Finnish Christmas – Canadian Santa

Hello everyone!

We finally got short Christmas break. It feels pretty good to get few off day and be with your family and eat well.

I played three of our last four games before Christmas break. And we got three wins in those games. It was Antti’s turn to work in the last game. The games were alright, it was nice to play. It’s even more fun to have Christmas when the game part is well.

We will have Finnish Christmas. The Christmas tree (joulukuusi) was bought on Christmas week, on Christmas table there will be casseroles and of course the ham (joulukinkku). My wife’s brother with his family came to have the Christmas with us here. They have two kids so it’s quite a razzmatazz (still not having my dictionary with me, blame google translator) here. Women cooked the casseroles and at the end of the week we men roasted the ham whole night…

And the gifts were of course handed out by Santa on Christmas Eve, not on 25th like they do here.

We don’t really have any American elements in our Christmas. We’ve decided with my wife that we try to have same kind of Christmas that what we had in our own childhoods. The weather here in North California is of course different than in Finland. Especially this year, when there apparently have been really cold (sigh).

So, we had Santa visiting us. This year I asked Torrey Mitchell from our team for that job. Usually I’ve always asked one of the young players to play Santa for us. Mostly because they probably won’t have any plans for Christmas Eve.

Mitchell was bit of surprised at my request. He asked for couple of days thinking time. But when the word spread that I had asked him, the gang pressed him so much, he couldn’t say no anymore (poor guy…peer pressure FTW).

He probably was bit nervous and excited because he asked in advance what the Finnish Santa does and what he says. Mitchell is Canadian and from Quebec. It went well and actually couple of other players from our team asked him for the same job too. He might’ve had bit of hurry at the Eve…

So the Christmas will be spent in peace at home. Work will continue on 27th when Los Angeles Kings will visit our home arena.

I want to wish you all a peaceful and merry Christmas!

things in Italics are my additions