It's beginning to look like Christmas

On Saturday the Villa Cooper was all dressed up for Christmas. We had a little Christmas market in the garden, nine brave women in warm clothes behind their tables of christmassy crafts. I was one of them, and I can tell you it was cold! My feet were freezing, because I couldn't wear more than one pair of woollen socks with my flight socks, the shoes were a little too tight. It was only a little below zero Celsius, around 26 Fahrenheit, but standing outdoors in that temperature for five hours is cold. A very curious thing happened, though: I had a sore throat during the week and my voice was like a crow's, but today no more sore throat! Maybe it was all the hot tea and glögi I drank there. Glögi is a Scandinavian hot Christmas season drink, hot berry juice with spice like cinnamon and ginger, ofter served with raisins and almonds in the mug. Other versions include various amounts of alcohol.



Here is a tour around the house, tables being set up by the entrance:





Kitchen window and the wheelchair ramp built last summer.




View from the garden.

Big dining room decorated with christmas things for sale. Notice the modern version of himmeli straw decoration hanging from the ceiling. You can click all pictures for detail.

Christmas lights and angels on the windowsill.

Kitchen and candles.

Toy cupboard.

Little elves, tonttu, Santa's little helpers who will keep track on who has been good and who has been bad. They also make Christmas presents in Korvatunturi near the Arctic Cirle, where the real Father Christmas lives, like every child in Finland knows.