Winter fun

Just a short post about what to do in Finland in winter, because the winter finally arrived to the southern parts of Finland just before mid of January. And the temperature has stayed below -10 C after that, most days near -20 C, with just 5 cm of snow.

Of course everybody knows the usual stuff: skiing, skating (also on lakes and sea), downhill skiing, snow shoveling and riding downhill on a toboggan or pulka. But there are lots more we can do because of the snow and coldness. Here are some examples.

If the temperature stays just below 0 C we can make snowman (lumiukko) and snow lantern (lumilyhty) out of the snow. If there is lots of snow we can even build a snow fort (lumilinna).

If there is enough freeze, preferably below -10 C, I always make ice lanterns or other decorations out of ice by freezing water in bucket or some other container outside over the night. One must be really careful, if using plastic bucket or container, not to break the bucket. The ice formed on the surface has to be broken and water still inside poured out. Then the bucket is turned upside down and little hot water is gently poured on the outside of the bucket. The icy lantern is suddenly released from the bucket and a candle can be put inside the lantern.

This year I have colored the water with food colouring and filled little plastic desert cups with the colored water. Before taking them out, I have put a piece of thread into the water and the rest of it outside the cup. When the water is totally freezed, I have taken the ice cube out of the cups and hung the ice cubes on the branches of our trees. They glint very nicely in the cold air, especially when the rays from the sun hit them.

And last but least of winter fun is of course rolling in the snow, naked. But that requires hot (above +75 C) sauna, remote location, at least 40 cm snow and preferably a clear night sky with temperature of at least -20 C, colder the better. One has to warm up in the sauna first for about 10 minutes. Then go out and let the skin cool just a little bit and then jump into the snow and roll around there for few minutes. Back to sauna for 5 - 10 minutes until one is totally sweaty again and then do it again. We can also make a hole in the lake’s or sea’s ice and plop for a ice swimming.