Ever wondered about the reality of a winter wonderland job?

Lapland, the iconic festive region cloaked in wintery charm and famed for being Santa’s homeland, comes alive during the Christmas season with its cinematic splendour, Northern Lights, and snow-capped scenes.

Despite its storybook image, it’s also a land that endures biting cold, with temperatures stubbornly sitting below zero for lengthy spells. How do the locals cope with the extreme chill, especially around the cheerful chaos of December?

TikTok travel fan Carla Domènech swapped sunny Spain for the frosty region, embarking on a four-month stint as an activity guide at Father Christmas’s residence.

Embracing her frosted surroundings, Carla keeps her followers enthralled with sneak peeks of her Arctic adventures. In a recent viral clip translated from Spanish, she revealed her life in sub-zero Lapland.

She said: “One thing I don’t like about living in Lapland is that I’ve just gone out to take out the rubbish and I can’t even move my face because of the cold. My hair has frozen.”

Carla further laments the short daylight hours, confessing: “It’s 11 in the morning. It’s getting dark. I wanted to go out for a walk, but I have to hurry because it’s already getting dark. I can’t gesticulate. My face has gone numb from the cold.”

Evidently, working in Lapland isn’t just cozy cabins and hot cocoa – it’s a frosty affair indeed.

“It feels like I’ve been to the dentist or something,” she continued. “You feel like you’ve wasted the whole day and it’s only 11 in the morning. I really can’t move my face.”

Even as she remarked that darkness was setting in, she noted the necessity of an early walk before it turned pitch black outside.

With temperatures at -9C feeling more like -18C, she didn’t hold back, advising followers to “wrap up well if you travel to Lapland”.

The attention-grabbing video has since sparked a flurry of comments, particularly from Spanish expats residing in the frigid region. One individual remarked: “Wait until it’s -30C. I never check the temperature before going out, I know it’s very cold when I feel my snot freeze inside my nose or my eyelashes stick together.”

Another sought to find humour in the situation: “You won’t have wrinkles, look on the bright side.” Meanwhile, a third comment read, “Oh my God, how horrible is 11am and it’s getting dark. I would die.”

Yet amid the chorus of dismay, some embraced the chill, with one person saying: “I love the cold, I would be happy there.”