Joulupukki facts for kids
Joulupukki is a special Christmas character from Finland. His name, joulupukki, means "Christmas goat" or "Yule Goat" in Finnish. The word pukki comes from an old word meaning "billy-goat". Joulupukki is an old tradition from Scandinavia. Today, many people think of him as being very similar to Santa Claus.
Contents
Who is Joulupukki?
The Christmas Goat Tradition
The idea of Joulupukki started as a very old tradition, even before Christianity. In some parts of Finland, people still dress up in goat costumes. They do this around Christmas time and sometimes receive leftover Christmas food as a thank you. This person is often an older man.
What Joulupukki Looks Like
Joulupukki usually wears warm red clothes. These clothes often have a wide blue band near the fur. He uses a walking stick and travels in a sleigh. This sleigh is pulled by several reindeer. Unlike Santa Claus's reindeer, Joulupukki's reindeer do not fly.
In Lapland, which is in northern Finland, he rides in a special type of sleigh called a pulkka. The popular Christmas song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is also well-known in Finland. Its Finnish name is Petteri Punakuono. Because of this song, Rudolph is now seen as Joulupukki's main reindeer.
Joulumuori: Joulupukki's Wife
Joulupukki is often said to have a wife named Joulumuori. Her name means "Old Lady Christmas". However, old stories do not say much about her.
How Joulupukki Became Like Santa Claus
Old Pagan Customs
Long ago, people who followed pagan traditions had celebrations to welcome the return of the sun. Some people believe that Joulupukki is the very first version of the Santa Claus we know today. The Yule Goat was sometimes thought to be a scary creature. It might have frightened children. Other stories say it was an invisible creature that helped get ready for the Yule celebrations.
Merging Traditions
When Christianity became more common, it often combined old pagan customs with its own festivals. Many experts believe this is how the pagan figure of Joulupukki was mixed with Saint Nicholas. This combination helped create the character of Santa Claus.
Modern Influence
Radio shows that started in Finland around 1927 played a big part in changing Joulupukki's image. These shows helped make him look more like Santa Claus. They gave him the red costume and the reindeer. They also said his home was in Korvatunturi, a fell in Lapland. Since Finland has real reindeer and is located far north, the popular American Santa Claus story quickly became popular there too.
Letters from Around the World
Joulupukki receives many letters every year. He gets over 500,000 letters from more than 200 countries! Most of these letters come from places like China, Poland, and Italy.
fi:Joulupukki#Suomi
See also
In Spanish: Joulupukki para niños
