Sat 21.11.2015 at 16 The Grand Opening of the Christmas season in Rovaniemi in the Central plaza of the Santa Claus Village 

Let's open the Christmas season together with Santa Claus! 

Rovaniemi is the hometown of Santa Claus and it is christmassy all year round.  The highlight of the year is though at the end of November, when the Christmas season is opened officially by the most famous citizen of Rovaniemi. Many elves, citizens and tourists take also part in the festivity. The traditional Grand Christmas Opening reminds us about the most important sides of Christmas. The wait for Christmas will officially commence when Rovaniemi’s most famous inhabitant invites the townspeople and visitors looking for the magic of Christmas to join the festivities of the Grand Christmas Opening. The Programme for the Grand Opening tells a story of the most important sides of Christmas, peacefulness and caring. In the rush to Christmas, often the important things in life, such as hugging, are forgotten. The programme culminates with the opening address given by Santa Claus.