Today as I drove to town to do some of my procrastinated Christmas shopping (I don't know what happened this year because I'm usually done by now), I heard on the radio that today is Finland's Independence Day. I hardly ever listen to the radio, so it was a meaningful coincidence that I would hear about this today: the day when the Christmas season usually begins at our house: one month before the last day of Christmas in Finland, January 6th.
There is much of Finland in my family's holiday traditions, decorations, and music. We go to the sauna on Christmas Eve, we put candles on our tree, and we listen to some of the most beautiful carols I have ever heard, in a language I will probably never learn (though I truly wish I could).
Tonight I will help my children decorate the Christmas tree while we listen to Finnish Christmas songs for children. We will practice the words to the song "Tonttujen Jouluyö" in preparation for the song/dance we will do with Mummi (Grandma) at Christmas, each one of us wearing the perfectly fitted elf hat she sewed for us. If you would like to hear the song and see the actions CLICK HERE to see the You Tube video I found.
So today, I send my love to that beautiful land far away...Happy 93rd birthday, Suomi! Thank you for all you have given to my family, at Christmastime and always.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I love hearing other family's Christmas traditions. I think you should post a picture of your Christmas tree...I'm dying to see what candles on a tree look like! Sounds beautiful!
Post a Comment