In Finland, every child grows up with magical stories told by their mothers on long winter nights. One of the most famous is about The Red fox of Lapland—also called the Fire Fox.
According to Finnish folklore, this clever animal runs across the snowy fells, swinging its big bushy tail. As the tail brushes against the snow, it throws sparks into the sky. And what do those sparks become? The Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights.
Sounds amazing, right?
So when September came, curiosity (and maybe too much free time) pushed us to go fox hunting—not the usual kind, but the mythical Fire Fox kind. We wanted to find this magical creature and ask her a very serious scientific question:
“Hey Fox, how are you making Northern Lights without snow in September?”
We searched. We called. We even whispered in the forest, hoping she’d appear. But of course, the Fire Fox is no ordinary fox—she’s world-famous for being clever, sneaky, and impossible to catch. Instead of the fox, we only found silence, trees, and a suspicious squirrel or two.
But then, as if mocking our search, the sky exploded into waves of green and purple light. The auroras danced above us, more magical than any answer a fox could give.
That’s when we realized something important:
Mommies are not always right.
Sorry, mom. No fox tonight. Just pure science mixed with pure magic.
Still, we can’t be too hard on Finnish mothers. Their bedtime stories have a special power: they make the Northern Lights feel even more magical. Whether you believe in the Fire Fox or in solar winds, standing under the auroras in Lapland is something you’ll never forget.
So next time you’re in Rovaniemi, Levi, or anywhere in Lapland, don’t waste your time looking for the Fire Fox. Just look up at the sky—you’ll find the real magic there.
And if you’re lucky, you’ll also find a guide who knows both the folklore and the science.