Today on the show, we’re traveling to Scandinavia because it's almost Christmas time.

The holiday season is probably my favorite time to be in this region. I grew up in Estonia, a small country just south of Finland that, while not technically part of Scandinavia, has strong cultural ties with the Nordic countries. In my childhood, these Nordic ways to celebrate Christmas were common and today, I'm sharing these traditions with you from a story I did for Fodor's Travel called 12 Strange Things You Didn't Know About Nordic Christmas.

Plus: as a special bonus, my very own AI clone, which I created just for this story, makes an appearance.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Growing up with Nordic Christmas traditions
• The pagan roots of Christmas
• Meet Nordic Christmas characters: Grýla, Bjúgnakrækir, and Joulupukki
• What Christmas feasts look like across Scandinavia
• The Finnish tradition of Christmas Sauna

Featured on the show:

• Read my Fodor's article, 12 Strange Things You Didn’t Know About Nordic Christmas
• Check out the Descript app

Going Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com!

For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!

Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don’t forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!

And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You’ll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!

Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of people and places near and far by fostering a space for real conversations to occur. Each week, we sit down with travelers, journalists, creators, and people living and working in destinations around the world. Hosted by Yulia Denisyuk, an award-winning travel journalist, photographer, and writer who's worked with National Geographic, The New York Times, BBC Travel, and more.

Learn more about our show at goingplacesmedia.com.