Merry Christmas!
The days are dark and cold. The frost has dropped into the negative thirties, and the well in the yard has already been thawed four times because the scant snow hasn’t insulated it as it usually does. The moon lingers along the edges of the forest all day long, with no trace of the sun. The couple of hours that can be called "daylight" are bathed in a faint pastel glow of icy blues and soft pinks.
Fortunately, over the past couple of days, the snow has finally arrived. It’s been awaited more eagerly than Christmas. In just a few days, more than thirty centimeters fell, and at last, winter is starting to look the way it should. The snow brings light, insulation, and beauty to the landscape. It feels comforting, wrapping the forests in a blanket of white silence. Wonderful.
Christmas has arrived in our home. We hung star-shaped lights in the windows on the first Sunday of Advent, and a few small decorations have since added a festive touch to the house.
A few weeks ago, we held our traditional Christmas sing-along. (It’s a tradition now because this was the second year we hosted it!) We invited the roughly twenty people in the village, plus a few friends, to come and sing Christmas carols in our home, connect with each other in the midst of winter’s darkness, and enjoy some coffee and mulled wine.
Of course, E and I baked sourdough bread, gingerbread cookies, and E’s famous sourdough cinnamon buns—the best in the world, if you ask me. The atmosphere was warm and cheerful, and everyone enjoyed pausing for a moment to chat with their neighbors. It’s something that doesn’t happen often during the dark winter months or in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. This tradition will definitely continue next year!
Yesterday, it felt like half the village stopped by for a visit. They came to drop off cards or chocolates, sit for a while by the warmth of the wood-fired oven, and share a bit of conversation. There wasn’t much time for anything else, but as I listened to their stories about life over the years, I found myself thinking—what’s the rush, anyway? The whole day was spent brewing coffee, savoring a third pastry, and hearing tales of old times or the kids’ plans for their Christmas break.
At the same time, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for how warmly we’ve been welcomed into this village. Everyone else here has some family connection to the place. Most were born here and have lived their entire lives in this community. We’re the only ones who came from elsewhere. Nothing would have stopped the locals from keeping their distance for a few years, waiting to see if we’d really settle in or if we were just southerners passing through for a picturesque “gap year” in the north.
But from the very beginning, they’ve been warm, kind, and helpful. In their own way, they’ve made us feel as though we belong, welcoming us into their extended family as if we were one of their own. It’s impossible not to feel deeply thankful for such an incredible gesture of acceptance.
Now, on the evening before Christmas Eve, the house has quieted down. The bustle has stopped, and the tree—topped with a star and gifted to us by a neighbor—stands in the corner. A few candles flicker, and the star lights glow softly in the windows.
We’ve already managed to watch a couple of Christmas movies (some better, some worse, as always), and my sister is keeping an eye on the rice porridge in the kitchen, perched on a stool by the stove. Outside, snow is gently falling—just as it should on Christmas Eve—and candle lanterns and holiday lights shine from the yards around the village.
Christmas is ready to arrive.
A heartfelt thank you for being here with me this year, too—sharing both the big and small moments of my life in the north and helping keep this space alive so I can share my journey, even digitally, with others. It’s amazing that so many are interested in life up here in the north, in Finland (which, by the way, is just a tiny speck on the world map), and in what I’m up to in this dark and cold corner of the world. Thank you.
Let’s continue spreading warmth and kindness, bringing peace and love to everyone—now during Christmas and beyond.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year! <3 I’ll return with fresh energy next year.
♥ Sanna
P.S. If you haven’t seen my latest video yet, I’m up to all sorts of Christmas things and the usual goings-on here. I uploaded it a little while ago, but if you haven’t had a chance to watch it yet, I’ll link it below. Sending hugs! ❤️