by Alva from Jukkasjärvi asks Santa about his reindeer and sleigh, learns about the world-famous ICEHOTEL rebuilt every winter in her village, and hears how it is made entirely of ice and snow
Dear Santa, my name is Alva and I am nine years old. I live in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, where my mormor says an entire hotel gets built from ice and snow in our village, completely from scratch, every single winter.
Dear Alva, I have flown over that remarkable hotel myself many times, and your mormor’s description is entirely accurate.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, does Santa have reindeer and a sleigh? My little brother wanted to confirm it was truly reindeer pulling it, not something else.
You may confirm it fully, Alva. My sleigh is pulled by a team of reindeer, each trained carefully over many years. There is no substitute for a properly experienced reindeer team.
My second question is about the ICEHOTEL. My teacher says it is rebuilt completely new every single year. Is that true?
It is, Alva. The ICEHOTEL, the first of its kind in the world, is rebuilt fresh each winter using ice harvested from the nearby river, since it naturally melts away by spring. Flying over its glowing, frozen rooms each Christmas Eve always feels like visiting somewhere brand new, built entirely by hand.
My third question is, why does an entire community commit to rebuilding something so enormous every single year, instead of keeping a permanent building?
I think that yearly rebuilding is part of what makes it so special, Alva, a whole community choosing to recreate something beautiful together, again and again, rather than simply leaving it be. That kind of dedication, renewed every year, mirrors the spirit of Christmas itself rather beautifully.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Alva Nilsson
Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
P.S. Have you ever stayed a night at the ICEHOTEL?
Once, Alva, very briefly. The beard required extra layers.
