The image of Christmas is traditionally associated with snow, fun, delight, sharing, joy, happiness and quality time with the ones you love. It is also the time when both kids and those still young at heart think about Santa and the reindeer.

For Christmas, not every part of the world is blessed with snow and if you happen to be living in such a place, then a trip to the traditional home of Santa is the absolute perfect vacation for you. Though some will tell you that the North Pole is where the sledge-driving, present-giving jolly man lives, it is safe to assume that Lapland is the home of the Ho-Ho-Hos.

Lapland is the northern-most province of Finland and that should itself be sufficient to convince you that this is a very good place for Santa to put up his present-making factory and his industrious elves. The stunning landscape, the eternal sun and the northern lights (Aurora) which are putting up a stunning spectacle and the feeling that you really are in the home of Christmas joy will make it unforgettable.

Do not let the warnings of cold winters deter you from making this trip as modern day facilities and accommodation will make this a magical and fairy tale styled holiday.

Live out your dream and spend a few nights at the world’s largest snow castle! On the Northern coast of the Gulf of Bothnia the Snow Castle of Kemi is a magnificent example of sculpting nature with human imagination that adds a modern touch of technology with sound and lighting techniques. A night here would still be very warm and it will ensure that you have the most astonishing start to your trip.

The Snow Castle will probably remain the ultimate high-point of a festive season trip. The Sampo operates on the northern Gulf of Bothnia out of Kemi and it is the world’s only tourist icebreaker. Kemi is the place to kick-start your unforgettable tour of Lapland.

Harriniva Holiday Centre in Muonio is another place where you can go skiing on the mountain slopes and also enjoy a perfect trip on hillside. The holiday resort is equipped with the best facilities and will offer you nothing short of the best. Located in the Saariselkä region, it offers the best skiing spots in Lapland.

Also located in the Saariselkä region, Hotel Kakslauttanen is the home of the famous Igloo Village with the unique Glass and Snow Igloos and the World’s Largest Snow Restaurant. The Igloo Village is again a setting right out of fantasies with snow and ice all around you illuminated in an astonishing fashion.

But the Lainio Snow Village opens each year on December 1 and is probably a more adventurous option as it is located close to Ylläs and Levi; the two best skiing resorts in the region.

Irrespective of which part of this astonishing landscape you visit, do not miss the spectacular show the sky has to offer. And we’re talking about the amazing Auroras Borealis that light up the skies all the time. The closer you get to the pole, the more spectacular the show becomes in the sky.

If you want a magical Christmas that both you and your family will cherish for a lifetime, then there is no other place on the planet that can deliver the delights like Lapland. After all, this is Santa on his home turf!

Images courtesy of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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