Christmas Around the World - Finland

"Merry Yule" from Finland!

Father Christmas visits homes while everyone is still awake.
He always asks, "Are there any good children here?"
They always say yes.

He brings in a big basket of presents, and the children sing to him.
Many people believe that Father Christmas lives in the upper part of
Finland in a real place called "Christmas Land."

At noon on Christmas Eve, many people listen to a famous speech on the
radio called "The Peace of Christmas."

At sunset, many families go to the churchyard. There is a special service,
and candles are placed on the graves of loved ones.
It's very beautiful.

Miss Fulghum gave us a piece of paper and asked us to think about all the
people we love. Some may have passed away and some may be alive. She
asked us to draw a candle on the paper and decorate it for our loved ones.
If you come to our classroom, you can see our candle pictures in the hall.

One holiday snack served in Finland is cinnamon biscuits. Miss Fulghum
made cinnamon biscuits for us to try. Here are some pictures of us
getting ready to eat them!

Cinnamon Biscuits:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cold water OR buttermilk
3 Tbsp. Parkay Fat Free butter

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix Splenda, cinnamon, and pecans in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Mix flour and buttermilk together.
4. Place mixture on a sheet of lightly floured wax paper.
5. Pinch off dough in Tbsp. size, shape into a ball, roll in melted
butter, and then roll in the cinnamon mixture.
6. Place dough balls in an 8-inch pan, pressing down slightly.
7. You may sprinkle any left over cinnamon on top of the dough.
8. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Best when served warm. This recipe makes around 12-15 biscuits.

Miss Fulghum paid close attention to nutritional facts and bought sugar free, low-fat, and fat free items.