Isaksen Dáidda

A year ago, I started studying Sámi yule traditions. I prefer not to call it christmas, since the practice predates christianity in this region.

When I grew up, my parents sometimes called it Solsnu (Sunturn”), and while we did surround ourselves with many common Christmas traditions – the yuletree, santa, the star and baby Jesus – we always knew that what we were truly celebrating, was the return of the sun.

The sun does turn at christmas north of the polar circle. Skábma – the dark time – ends, light gradually returns in the horizon, and some time during January, one sees the sun again for the very first time in months.

Skábma is a dangerous time in sámi folklore. A time of ghosts, monsters, depression and possibly madness. It’s also a time where the thin veil between world might allow you to connect with the dead, speak with animals and gain respect with from spirits of the earth by taking care of struggling birds and mice. What fascinates me most about studying sámi yule tradition, is the fact that I see them still, traces of the old fath in the celebrations of even the most assimilated sápmelaš – most of all in those who grew up in Sápmi.

I am very active in my local sámi association, and recently had the pleasure of teaching one of these traditions; the Yule Moon/ Ankáhkká. In one of our language cafés, we made these moons for the goddess Ankáhkká, decorated it with traditional braids and diehppi, and I told the story of her and of the moon.

Next year, I hope to involve even more of the sámi skábma traditions in an even bigger workshop!