JOULUPUKKI

There are many of fake-ones, yet this guy here just has to be the real one. I give a fuck he looks the same as the rest of his fake kind. This is global-versus-local problem; I do not want to write essays about one huge beverage-company that has implanted red and white uniform just everywhere. I also do not want to preach how the whole Christmas-thingie has fallen into shiny pits of commercialism; we know this already, don't we? This original guy traveled all the way to Slovenia from KORVATUNTURI, Lapland, Finland, aaaaa!! Red-nosed reindeer Rudolph (or if you prefer PETTERI PUNAKUONO) runs fast and far; even faster and further than Finnair flies. Anyway, two of my friends went to meet him live. I was latter told there was too many people, so it was impossible to catch a glimpse of the one. Who also happens to be known as JOULUPUKKI.

So Santa, in this case by all means Joulupukki, is pure Finn. Oh, this practicular one actually did utter some good wishes in Finnish on the telly. Joulupukki came from his great cold distant homeland as part of some EU celebrations. Well, whatever. Let's take a look at the guy's name. Joulu in Finnish is Christmas, while pukki actually means a goat. This name is believed to come from an old Finnish tradition, where people dressed in goat-hides used to go around from house to house after Christmas eating leftover food. Also pagans used to have festivities to ward off evil spirits. In Finland these spirits of darkness wore goat skins and horns. In the beginning this creature didn't give presents but, beware, demanded them. The Christmas Goat was an ugly creature and frightened children. Life is cruel and it sucks, deal with it as soon as possible, yeah!

Today I happened to check out Finnish children's book in one big bookshop. Joulupukki, in Slovenian Bozicek, by Mauri Kunnas. Translated, of course. While flicking through the book, I found some additional information about Joulupukki's private life. Did you know he has a wife? She exists indeed. Did you know one of his elves has been previously working in South Finland (khm, I really wonder where)? And another elf has been previously working in Finnish National Theatre, oh my. There was also very nice drawing: Joulupukki with all his elves in a huge, so huge sauna... relaxing after this great annual task he has successfully completed.

Here I copy slightly pirate-punkish song that has just arrived to my mailbox:

Yo-ho, yo-ho, Santa walks the plank!
The fatty goes bloop, his hatty goes, too,
his sledge is on fire- YO-HO!!
His chokies we eat, Rudolph we beat,
all presents we plunder- YO-HO!

And for the very end, some very cliché seasons greetings in Joulupukki's so-to-be-told mother tounge:

Hyvää joulua kaikkille!