Finnish Lapland: 5 ways to experience Christmas like a local

Christmas in Finnish Lapland is shaped as much by darkness and cold as by warmth and togetherness. As the polar night settles in, everyday life slows and long-held traditions come to the fore, from gathering with neighbours to fishing through the ice and unwinding in the sauna. Here are five ways to experience the season as locals do, grounded in community, nature and quiet rituals that make winter meaningful.

Admire the Arctic lights

Christmas falls in the middle of kaamos (Finnish for polar night). For more than one month, the sun does not rise above the horizon. This time of year is ideal to capture the wonders of the Arctic lights: whether it is being mesmerized by northern lights dancing high in the sky, being breathless as orange and red colours sent by the not-so-distant sun move from east to west or being grateful to the moonlight for making snowy landscapes as bright as day.

Spend time with your community

The dark season is the perfect moment to gather with friends, family and neighbours.

From pikkujoulu celebrations (literally “little Christmas”), when each group gathers sometime in December, to local traditions such as kinkkubingo (“ham bingo”, where the prize is the Christmas ham), or singing Christmas songs with neighbours in both Finnish and Sámi, every occasion becomes a reason to meet and spend time together.

Fish through the ice

In Lapland, fishing is traditionally done using nets. In winter, those nets are set under the ice.

Checking them is part of daily life – even when the temperature drops to –20°C and it is dark outside. Pulling a large trout from the net means you get your joulu kala, the Christmas fish.

Eat pastries and drink coffee

While this is a year-round activity, special Christmas treats are worth a try. Joulutorttu is a star-shaped puff pastry topped with plum jam.

A moment to enjoy by the fireplace watching the snow fall.

Step into the sauna

Finland is famous for its sauna culture and on Christmas Day, it is a tradition. After a day spent celebrating with family at the cottage, it is time to step into a hot sauna. The bravest will follow it with a cold plunge straight into a hole cut in the frozen lake nearby.

But the very first step is digging a hole in the ice to fill the water tank of the wood-burning sauna stove!