December 27, 2016 Christmas Traditions

 I will share some of the lovely Christmas traditions from here in Finland :) 

Joulu torttu 

TRADITIONS:

•  -Joulu torttu dessert

• -Joulu Leipä (Finnish Christmas bread)

• -They all go to the graveyard for "holy day" and put candles on the graves FAVORITE

• -Santa comes on Christmas Eve and they sing as he walks in the door. The Christmas Eve is bigger than Christmas day.

• The Christmas meal is a lot of different casseroles: Carrot, turnip and some crazy root.

• -Glögi is a Christmas drink that is like cider.

• 1 litre red grape juice (we used home made grape cordial)
• A few strips of organic orange peel
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 6-8 whole cloves
• 4 cardamon pods
• 4-6 whole all spice corns (or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice)

• In the northern part of Finland there is an actual North Pole where santa lives. It's INCREDIBLE.

• Everyone goes to Lutheran mass around Christmas time, its generally the only day they attend church besides Easter.

• SAUNA...its basically the life of the Finns. They also will jump in the frozen lakes then go back to sauna, then jump, then sauna, its quite insane.

• Christmas rice porridge...yes the kind we soiled :)