Magic in the snow

It's not as handy as the shopping centre, but a visit to Santa at home in Finland is magical for kids - and grown-ups

THIS PAST WEEKEND, my 11-year-old son was able to hang on to his childhood a little bit longer and I became a child again in a country where childhood and Christmas combine to create a state of mind where even grown-ups sit on Santa's knee.

But Tampere, in southern Finland, is a place where you don't queue to see Santa; instead, he just appears unannounced and you never know when that will be. So, as we began our trek to find him - or let him find us - we were full of anticipation.

The sun barely rises in Santaland - also known as Finland - this time of year, and then only for an hour or two, so it was night-time in the mid-afternoon as we followed Lise, a "nature witch", into the tall dark forest where Santa's elves live.

The forest floor and the branches of the fir trees were covered in snow, reflecting back the light of candles in big pots scattered at the entrance to the forest, where Lise taught us a traditional Finnish poem asking the forest permission for us to enter. The snow reflected back the light of the candles, turning the forest into an upside-down world where the white ground was bright and all above us was dark, as Lise told us about the elves and the bears that live in the forest. The elves, she told the children, were watching us constantly to report back to Santa.

Lise gave us a quick Nordic ski-walking lesson, because that is the best way to get through the forest without slipping and sliding, and we set off. We followed her not by sight, but by the sound of the silver reindeer bell she wore around her neck. The trees that surrounded us were a mixture of white birch (female) and fir (male), Lise had told us. The spruce scattered amongst them were guardian trees to protect us. As we made our way through the snow, it was so magical that even the four-year-olds in our group didn't complain.

Then, in a clearing on a hill, we saw the golden light of Lise's hut, a traditional Finnish wooden circular building with a wood fire burning on a brazier in the centre. We had to duck to enter, and saw that the smoke from the fire went up through a hole in the centre of the roof. We sat on the benches built into the walls and warmed ourselves while Lise put the big black kettle on to boil water for coffee and hot chocolate. Soon a rack of giant bologna sausages was sizzling and we relaxed to listen to her tales of the forest.

Tolkien looked to the impenetrably musical Finnish language to create the language of the elves in The Lord of the Rings, and was also inspired by the country's mythology.

Lise gave us long-handled frying pans and we made pancakes on the fire. We could have stayed there all night - slept there too, which is what people do. The woods are scattered with these huts which are always stocked with firewood, so that anyone passing can warm themselves and cook their food and rest - free of charge.

We learned more about the elves the next day when we visited Moomin Valley in the charming industrial town of Tampere. The Moomins were created in a series of illustrated children's stories that are nearly sacred in Finland and synonymous with Christmas. We'd never heard of them before, but we quickly fell in love with them. Now we had a face on the elves that had been watching us in the forest.

But still, we wondered, would we ever see Santa? Our guides, Anna and Riita, were as mystified as we were. Perhaps, they suggested, we would have to wait until Christmas Eve, and be happy cavorting with the elves in the meantime. The children were quite satisfied with this explanation.

On then to a wooden villa in the woods by a frozen lake about 100km north of Tampere, where our first sight of the traditional Finnish storybook-style house were the dozens of small fires lit to guide our way. There were candles burning in the windows of the house, which (some of the parents commented) wouldn't have been out of place in an issue of House & Garden. While the children baked gingerbread cookies and decorated the simple Christmas tree (in Finland, trees have only about a dozen white lights and no more than two dozen decorations), we parents were led to the sauna - every house in Finland has a sauna and there are twice as many saunas as cars.

THE SAUNA'S WINDOWS overlooked the lake and when the lady of the house - sitting naked in the dark on the bench across - mentioned that a hole had been cut in the ice if we wanted to try the Finnish tradition of an icy bath - it was impossible to resist. Hot and steamy from the sauna, we ran along a brick path to the lake where candles illuminated the ladder where we would gently lower ourselves into the ice. It felt amazing to be submerged up to the neck in the icy water, then to run back again to the sauna to warm up - a real natural high created by the pumping of endorphins through the body. It was so good I did it twice.

Then we were served a traditional Finnish Christmas buffet of herring, salmon, white fish, smoked lamb, beetroot salad, apple and celeriac salad, and too many more dishes to count. After filling our plates a second time, we discovered that this was only the starter. Meatballs and roast ham followed along with a creamy dish of carmelised potatoes that takes days to make. These were the same dishes my own mother and Swedish grandmother made at Christmas, and I told my son how much it made me feel like coming home.

Tired and happy, we parents relaxed by the fire while the children noisily explored and played, or simply sat contently on our laps. Just when we thought we'd had a perfect day, a face appeared at the window. The children were too stunned to shout "Santa!", leaving it to the parents to exclaim. He stepped nimbly into the house in his red suit with a big bag over his shoulder and looked at each child with a sparkle in his eye. He already knew every child by name without having to ask.

AS HE SAT by the Christmas tree, he said that the elves had told him that we all had been very good, so his sack of gifts was full. As the first child's name was called, she was so awestruck that she had to be nudged forward to accept her gift. This was the real Santa, after all. The children's feet seemed glued to the floor they were so surprised, with their mouths hanging open still, but Santa was so friendly and funny that the children bravely approached him, one by one. Then we thanked Santa by singing him Christmas carols. When he left, the children ran to the windows for a sight of his sleigh sweeping up into the sky and some were sure they saw it.

The third day we saw a dolphin show, visited a spy museum, browsed through a traditional Christmas market and had lunch atop a 150-metre high tower where the lift rises so fast (7 metres per second) that your ears pop. From the revolving restaurant at the top (built in 1971), the lakes and trees and train tracks and boats were spread below us like a real life Christmas model train exhibit.

But when I asked Finn what the best thing about the weekend had been, he said that Santa, the dolphins and Lise the witch were all memorable, but the absolutely best thing was simple: "The snow."

• Kate Holmquist and Finn Mac Anna were guests of the Finnish Tourist Board

Seeking Santa The DIY option

For most people, a visit to see Santa and the snow in Finland means Lapland at the Arctic circle. A couple and their three young sons travelled to Lapland from to Cork last weekend and had the time of their lives: sledding, sliding, and meeting Santa and the reindeer at Santa's Village. Total cost of Ryanair flights to Tampere, overnight train to Rovaniemi, accommodation and Santa's village and all activities cost €1,110 for five nights for the entire family. "We could have done it for €800 if we hadn't chosen priority booking and paid for extra baggage," says the mother.

Last May, a travel company quoted Tara €4,700 for one night for a similar trip for the family. So she decided to do it herself saving €3,600. She is convinced that the family had a far superior experience.

"On the Saturday we were there, 5,000 parents and children on charter flights descended on Santa's Village. The queues were so long that they didn't get to do a lot of the activities - such as Elf School."

The family were tipped off by locals as to the best times to go to Santa's Village, which - surprisingly, given the cost of package tours - is free of charge to visitors. The only cost is €20 if you want your children's photo taken with Santa (taking your own pictures of Santa isn't allowed).

The ice park across from the apartment was also free, as it is set up every winter by the municipality for the enjoyment of the local children.