24 Dec 2020 The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the region Juha Etelainen tells us about snow football and playing with Del Piero In Rovaniemi, this is not only – as the song goes – the most wonderful time of the year. It’s also the busiest, and by some distance. Lapland’s snug, snowy capital pulses with life every December as thousands of tourists descend to take in the Northern Lights and visit Father Christmas. But while the region’s most famous resident is, of course, as busy as ever in 2020, this year’s festive season – amid the worries and restrictions of a global pandemic – feels very different in Santa’s homeland.