Meaning of Christmas and my expectations towards it

I´m starting to write to myself- and you about what is the meaning of christmas to me and what kind of expectations I´ve had and have towards it. Basically because I´m from Finland, and my country happens to be mostly Lutheran Christian in what it comes to religious and original meaning of Christmas – it has been obvious and relatively easy to ”always” know about Christmas as a basically, historically the birthday of Jesus- and after that, Finland´s speciality in what it comes to the ”one and only Santa Claus excisting there- country”. I am writing with quotation marks because I want to try to write in an -open way- and these things are just those… what you could also write without quotation marks – as a fundamentally truth kind of supposition, but anyway I don´t want my writings seem that these are really the only fundamental truths so I leave some open space there to think about for a reader – and myself most.

However- Jenni, please go already into the topic more detailed. Okay, this picture from #visitrovaniemi has the most reliable, trustworthy and real feeling about Santa Claus to myself personally. This is how he looks, and there needs to be snow, or at least a feeling of (Finnish) winter as a background. Meaning of Christmas in my childhood was Santa (and later on my family, relatives and friends) giving gifts for me and myself giving gifts for others, on a christmas eve, which is 24th of december in Finland. (And the gift are given then, not before or not after the 24th). When I grew up, around after age of 15 Christmas started to mean addition to gifts also peaceful time with family and friends, maybe heading into cottage or other place in countryside- kind of environment, it started to give meanings also related to good food, my favourite ”christmas foods” (like liverpaste, hapankorppu, maksalaatikko, luumurahka, karpalojäädyke) . Then somewhere in my twenties, maybe around age of 25 it started to mean moreover the peaceful and quality time with family and friends, THAN gifts anymore. I´ve always liked getting and receiveing gifts, and one of my speciality is indeed to manage to find very special, liked, and truly valued gifts to my loved ones – yes that is one of my speciality, but anyway I remember I started to say my loved ones that I really don´t want gifts (at least many) anymore. I want to concentrate into ”something else” moreover. That something else I will get back to you more detailed later on. I can tell you it is something to do with feelings, emotions, genuine ones (!), non-artificial stuff and/or humans creating it, somewhat traditionality, yet I can manage with some new modern stuff…(?) maybe, experiences, once in a lifetime- things, maybe magic too. Or at least letting yourself to believe and see the small (big) magical things around you and your close ones.

This picture as well from #visitrovaniemi shows the Santa who is familiar to me since I was a kid. Santa Claus was based in Rovaniemi, and I watched ”Joulupukin kuumalinja” television show where kids called to Santa in the morning and afternoon at Christmas eve. I have lived in Helsinki all my life, but luckily (same) Santa visited in Helsinki when it´s traditionally, very beautiful ”Joulukatu” opening was held every year in Aleksanterinkatu, the main shopping street in Helsinki city centre. So when I was kid, I saw Santa every year before Christmas eve in my home city, and few times in Rovaniemi or lapland region too when we were having a winter holiday there with my family.

This picture below from Santa Claus is another from #visitrovaniemi and I want to publish this as an interesting one. I am very awere of the year-around brand building towards Santa and other closely Christmas related experiences specially in Rovaniemi and lapland region, but this is and will be new to me and I am very willing to learn, hear and brainstorm more about this theme and subject with all the participants in coming Christmas Experience Academy 2018.

What it comes to my expectations towards Christmas (and Santa) is now during the summer school to enhance my previous experiences and thoughts personally- and professionally with all the students, professors, teachers, partners, marketing professionals and business incubators and brilliant entrepreneurs in Rovaniemi region, get new thoughts and ideas, maybe go crazy about how cool it is (and would be) to be more involved in the future in these businesses and brand building and on going creations with one of the most loved Christmas -themed region, the most known and loved ”persona” integrated with it and the city of Rovaniemi and it´s ongoing work towards good balance of creating wonderful Christmas/Santa/Lapland (tourism) experiences to all those people from all around the world.

Jenni