Today on the show, we’re traveling to Scandinavia because it's almost Christmas time.

The holiday season is probably my favorite time to be in this region. I grew up in Estonia, a small country just south of Finland that, while not technically part of Scandinavia, has strong cultural ties with the Nordic countries. In my childhood, these Nordic ways to celebrate Christmas were common and today, I'm sharing these traditions with you from a story I did for Fodor's Travel called 12 Strange Things You Didn't Know About Nordic Christmas.

Plus: as a special bonus, my very own AI clone, which I created just for this story, makes an appearance.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

Growing up with Nordic Christmas traditions
The pagan roots of Christmas
Meet Nordic Christmas characters: Grýla, Bjúgnakrækir, and Joulupukki
What Christmas feasts look like across Scandinavia
The Finnish tradition of Christmas Sauna

Featured on the show:

Read my Fodor's article, 12 Strange Things You Didn’t Know About Nordic Christmas
Check out the Descript app

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Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.

Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.

12 Things You Didn’t Know about Nordic Christmas (Plus, Meet Yulia’s AI Clone)