8 December - Winter lights from Finland

When the days get shorter and the temperatures stay below zero, Finlands yards are lightened up with beautiful snow and ice lanterns. Hardly any House remains in the dark. Not only are these pretty lanterns illuminating the streets but also the hearts, and above all, it is a lot of fun making them yourself.

Snow lantern (Lumilyhty)

Form snowballs and place them on top of each other to build a pyramid. Before closing the pyramid with more snowballs, place a glowing candle inside. If you like, you can also leave the top open.

Ice lantern (Jäälyhty)

Stick two vessels together, one smaller than the other (e.g. bucket and a tin can) and fill the space between them with water. Make sure that the ice walls will not get too thin. Little stones can help to keep the weight of the smaller vessel down. Leave the water to freeze overnight (outside or in your freezer), remove the ice from the containers and place a candle inside. For more decoration, branches, flowers or leaves can be frozen inside the lantern walls as well.

Enjoy the Lights illuminating the long and cold winter nights!