Yuletide

Yuletide

Just when the darkness has captured us in its relentless, frigid grip, a thousand heavenly lamps and lanterns light up the sky, casting monstrous flickering shadows of fabulous creatures in the snow. It is then, at Joulukaamos – Yuletide, that we challenge the dark and pay tribute to its approaching nemesis – the light – the eternally worshipped giver of all life.

Here, from the top of the ridge, it is difficult to make out the horizon, the diffuse transition from star-strewn heavens to glittering ground below. We can only stare in dazed wonder.

It is a pregnant time; the very air is filled with expectancy. Christmas, the ancient Yuletide, is coming, and tradition demands that we look to the future and celebrate the past. On the table, we find the best of what this harsh land has to offer – strange, unusual dishes and fiery, spicy drinks. All our efforts of the past year are rewarded as the festivities continue over many days. Exhausted, we gather new strength through meditation and the massage of experienced hands. And as soon as we can, we join in yet another vibrant party. Joulukaamos sweeps us along like a howling whirlwind, creating memories to last a lifetime.