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{{short description|Christmas figure from Finland}}
{{short description|Christmas figure from Finland}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2017}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2017}}
{{Title language|fi|i=no}}
[[File:Pukki ja muori.jpg|thumb|right|Joulupukki and his wife.]]
[[File:Pukki ja muori.jpg|thumb|right|Joulupukki and his wife.]]
'''Joulupukki''' is a [[Culture of Finland|Finnish]] [[Christmas]] figure. The term ''joulupukki'' literally means "Christmas-man" or "Yule-man" in Finnish; the word ''pukki'' comes from the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] root ''bock'', which is a [[cognate]] of the English "[[wikt:buck#Noun|buck]]", and means "billy-goat". An old Scandinavian custom, the figure is now often conflated with [[Santa Claus]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nordland|first1=Rod|title=Santa in Finland, Where Marketing Triumphs Over Geography|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/world/europe/finland-lapland-santa.html|access-date=16 January 2018|agency=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 20, 2017}}</ref>
'''{{langr|fi|Joulupukki}}''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈjou̯luˌpukːi|lang}}) is a [[Culture of Finland|Finnish]] [[Christmas]] figure. The name {{lang|fi|joulupukki}} literally means {{gloss|Christmas goat}} or {{gloss|[[Yule goat]]}} in [[Finnish language|Finnish]]; the word {{lang|fi|pukki}} comes from the [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] root {{lang|gem|bock}}, a [[cognate]] of English "[[wikt:buck#Noun|buck]]", meaning {{gloss|billy-goat}}. An old [[Nordic folklore|Nordic folk tradition]], the figure is now often conflated with [[Santa Claus]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Nordland|first1=Rod|title=Santa in Finland, Where Marketing Triumphs Over Geography|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/20/world/europe/finland-lapland-santa.html|access-date=16 January 2018|agency=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 20, 2017}}</ref>


==Origins and description==
==Origins and description==
The Finnish Father Christmas {{lang|fi|Joulupukki}} (literally "Christmas goat") appears connected with the Scandinavian ''julebukk'', not the "[[Yule goat]]" as such, but rather the ritual theatrics of men dressed up in costume rowdily going around villages (see [[Julebukking]]).<ref name="simonsen2024"/> Thus an older dictionary glosses Finnish {{lang|fi|joulu-ukku}} (lit. "Yule's old man") as Swedish ''julebock''.<ref>[[:fi:Knut Cannelin|Cannelin, Knut]] (1913) ''Suomalais-ruotsalainen sanakirja'' s.v. "{{URL|1=https://books.google.com/books?id=-fo_AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA130 |2=joulu-ukko}}"</ref>
⚫
The ''Joulupukki'' was originally a pagan tradition. Today, in some parts of Finland, the custom persists of persons performing in goat costume in return for leftover Christmas food. The performer traditionally is an older man, who is called a "''{{interlanguage link|nuuttipukki|fi}}''".<ref>{{cite news |title=Nuutipukit käyvät kohta matkaan |date=28 December 2010 |website=Lautta Kylä |url=https://www.lauttakyla.fi/uutinen/122810/nuutipukit-k%c3%a4yv%c3%a4t-kohta-matkaan |lang=fi |access-date=21 December 2019 |archive-date=7 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407204241/https://www.lauttakyla.fi/uutinen/122810/nuutipukit-k%C3%A4yv%C3%A4t-kohta-matkaan |url-status=dead }}</ref>


⚫
Today, in some parts of [[Finland]], [[Folklore of Finland|the folk custom]] persists of persons performing in goat costume in return for leftover Christmas food. The performer traditionally is an older man, who is called a "{{lang|fi|{{interlanguage link|nuuttipukki|fi}}}}".<ref>{{cite news |title=Nuutipukit käyvät kohta matkaan |date=28 December 2010 |website=Lautta Kylä |url=https://www.lauttakyla.fi/uutinen/122810/nuutipukit-k%c3%a4yv%c3%a4t-kohta-matkaan |lang=fi |access-date=21 December 2019 |archive-date=7 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190407204241/https://www.lauttakyla.fi/uutinen/122810/nuutipukit-k%C3%A4yv%C3%A4t-kohta-matkaan |url-status=dead}}</ref>
⚫
He usually wears warm red robes, but with a broad band of blue near the fur, uses a walking stick, and travels in a [[sleigh]] pulled by a number of [[reindeer]] (which do not fly, unlike Santa Claus' team).{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} In [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], he rides in a ''[[pulkka]]'', rather than a sleigh. The popular holiday song "[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]", in its Finnish translation, ''[[Petteri Punakuono]]'', has led to Rudolph's general acceptance in Finland as Joulupukki's lead reindeer. Joulupukki is often mentioned as having a wife, Joulumuori ("''Old Lady Christmas''"), but tradition says little of her.


⚫
In Finland in its modern incarnation, inspired by the international Santa Clause figure, he usually wears warm red robbers, but with a broad band of blue near the fur, uses a walking stick, and travels in a [[sleigh]] pulled by a number of [[reindeer]] (which do not fly, unlike Santa Claus' team).{{citation needed|date=December 2018}} In [[Lapland (Finland)|Lapland]], he rides in a {{lang|fi|[[pulkka]]}}, rather than a sleigh. The popular holiday song "[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (song)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]", in its Finnish translation, {{lang|fi|[[Petteri Punakuono]]}}, has led to Rudolph's general acceptance in Finland as Joulupukki's lead reindeer. Joulupukki is often mentioned as having a wife, {{lang|fi|Joulumuori}} ({{lit|Old Lady Christmas}}), but tradition says little of her.
⚫
==Joulupukki's other side==


⚫
==Joulupukki's other side==
Pagans used to have festivities to honour the return of the sun and some believe Joulupukki is the earliest form of present-day Santa. The [[Yule Goat]] was thought by some to be an ugly creature and frightened children while others believe it was an invisible creature that helped prepare for Yule.


Popular radio programs from the year 1927 onwards probably had great influence in reformatting the concept with the Santa-like costume, reindeer and [[Korvatunturi]] as his dwelling place. Because there really are reindeer in Finland, and Finns live up North, the popular American story took root in Finland very quickly.
Popular radio programs from the year 1927 onwards probably had great influence in reformatting the concept with the Santa-like costume, reindeer and [[Korvatunturi]] as his dwelling place. Because there really are reindeer in Finland, and [[Finns]] live up North, the popular American story took root in Finland very quickly.


Finland's Joulupukki receives over 500,000&nbsp;letters from over 200 countries every year. Most letters come from Poland, Italy, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau .<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/matkajutut/a/201711242200556994|title=Joulupukki saa mykistävät määrät postia - Suomesta tulee vasta viidenneksi eniten kirjeitä|website=www.iltalehti.fi}}</ref>
Finland's Joulupukki receives over 500,000 letters from over 200 countries every year. Most letters come from Poland, Italy, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iltalehti.fi/matkajutut/a/201711242200556994|title=Joulupukki saa mykistävät määrät postia - Suomesta tulee vasta viidenneksi eniten kirjeitä|website=www.iltalehti.fi}}</ref>


Joulupukki is a prominent character in ''[[Rare Exports]]'', a movie based on the award-winning shorts by [[Jalmari Helander]].
Joulupukki is a prominent character in ''[[Rare Exports]]'', a film based on the award-winning shorts by [[Jalmari Helander]].


==See also==
==See also==
Line 28: Line 29:


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist|2|refs=
<ref name="simonsen2024">{{cite book|last=Simonsen |first=Vagn |author-link=:da:Vagn Simonsen|chapter=22 Den Finske Julemand |title=Julemanden og hele hans slæng |publisher=Lindhardt og Ringhof |date=2024 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rg0fEQAAQBAJ&pg=PT101 |page= |isbn=<!--8727031349, -->9788727031347|lang=da}}</ref>
}}


{{Christmas}}
{{Christmas}}

Latest revision as of 00:36, 13 December 2024

Joulupukki and his wife.

Joulupukki (Finnish: [ˈjou̯luˌpukːi]) is a Finnish Christmas figure. The name joulupukki literally means 'Christmas goat' or 'Yule goat' in Finnish; the word pukki comes from the Germanic root bock, a cognate of English "buck", meaning 'billy-goat'. An old Nordic folk tradition, the figure is now often conflated with Santa Claus.[1]

Origins and description

[edit]

The Finnish Father Christmas Joulupukki (literally "Christmas goat") appears connected with the Scandinavian julebukk, not the "Yule goat" as such, but rather the ritual theatrics of men dressed up in costume rowdily going around villages (see Julebukking).[2] Thus an older dictionary glosses Finnish joulu-ukku (lit. "Yule's old man") as Swedish julebock.[3]

Today, in some parts of Finland, the folk custom persists of persons performing in goat costume in return for leftover Christmas food. The performer traditionally is an older man, who is called a "nuuttipukki [fi]".[4]

In Finland in its modern incarnation, inspired by the international Santa Clause figure, he usually wears warm red robbers, but with a broad band of blue near the fur, uses a walking stick, and travels in a sleigh pulled by a number of reindeer (which do not fly, unlike Santa Claus' team).[citation needed] In Lapland, he rides in a pulkka, rather than a sleigh. The popular holiday song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", in its Finnish translation, Petteri Punakuono, has led to Rudolph's general acceptance in Finland as Joulupukki's lead reindeer. Joulupukki is often mentioned as having a wife, Joulumuori (lit. 'Old Lady Christmas'), but tradition says little of her.

Joulupukki's other side

[edit]

Popular radio programs from the year 1927 onwards probably had great influence in reformatting the concept with the Santa-like costume, reindeer and Korvatunturi as his dwelling place. Because there really are reindeer in Finland, and Finns live up North, the popular American story took root in Finland very quickly.

Finland's Joulupukki receives over 500,000 letters from over 200 countries every year. Most letters come from Poland, Italy, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.[5]

Joulupukki is a prominent character in Rare Exports, a film based on the award-winning shorts by Jalmari Helander.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Nordland, Rod (December 20, 2017). "Santa in Finland, Where Marketing Triumphs Over Geography". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  2. ^ Simonsen, Vagn [in Danish] (2024). "22 Den Finske Julemand". Julemanden og hele hans slæng (in Danish). Lindhardt og Ringhof. ISBN 9788727031347.
  3. ^ Cannelin, Knut (1913) Suomalais-ruotsalainen sanakirja s.v. "joulu-ukko"
  4. ^ "Nuutipukit käyvät kohta matkaan". Lautta Kylä (in Finnish). 28 December 2010. Archived from the original on 7 April 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2019.
  5. ^ "Joulupukki saa mykistävät määrät postia - Suomesta tulee vasta viidenneksi eniten kirjeitä". www.iltalehti.fi.
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