{"id":1976,"date":"2024-12-16T09:15:21","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T09:15:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visitalta.no\/en\/?post_type=article&p=1976"},"modified":"2025-09-03T08:57:52","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T08:57:52","slug":"the-silent-christmas-sami-christmas-traditions","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/visitalta.no\/en\/article\/the-silent-christmas-sami-christmas-traditions\/","title":{"rendered":"The Silent Christmas: Sami Christmas Traditions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\tSami Christmas traditions are quite similar to traditional Norwegian Christmas celebrations today. However, this has not always been the case.\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n

Christmas has always been a family holiday, both in Norwegian and Sami traditions. But while the worst thing that could happen to Norwegian children was not receiving a Christmas gift from Santa Claus, Sami children could face a much grimmer fate. Lets see what the sami christmas traditions include. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sami “Santa Claus,” known as juovlast\u00e1llu, did not bring gifts but rather punishment. He came to discipline children who didn\u2019t behave as he wanted during Christmas. His demands were relatively simple: he wanted people to observe quiet and peaceful holidays. This is the story Sami children grew up hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nils Henrik Sara, the founder of Sami Siida<\/a>, recalls that maintaining silence during Christmas, both in and around the house, was very important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 “My friend and I were quite mischievous, and when we were only 6-7 years old, we decided to challenge some of the traditions. We figured we would go sledding, even though it was Christmas Eve. It went really well; we slid down many times, went fast, and made a lot of noise,” he recalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nils Henrik Sara, founder of Sami Siida, tells about his Sami christmas traditions. Photo: The Film Agency Copenhagen\/Visit Alta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They raced down a slope that ended in a ravine, which made them almost leap onto the river ice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2013 “Then I came speeding down and saw something dark in front of me. I didn\u2019t think much about it and just kept going, but I ended up crashing into a sack. I thought my last hour had come,” he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In stories about Juovlast\u00e1llu, he often comes with a pack of mice on Christmas Eve. By then, everything must be ready for the Christmas celebration. This means that chores like sewing or chopping firewood must be completed by the morning. Additionally, people made sure to tidy up properly around the house and yard so that the pack wouldn\u2019t get stuck. It was also customary to leave out water for Juovlast\u00e1llu to quench his thirst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This time, it was just a clever neighbor who had decided to scare the boys, and Nils Henrik never made the mistake of sledding on Christmas Eve again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here you can find all sami experiences in Alta.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n