🎅 Exclusive ATN Interview with Santa Claus
A cosy, chatty conversation for children and adults alike
ATN: Santa, welcome! This is such a treat. Before anything else… may we call you Santa? Father Christmas? Joulupukki? There are so many names!
Santa Claus: Ho-ho-ho! Call me whatever makes your heart feel warm! Children in Finland call me Joulupukki, in Denmark I’m Julemanden, in Norway Julenissen, and in Sweden Jultomten. In Iceland I’m not alone at all — the 13 Yule Lads help out! But truly, whether it’s Santa Claus, Father Christmas, or the big bearded chap in red, it’s all still me.
🎄 Origins of a Legend
ATN: Many children — and grown-ups! — wonder where you come from. North Pole? Lapland? Somewhere between?
Santa: Ah, the famous question! The truth is a bit magical. I live officially in Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland — that’s where my Post Office and Village welcome visitors every day of the year. But I also keep a charming old home in Drøbak, a little Norwegian town that proudly calls itself my “true birthplace.” And of course, there’s the mythic North Pole workshop, which is more of a top-secret logistics hub than a cosy home. Let’s say I like to be close to all children, and the Nordics make that very easy — long winters, bright stars, lots of kindness. Perfect for a Christmas spirit, ho-ho-ho!
🦌 Life in the Nordics
ATN: How do you deal with so many Nordic countries — different languages, traditions, and treats?
Santa: Oh, I adore how each Nordic country has its flavour. Finland has quiet forests, gentle reindeer, some of the world’s best gingerbread. Sweden has houses glowing with candles, saffron buns, and children singing at Lucia. In Norway there are snowy mountains, trolls peeking from behind rocks, and heart-warming rice porridge. Denmark… Denmark has hygge everywhere… you can feel the warmth even through my mittens! In Iceland, the Yule Lads keep me on my toes — every year one of them steals my favourite spoon. I travel easily because traditions may differ, but Nordic hearts beat to the same rhythm: generosity, light in the dark, and a deep love for winter magic.
❄️ Faroe Islands
ATN: And what about the Faroe Islands, Santa?
Santa: Ah, the Faroes! Windy, wild, and wonderfully cosy. Christmas there feels like a whispered secret between the sea and the mountains. I love how families gather indoors while storms dance outside — it reminds me that warmth doesn’t come from the weather, but from being together.
🧊 Greenland
ATN: Greenland must be quite special for you.
Santa: Indeed it is. In Greenland, winter is vast and quiet, and the night sky feels endless. I visit with great respect — here Christmas is about resilience, storytelling, and light returning after darkness. The children’s smiles shine brighter than the northern stars.
🌌 Svalbard
ATN: And Svalbard, Santa? Christmas in the polar night?
Santa: Ho-ho-ho! Svalbard is pure magic. When Christmas comes, the sun hasn’t risen for weeks, but hearts glow all the same. I arrive under starlit skies, quietly, so as not to wake the polar bears. It’s one of the places where you truly feel that light always comes back.
📨 Santa’s Post Offices (Yes, More Than One!)
ATN: Children send you millions of letters. Where do they all go?
Santa: Most arrive at my Santa Claus Main Post Office in Rovaniemi, where the elves sort letters from every corner of the world. Some special ones find their way to Drøbak, carried by winds that know exactly where to look.
And of course, some letters still swirl up to the North Pole — those are usually carried by particularly ambitious snowflakes.
🎁 The Many Names of Santa in the Nordics
ATN: Could you tell us more about your Nordic names?
Santa: Gladly!
Finland: Joulupukki — “The Christmas Goat,” a name that goes back to ancient winter spirits.
Sweden: Jultomten — a kind, tiny farm guardian in old folklore, who slowly grew into the jolly fellow you see now.
Norway: Julenissen — part Santa, part farm spirit called Nissen, who appreciates rice porridge more than you’d believe.
Denmark: Julemanden — tall, red-coated, and fond of marzipan (don’t tell the elves).
Iceland: The Yule Lads — 13 quirky characters, each with a special personality. I coordinate with them, but they run things their own way!
No matter the name, children recognise kindness before anything else!
🛷 Daily Life at Santa’s Workshop
ATN: Do you still make toys by hand, or is it all high-tech now?
Santa: Ho-ho-ho! A mix. My elves love woodworking, sewing, and painting — that will never change. But we do use a few modern tools. Autonomous sleigh stabilisers. Smart wrapping-paper sealers. A cookie-to-cocoa ratio calculator (very helpful).
Magic never gets old, but it likes a little help from engineering!
🕯️ A Message for Nordic Children (and the Grown-Ups Who Still Believe)
ATN: One last question, Santa. What would you like to say to all the Nordic children — and their families — reading this?
Santa: Dear children (and you tall children too), remember this: Christmas magic is not something I bring — it’s something you create.
Every smile, every shared treat, every lantern in the window adds light to winter. You are the reason my sleigh flies lighter and my heart grows bigger. Keep being kind. Keep being curious. And keep believing — because I certainly believe in you.
Ho-ho-ho! See you soon! 🎅✨
