The Festival of 1000 Ice Lanterns. February 1-10, 2013.
Walk down the picturesque village streets that are lined with thousands of lit ice lanterns handmade by local villagers. A truly magical experience.
Making ice lanterns is a modern tradition with connection to the olden days when the Sami people made rings of ice to bring good luck. The tradition originally started by a couple of local women in the Vuollerim Area, who wanted to decorate the village for the annual Jokkmokk Winter Market. This has now become a tradition for many households in Vuollerim. Last year alone there were around 2000 ice lanterns. That is why Vuollerim now is called “The Village of the Thousand Ice Lanterns”.
Stay the night and walk in the candlelight . . .
Enhance your Jokkmokk Market Week experience by staying in Vuollerim’s cozy and relaxing accommodations, including Hotel Vuollerim Gästgiveriet, Highland Hotel, and more. Winter activities include skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice fishing, “spark” and so much more. Have Fun, Food and Festivities with the villagers of Vuollerim, Sweden.
The official lighting is traditionally the first Tuesday in February, and ice lanterns are lit throughout the winter market period from Tuesday to Sunday. The candles used are long burning candles that last for several days. Many visitors come to Vuollerim during this period just to witness the transformation of the village, as it really has a truly magical feel about it.
If you would like to try making ice lanterns yourself, or other creative things in ice and snow that can be used as candle holders, then this is a great opportunity to be guided by knowledgeable villagers.
VUOLLERIM, SWEDEN- touching the Arctic Circle
Making ice lanterns has a long tradition within the Sami culture who traditionally made ice lanterns to bring good luck. The tradition has a long history within the Vuollerim Area, originally started by a couple of local women who wanted to decorate the village for the yearly winter market in Jokkmokk. This has now become tradition for many households in Vuollerim. Last year alone there was said to be around 2000 ice lanterns and this has well deservedly christened the village with the credible name of “the 1000 ice lantern village”
The official lighting is traditionally the first Tuesday in February, and ice lanterns are lit throughout the winter market period from Wednesday to Sunday. The candles used are long burning candles and many last for several days. An abundance of visitors come to Vuollerim during this period just to witness the transformation of the village as it really has a truly magical feel about it.
If you would like to try your hand at making ice lanterns, or other creative creatures and candle holders, then this is a great opportunity to be guided by one of the people who started the tradition.
