If you would like to keep up the spirit with more handicrafts, we have collected some links for you.
Have fun!

http://www.tiimari.fi/ideat_ja_inspiraatio/askarteluohjeet/joulu/fi_FI/ikkunatontut/
http://www.tiimari.fi/ideat_ja_inspiraatio/askarteluohjeet/joulu/fi_FI/enkelit/
http://www.kotiliesi.fi/joulu/tee-itse/joulun-tyylikkaat-koristeet.aspx
http://www.kotiliesi.fi/joulu/tee-itse/joulutupsut-kuusenkoristeiksi.aspx
http://www.kotiliesi.fi/joulu/tee-itse/vekkienkelin-tekeminen.aspx
http://www.tiimari.fi/ideat_ja_inspiraatio/askarteluohjeet/joulu/fi_FI/joulu/
http://www.sinooperi.fi/tiedostot/sinooperin_joulu.pdf
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11340
http://olet.info/web/sa_handicrafts/handicrafts_guide.jsp?id=19
http://www.julekurver.no/
http://www.haabet.dk/users/julehjerter/english.html
http://maskesprell.sprayblogg.no/images/diverse_bilder_h_st_008_1165085918.jpg
http://nora.sprayblogg.no/images/rodogblaanisser_1129723142.jpg
http://www.selbu.kommune.no/skoler/overbygda/Hva%20skjer/Gammelt/Juleverksted_01/nisser2.jpg
http://bilder.vgb.no/9332/3col/img_475848e8718dd.jpg

Nordiax invites all you Nordiacs to celebrate midsummer in Ghent on Sunday 22.6. at the Watersportbaan’s barbeque spot. If you are not from the Nordic countries but have a connection to that part of the world or share an interest in the languages/cultures/music/etc., feel free to join in as well!

We’ll be starting at 13.00 or later – the barbeque will stay hot the whole afternoon, so feel free to bring some food to throw on the grill.

Traditional midsummer magic will take place in the form of a bonfire, making flower garlands, traditional midsummer night magic, music, good food and drinks… learn to know new people and meet some old friends!

To join and/or to be removed from the mailing list, send us an email nordiax@hotmail.com.

Midsummernight traditions

The midsummer tradition to celebrate the sun and ask the gods for good weather, fertility and growth, is a very old tradition that is common to all Nordic countries with their specific variations. After Christianity landed in the northern part of Europe, midsummer was turned into a celebration of John the Baptist. Today’s midsummer celebrations are therefore a mixture of our pagan and Christian traditions.

Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer
http://www.martinfrost.ws/htmlfiles/june2006/midsummer.html

Finland

Midsummer – Juhannus - is celebrated on the Saturday falling between June 20th and 26th, and it is a public holiday. In the old times, bonfires were burnt to chase away evil spirits and bad fortune or to enhance light and warmth and the fertility of domestic animals, crops and people…

Read more here:
http://www.dlc.fi/~marianna/gourmet/season5a.htm
http://virtual.finland.fi/netcomm/news/showarticle.asp?intNWSAID=26052
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Finland

Åland (Finland)
On Åland the oldest midsummer customs are related to the decorating of gates, steps, cottages, churches, carts and boats using branches or small trees. The oldest Nordic reference to this custom is from Norrby in Lemland on Åland, where a maiden was summoned to be questioned in 1670 for decorating the barn. She could not tell the court why she had done it, just that it was an old tradition…

Sweden
In Sweden, and in some Swedish-speaking regions of Finland, tall midsummer poles are erected on Midsummer Eve, similar to the maypoles raised in the continental Europe and Britain. The pole is decorated with green leaves, garlands, wreaths and flowers before raising. During the evening, traditional folk music is played with people dancing and playing around the pole. Some people wear national costumes to highlight the celebration.

Denmark

Faroese
Read more here:
http://www.faroeislands.com/Default.asp?sida=676

Iceland
Midsummer is celebrated with bonfires in Iceland.
Read more here:
http://icelandweatherreport.com/2005/06/talking-cows-and-stripping-seals.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2192253_celebrate-summer-solstice-iceland.html
http://www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-15/30_read-90 

Norway
Also called St.Hans or Jonsok, and the bonfire is an important part of the celebrating of Midsummer. Traditonal games, and songs are played and it is usually celebrated on the 23.th of june. Some places Midsummer parades with traditional costumes are this is also The Day to get married.

Read more here:
http://www2.norway.or.jp/culture/news/Midsummer+in+Norway.htm
http://www.norway.org/News/archive/2003/200303midsummer.htm

We had a lovely sunny afternoon in the backyard of the Swedish house where we sampled three diffent kinds of soups. And who wasn’t a big friend of the soup, could get their stomachs filled with pancakes. Or eat it together as it is supposed to be done up north. Or learn from eachothers habbits, like that in Norway it is very common to eat sugar on meat pancakes but in Finland that is dogfood.

When the sun went down, the fire went up and and we enjoyed some warm juice by the fire. 

History when it comes to pea soup and pancakes

It was raining and freezing cold and we had the whole park for us self more or less. A lot of questions where answered, and afterwards we meet too go through the questions and hand out the prices. It was a wet and cold experience, but nice!

History when it comes to this activity

This is another so common thing that is not described in any wikipedia or hardly on google eigther, cause everybody know what this is and have no idea that the rest of the world don’t know.

You play this game on most big events, like the last day in kindergarden, like on birthdays, big happenings and so on. Often you go through the woods, or just around the house or through a whole city when you graduate. The whole idea is not to win and know every question, the idea is to have fun together with friends.

We headed for the 13:05 train, only half of the little but cosy group made it, but we all did meet at the centralstation in Antwerp. We walked up too the church.
The church where rather stuffed with people looking for the perfect xmas-gift, salmon or too just eat cakes. There are people that go there all the three days just to eat the cakes, and then they also bring some home with them! We looked around, did a little bit of shopping, we eate cake too off course and we took part in the lottery.

Also the Finish church made us take part of their lottery when we took a sneak peak into the Finish church as well. They where busy prepearing for their x-mas fair next weekend. On the train back we looked in Norwegian x-mas magazines, looking for handicraft ideas.

Nordic history when it comes to christmasmarkets

If you search for christmasmarkets in the wikipedia or other search engines, you get pages about the big christmasmarkets in Germany and so on that last for about one month.

In Norway the christmasmarkets are usually just for one day, and inside one building. Often the house that belongs to the church that is run by some mision, like the seamen mission. Handicrafts for chirstmas are made through the whole year with the purpose to sell and be used as prices in the lottery. There is alway cakes and other good food to enjoy, and everybody is getting the christmas feeling. 

Verkko-opetuksena Learnlinc –ympäristössä alkaen ti 16.9.2008 klo 18.00

Kurssi sisältää 20 tuntia verkko-oppitunteja sekä 20 tuntia itsenäistä työskentelyä. Ensimmäinen koulutuskerta pitää sisällään verkkoympäristöihin tutustumisen.

Tavoitteet:
Opiskelija pystyy ymmärtämään kurssin aihepiireihin liittyvää yksinkertaista keskustelua ja tekstiä, kirjoittamaan yksinkertaisia lauseita sekä kysymään ja vastaamaan yksinkertaisin lausein lukemastaan ja kurssin aihepiireihin liittyvistä asioista.

Toteutus:
Kurssi toteutetaan verkko-opintoina Learnlinc ympäristössä. Vaatimuksia osallistumiseen: Pc-tietokone, internetyhteys (mielellään laajakaista sekä explorer selain) ja headsetit (kuuloke-mikrofoni).

Lisätietoja: erasmus@sogsakk.fi tai www.tokem.fi/learnlinc -> ohje. Kurssille

Paikka ja aika:                                            
Kurssi alkaa Learnlinc –ympäristössä ti 16.9.2008 klo 18.00-20.00. Opetusajankohdat ti ja to 18.00-20.00. Viimeinen oppitunti pidetään 9.10.2008.

Opettaja: 
Tiina Sanila-Aikio (040 7252 585) Saamelaisalueen koulutuskeskus

Tiedustelut:     
Saamelaisalueen koulutuskeskus
Puh. (040-7236922) Eeva-Liisa Rasmus
Ks. myös www.sogsakk.fi

Hakeutuminen:                
Sähköpostitse Eeva-Liisa Rasmukselle erasmus@sogsakk.fi viimeistään 9.9.2008. Kirjoita vapaamuotoinen hakemus, jossa ilmoitat yhteystietosi (myös sähköpostiosoite ja puhelinnumero) ja henkilötietosi. Perustele lyhyesti hakeutumisesi opintoihin, kerro tämänhetkisestä koltansaamen kielen taidostasi sekä kerro millaiset tietoliikenneyhteydet sinulla on käytettävissäsi.