In December, reindeer appear everywhere in the United States: on holiday cards, store windows and TV ads, becoming part of the season’s joy. In northern Finland, above the Arctic Circle, the same month brings a different reality for the people who depend on reindeer for their living.
Reindeer are festive icons in the U.S. In Finland, December is the most dangerous time of the year for herders and animals. Photo credit: Food Drink Life.
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I spent time this week at a working reindeer farm in Ratama village in Finnish Lapland. I spoke with the people who raise and care for the animals year-round, not guides leading a tour, and they talked about their daily work and what the season means for the reindeer and for their own lives.
When reindeer are a livelihood
Reindeer are not symbols in northern Finland. Every animal belongs to someone and represents food, income and months of work. Losing even one can affect a family’s future.
December is one of the hardest times of year to manage reindeer. Cold matters, but ice matters more. When rain falls and then freezes, it seals off the ground, making it difficult for reindeer to reach their natural food. Herders must bring feed into the forest, adding cost and time during the darkest weeks of the year.
Winter risks for animals and people
Health risks also rise during the colder season. Reindeer are sensitive animals, and small changes can signal trouble, such as one standing apart or eating less than usual. Catching those signs early can save an animal, while missing them can mean losing it.
Weather changes have added a new strain. Longer autumns allow bacteria and parasites to survive, while deer moving north bring new diseases that spread to reindeer. Winter once reset the land, but that cycle no longer happens every year.
“You notice small changes first,” one herder told me. “If a reindeer stops eating or stays away from the others, something is usually wrong.”
Winter also brings risks for the people doing the work. Days are short, temperatures change rapidly and much of the job is done far from towns or reliable phone service, making snowmobiles and heavy equipment essential. If something goes wrong, help may be far away.
Predators and losses
Predators add another challenge. Wolves, wolverines, lynx, eagles and bears all hunt reindeer, and herders expect losses, especially at this point in the season when animals are weaker and food is harder to reach. Much of herding is about reducing those losses, even knowing they cannot be completely stopped.
Beyond sleigh rides and shows
Kelo Resort recommended this visit and connects guests with working farms rather than staged attractions. Instead of sleigh rides or performances, the resort directs visitors toward people who live and work here every day, allowing travelers to see Lapland as it is while supporting the families who depend on it.
Many Americans assume winter is a quiet season for animals. For reindeer herders, it is anything but, with animals checked often, the weather changing quickly and decisions made day by day. There is no break for the holidays.
When the decorations come down
December may be when reindeer fill the American imagination. In Lapland, it is one of the most demanding times of the year, as the people who raise them focus on keeping animals alive through cold, ice and long darkness. When the decorations come down, that work continues.
Mandy is a luxury travel, fine dining and bucket-list-adventure journalist with expert insight from 46 countries. She uncovers unforgettable experiences around the world and brings them to life through immersive storytelling that blends indulgence, culture and discovery, and shares them with a global audience as co-founder of Food Drink Life. Her articles appear on MSN and through the Associated Press wire in major U.S. outlets, including NBC, the Daily News, Boston Herald, the Chicago Sun-Times and many more.
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