My 3rd Christmas...

This is my 3rd Christmas/Holiday season in Finland and let's say it's a much different one than my previous 2.
How so?

Well, this year, we have a new baby (okay - he's 2 months old now and looks like a 3.5 month old in size) to add to the mix, a couple Brazilian friends who joined us for both Christmas Eve and Day....and NO SNOW.
One could argue that there IS some snow outside - but in general - it's a light dusting...or it's in clumps...oh wait - it's mostly all washed away.
In Finland, when there's a green Christmas (aka no snow) - they call it a "black Christmas".  Same thing.

In previous years we have had lots of snow and last year we even went on a Christmas Day hike across the frozen lake.

It hasn't been cold enough recently to keep the lake frozen at all...which really sucks because it's so dark and depressing out (I've been stuck inside for about 2-3 days - quickly losing my mind) and the snow would REALLY help brighten the area up!
That and it's nice walking out on a frozen lake and watching the dogs run around and making other doggy friends...

Bah humbug!

On the flip side, there are 365 days until next Christmas (there's that extra day in February due to a leap year) - so once the snow and cold really settles in (hopefully soon?) then I can start next year's Christmas cards.
Sick I know!  (And I have a few to finish...sorry if you don't receive one by New Year's Day!)

Oh right, back to Christmas.
Anyways, for Christmas Eve dinner - we agreed on a bigger meal then (as Brazil celebrates Christmas on the Eve of, just like Europe) and a slightly smaller meal for Christmas Day (I make my husband wait to open gifts until Christmas morning).

So for the bigger meal - we went for a leg of lamb!  And for the smaller - we opted for a roast chicken dinner.
I hate turkey (sorry this is old news) and they weren't in favour of ham or pork at the moment....

Our guests made a banana pie with chocolate frosting on top!

Leg of lamb dinner with roasted veggies and cheesy garlic bread for Christmas Eve dinner...

Christmas Day dinner - toasted herb bread with EVOO, fried pepperoni, broccoli with garlic and oyster sauce (weird I know), cucumbers, and chicken with veggies and rice!

Christmas Day dinner - blueberry/raspberry cheese cake with white and dark chocolate on top!

I hope your holidays were warm, safe and happy!!

PS I totally forgot to add this before posting it on Facebook - but anyway I will add it now quickly:

I planned EVERYTHING to a "T" so that I would NOT have to go to the stores on Christmas Eve or Friday.
Guess what happened on Christmas Eve?  My bathroom lights burnt out.
Not a big deal right?  Well it was.  Because we don't have a window in the bathroom, and I didn't want to use candles (our guest is allergic to scents and my husband hates it) and we also change the kids' diapers in there too.
So I hauled out my bus pass, rushed to Antilla, grabbed 2 light bulbs (they are the long fluorescent type) and rushed back home - because our guests were arriving a couple hours after I got back.
And of course, I got the right sized light bulbs - but two different shades of white.
So if you're in my bathroom and wondering why you feel like you're very calm on the right side of your face but feel like you're going blind on your left - my apologies.

Christmas!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and if you didn't know already - shops are closed at 12pm sharp on the 24th.
So if you haven't finished your Christmas shopping (shops are closed from 12pm on the 24th and do not re-open until the 27th) or your grocery shopping...you may want to go out today.
It'll be busy, the line ups will be ridiculously long....but at least you won't go starving for 3 days.

Santa comes tomorrow evening to visit your kids (if you've arranged it with a friend, family member or paid someone)...and typically the big dinner is tomorrow!
(And if you're religious you go to Midnight Mass or Church Christmas Day).

We're having our wonderful friends from Brazil (well, they live down the road from us) over for dinner tomorrow and we're having a "big" Christmas dinner.  We decided to get a good chunk of our groceries yesterday and I'm glad we did.  Other people had similar ideas (especially those travelling), so we quickly went downtown just to get the meat (better cuts and more choices) and got the vegetables etc. at the stores closer our home! (Less to carry/push in a stroller).

Then Christmas Day - we plan on opening gifts then...(I really should be working on finishing one! EEK!) and having a smaller dinner (but still considered big to some I guess....roast chicken and veggies).

Of course the guys plan on playing lots of video games....ha.

Happy Holidays - wherever you are and however you celebrate! (In Finnish: Hyv�� Joulua!)
All the best in 2012!

You better watch out...you better not cry...

If you're new to Finland - welcome.  I hope this blog provides useful and fun information for you.
One thing that you should probably know now - (especially since Christmas is in about 23 days) is that Santa is from Lapland, Finland.

Don't believe me? Of course not - unless you're a Finn.
He's from your own country....or perhaps he resides in the North Pole (popular location known by the North Americans).

Every year we gather with our friends (or try to) during the holiday season and we discuss family traditions, country's traditions (or typical ones anyway) for the holidays.
I'm ALWAYS asked about the Man in Red.

Well, let me break it down for you. (Sorry if you've been following my blog way back in the beginning and this is slightly repetitive...)

North American View of Santa

• Blue twinkling eyes, white bushy beard, a nose like a cherry, red suit with white trim, black boots and black belt with a buckle....a jolly laugh and a large round belly!
• Depending where you're from in the world - he has a different name!:
• Santa Claus (or just Santa)
• P�re Noel (French)
• Father Christmas
• Kris Kringle
• Saint Nicholas
• Papai Noel (Portugese)
• That scary man in the red suit...ha. (He's not meant to be scary but quite often to children - he can be).
• You can often find Santa in the malls around November and have your children sit on his lap - have a small chit chat and get a photo taken - and maybe he'll give you a candy cane!  
• Or in the case of Toronto, Ontario (Canada)....you can SKYPE WITH SANTA!!  I think this is totally ridiculous and takes the fun out of everything....but I'll blog about that later too.
• In Canada - you can write him a letter and expect a response (I haven't tried it outside of December...).  Here's his address: 
• SANTA CLAUS
  THE NORTH POLE
  HOH OHO
  (Volunteers respond at the post office - it's super sweet.)
• Drives a huge sleigh with 8 reindeer (Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen)...9 if you include the red-nosed one who can light the way - Rudolph....
• They land on your roof top or outside your door if you don't have a big enough roof....
• Delivers gifts silently while children sleep on Christmas Eve - to be opened Christmas Day in the morning - via your chimney.  Don't have one? He has a key to your door....and can sneak in and out pretty quietly for a big jolly guy!
• Leave him cookies you've baked and a glass of milk...his reindeer enjoy carrot sticks...It's hard work magically flying and pulling a huge sled with a huge sack of toys and Santa plus a couple helping elves...
• If you're good - you get a nice toy and he'll fill your socks/stockings that are hung by the chimney with care....
• If you're bad - you get coal.  (Better get a good stain remover for your stocking! Actually...I'll blog about an excellent stain remover another time!) 

My first year here - I told one of Tim's colleagues (now one of my friends) all this and she looked at me stunned.

She then explained quite firmly that Santa is from Finland...specifically Lapland, Finland.

There's even a Santa's Village!  So - there.
And I kid you not - she said something along these lines:

"Santa does not deliver gifts to kids while they sleep and drink Coca-Cola!"  

(Thanks Americans for that one).

What does he do in Finland?

Finland's View of Santa

• In Finnish he's known as "Papai Noel" (I think - this is Google Translate talking...)
• He's from Lapland, Finland...cut the crap about the North Pole...it's not true!
  There is a Santa's Village in Lapland!   Check out their website!
• Santa delivers toys to children on Christmas Eve...in person and while they are awake!  (It's typical in Europe to open your gifts Christmas Eve and have your big dinner then).
• His reindeer don't fly...or have the above names.  I don't even think he has reindeer that assist him in delivering gifts...
  (Although in Helsinki there is a parade of sorts when Santa arrives....)

So there you have it!

There is even a Santa Convention every year...and one year the Finnish Santa disagreed with where they stated Santa came from...so he refused to attend..or something like that.... (Hello Hardcore Santa!)
And if you have a suit and can be jolly and speak Finnish - you can probably be hired as Santa.

(Kids are smart enough to pick out their parents, neighbours and uncles).

So...post an ad about your skills as Santa and you'll probably be gobbled up quickly with requests!

Some finer points you should highlight about yourself in your ad (and it has been done!):

• If you like kids at all.
• Whether or not you smoke (aka will you smell or cause some poor kid an asthma attack)...
• If you will be sober or not (FYI sober Santas are a huge hit and can sometimes be hard to find!)
• If you are reliable and honest....timing is everything!

Good luck and HO HO HO!

In your opinion....Where is Santa from?

All info is as correct as possible with only 2-3 hours of sleep and a busy memory...feel free to correct anything I may have said in-correctly! :)

Chugga,Chugga, Choo-Choo! Problems

While visiting my friend last night, they informed me to not purchase train tickets online for awhile.
Why?  Well, their servers had been crashing left, right and center because VR has been offering discounts for trips closer to Christmas - if you are able to book well in advance.  So people have of course, been going wild for cheaper ticket prices (especially during the holiday season - who wouldn't want to save a buck or few?) and therefor, crashing their website.

So if you know where you want to go for Christmas - buy your tickets in advance at the green electronic machines (THEY DON'T PROVIDE ENGLISH SERVICE ON THEM!!) or with a sales representative at your local train station... or with cash (or possibly credit card - NOT Visa Electron - read above link for my previous experience on a train) with the train conductor.

Happy trip planning!