December has arrived in northern Minnesota. Harvest is past and the fields lie sere and spent, tufts of the first snowfall caught in their stubble. Chilling silently, they brace against the cold. Their year’s work is done. Halfhearted sunlight, thin and watery, spreads over the land. Farmhouses once brimming with life now sit silent, their windows covered in cobwebs. No cheery Christmas candles will shine out from those windows through the darkness. Families who lived there are long gone, who knows where, taking their yuletide memories with them.
But one little white farmhouse just above the Kettle River is bubbling with anticipation. Joulukuu, Yule month, brings with it all the excitement of Christmas. And the children who live here can hardly talk of anything else. Joulukuu will carry them through these dark days as the earth pivots once more toward the sun.
Every morning the children ask, “Isa, is it time to get the tree?” And finally, one morning, Daddy’s eyes twinkle as he replies, “Yes! Finish your puuro and bundle up.” No one needs to be told twice.
The four of them don winter jackets, mittens, hats, snow boots. Transformed into wooly little mummies, they follow Isa out into a blue and white world, diamonds of light sparkling on every branch. The frosty air nips their noses as they follow Isa down the hill and spot an almost perfect spruce, just the right size for that special corner in the living room. Isa saws it down in no time and everyone helps to drag it back to the house.
It is then that the real work begins, for Isa is a perfectionist. He has a vision for this tree, and so he begins. He sets up the tree in a homemade wooden stand and carefully trims a branch here and there, then drills holes in the trunk and repositions those branches. The result? A perfect tree! Well, almost perfect. The children are thrilled. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?
Now for the fun. It is time to decorate this rebuilt tree, with baubles worthy of Isa’s masterful creation. Christmas lights are strung with care. White candles are nestled in the branches. Shiny bulbs come down from the closet shelf and each finds a home. Red, green, blue, gold. Silvery tinsel is draped over each branch. Colorful homemade paper chains are woven in between. And the star at the very top! There it sits in front of the living room window, waiting for Joulu Ukko.
The days go by. Sweet aromas waft from Aiti’s kitchen. Star cookies, pulla bread, gingersnaps. Friends drop by to share a treat and a hot cup of coffee. And at last, the children wake to December 24. The magic day! Daylight seems to stretch on forever but at last the sun drops below the edge of the horizon and darkness falls. Joulu Ukko will soon be here!
Now is the time when Isa and Aiti go into full gear for Joulu Ukko. The children are gathered into the warm kitchen to wait under big sisters’ care while mom and dad go out to work through the evening farm chores. Then they will creep around the outside of the house and slip into the bedroom through the window, gather the presents from their hiding places, and tiptoe into the living room to place them under the tree. Back out the window, around the house, into the kitchen.
“Joulu Ukko has come! Let’s go and see what he has left for you!”
Each child receives only two gifts, carefully chosen. Maybe a pair of gloves and a toy fire truck for the boys. Maybe some new slippers and a doll for the girls. Compared to the deluge of gifts that most of us receive now, it might seem rather meager. But here’s the thing. It is more than enough to bring Christmas joy to the children. Their hearts are full. It’s all about a loving family and the joy of sharing life. It is good to recall these memories as we head into another December. After all, we are celebrating a time of wonderment. This is the spirit of Christmas. This is Joulukuu.