gifts and begging for leftover food. Nuutipukki were by no means kind spirits: if they did not get what they wanted, they began to make loud noise and scare children.

When in the 19th century in Finland they first learned about St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, his image mixed with the image of ancient “spirits” in masks. Thus appeared Joulupukki, dressed in a red fur coat. This translates from Finnish as “Christmas goat.” Instead of demanding gifts, Joulupukki began to give them. Unlike Santa Claus, he does not enter the house through the chimney, but knocks on the door and asks: “Onko tällä kilttejä lapsia?” (Ónko talla kilteya lápsiya - Are there children here who behave well?) After Joulupukki gives gifts to everyone, he returns to the Korvatunturi hill, the name of which literally translates as “Ear Hill”. And according to Finnish beliefs, Joulupukki hears everything from here.

Finnish Santa Claus was included in the Inventory of Living Heritage. Photo: Ilkka Siren

In November 2017, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture approved the inclusion of Joulupukki (i.e. the Finnish Santa Claus) in the National Inventory of Living Heritage, a list maintained by the National Council of Antiquities as part of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible cultural heritage.

“This was a big step for Finnish Santa Claus and for us,” said Jari Ahjoharju, a spokesman for the Finnish Santa Claus Foundation. “We hope that eventually the Finnish version of Santa Claus will be included in the UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage List.”

According to Ahjoharju, although UNESCO does not recognize Santa Claus as an exclusively Finnish tradition, for Finland the inclusion of Joulupukki in this list will still play a big role and strengthen its position as the home of Santa.

Finnish Santa lives in Rovaniemi. Photo: Tony Lewis/Getty Images

Then why even apply for Santa? It would probably be better to ask: “Who doesn’t want to consider Santa theirs?” First of all, for many, Santa Claus is the main good wizard who loves to have fun, give gifts and bring joy to people. Of course, some people only see him modern face marketing, but it’s hard to disagree with the fact that Santa infects everyone with the holiday spirit. After all, whether he exists or not, he is a messenger of goodwill.

So yes, tourist considerations play an important role here. According to Visit Finland statistics, the number of people staying in Lapland has increased by almost 18% over last year. Although everyone goes there mainly for the northern lights, Ahjoharju says many tourists coming to Lapland are drawn to Rovaniemi, the village of Santa Claus, to meet the good wizard. It is a very significant attraction that makes an invaluable contribution to the development of Finnish tourism.