Lapland

A Magical Christmas Break in Search of the Northern Lights

We had a truly magical Christmas break in search of the Northern Lights (spoiler alert… we didn’t manage to see them). However, we really enjoyed Finland — especially meeting Santa and tasting the delicious blueberry juice.

A couple of years earlier, we had booked a trip to a different part of Finland. But the day before we were due to fly—and while Dave was on a flight back from Japan—we received a call informing us there had been a fire at the hotel that provided services for the cabins we were supposed to stay in. Naturally, we were disappointed and decided to put off visiting Finland at Christmas for another year.

Then, suddenly, we realized that with the children growing older, we only had a limited time left before the magic of Christmas might change. So, in 2023—before we found out Dave was being made redundant—we booked the trip.

By the time the trip came around, with plans to sell the house, juggling the children’s end-of-school-year commitments, and both of us working full time, I was really ill. As the countdown to the trip drew closer, we all wondered if I would be well enough to go. But as a mom, you often know the show must go on.

During our trip, we went on a snowmobile adventure, rode in heated sleighs, met elves, and made cookies (they even had a gluten- and dairy-free mix just for me). We sipped hot berry juice and enjoyed biscuits, took a sleigh ride, and met the reindeer. Though it was a short trip, we experienced all the key elements of a winter visit to Lapland in search of the real Santa.

We even managed to meet him! We were all convinced he was the real Santa—the smell of the log burner in his cabin, his beard, his voice, and everything he knew about us made it undeniable.

We went in search of the Northern Lights, but it wasn’t meant to be. September to March is the most common time to see them, so maybe next time.

We truly enjoyed our trip and are so glad we went; we would all recommend it. For context, our children were 7.5 and just turned 10 years old. Looking back, the trip we had planned previously would likely have been too cold for Felicity, and she was probably too young to remember it.

We stayed at The Northern Lights Village in Saariselkä in a glass-roof cabin. It was compact and warm, though we were surprised there wasn’t even a small Christmas tree or a stocking as decoration. The staff in the main building and those leading the excursions were lovely.

Before booking, we contacted the resort to ensure they could accommodate my gluten- and dairy-free dietary needs. They assured us it wouldn’t be a problem. However, I was often hungry because there weren’t many balanced meal options for me—for example, undressed salad leaves were the most common option alongside chips from the children’s buffet. One night, I did have delicious salmon, but this seemed to depend on being able to speak directly with the staff.

Overall, it was a fantastic location and a great base for the excursions.