On December 10, the first childrens Christmas-Tree Festivity was run in St.Petersburg. For the first time, our city was visited by the Norwegian Santa Claus – Julenissen.
On December 10, the first children?s Christmas-Tree Festivity was run in St.Petersburg. For the first time, our city was visited by the Norwegian Santa Claus – Julenissen.
Much respected Julenissen aimed his visit to greet Petersburg children on the upcoming Christmas and New Year holidays and to familiarize the young citizens with Norwegian festive traditions.
The event was organized by the Council for Tourism at the Embassy of Norway in Russia, with the support of the Consulate General of Norway in St.Petersburg.
The celebration took place at a magical mansion of Prince Kochubey. Young Petersburgers appeared at the fantastic party with the most amazing fancy dresses on.
Julenissen is the main character of Christmas in Norway. In medieval Scandinavia, January 12 marked the mid-winter festival, or «Jul» (Christmas). «Nissen» is a goblin or just a hillman. Julenissen lives in central Norway, at Lake Savalen. Here is his house and a small zoo, and nearby, there are low ski slopes, ice rink, cross-country ski pistes. Norwegian children adore Julenissen: they write him letters, come to visit him, while he feeds them with sweet Christmas porridge with cinnamon and bakes wafers for them.
Source: Committee for External Relations of St.Petersburg