Join a Sámi reindeer-herding family during the annual calf marking in Arctic Finnmark. Stay at the summer camp, follow the herd and witness a powerful mid-summer tradition under the midnight sun.
Experience the Calf Marking – A Unique Sámi Mid-Summer Tradition is a rare cultural immersion in Arctic Finnmark.
Each summer, Sámi reindeer herders gather to earmark the new calves born during spring. This is an essential and centuries-old tradition that defines ownership, lineage and identity within Sámi reindeer herding culture.
Calf marking takes place only once per year, when the calves are strong enough to move with the herd. Because warm summer temperatures can stress the animals, the work happens late in the evening and throughout the night, under the glowing Arctic midnight sun.
This is not a staged event. It is real, working tradition.
As a guest, you stay at the Sámi family’s summer camp and follow their rhythm. You observe preparations, learn about earmarks and reindeer ownership, assist with simple camp tasks and witness the cooperative work between families inside the corral. Days are calm and slow. Nights are focused and powerful. The atmosphere is quiet, respectful and deeply rooted in tradition. Families work together while the sun never sets. For many guests, this experience offers rare insight into a living Indigenous culture — authentic, intimate and not available anywhere else in Europe.
Book Your Sámi Calf Marking Experience
Witness the annual Sámi calf marking under the midnight sun. Live at a traditional summer camp and experience one of the most important traditions in Arctic reindeer herding culture