SAARENKYLÄN KALEVAN NUORET comes from Saarenkylä – a large village located on the Arctic Circle, a few kilometres to the north of Rovaniemi. The city of Rovaniemi is situated in the Arctic region and is the administrative and cultural centre of Lapland. Its environs are a veritable tourist paradise. The natural surroundings offer profound peace and quiet in the summer, and in the winter - a vast snowy expanse enticing with its possibilities of playing all sorts of winter sports. By far the greatest attraction of the region is the fact that it is the place of Santa Claus’ permanent residence and his own post office. In the period leading up to Christmas hundreds of sprites gather on the Arctic Circle. Along with Santa Claus they prepare Christmas presents and write thousands of letters that are later on sent out in the four cardinal directions. The magic of this holiday, the numerous shows and festivities make a lasting impression on the participants. Lapland is a country where ancient traditions still play a significant role. In summer there are numerous festivals and celebrations whose origins date far back to ancient times, e.g. the Feast of the Solar Circle on Saint John’s feast day, Lumberjack Feast Day celebrated in August, and the Arctic Circle folk festival. It is also a place where numerous folk groups operate. In Saarenkylä there are three adult dance groups and several children’s dance groups. In the present year some of them will be presenting the Lappic traditions in Bulgaria and Portugal, and the youngest group has come to Nowy Sącz to acquaint us with the culture of northern Finland and teach us some folk dances from the Arctic Circle.