"Christmas Story" tells the touching tale of how Santa Claus came to be Santa. It's about giving and lifelong friendship. In a remote village in Lapland, young Nikolas loses his family in an accident. The villagers decide to look after the orphaned boy together. Each family will take care of Nikolas for one year. At the end of each year, on Christmas Day, Nikolas has to move to a new home. To show his gratitude to the villagers Nikolas decides to make toys for the children of the family as goodbye-presents. When the villagers suffer a food shortage, the villagers have to send Nikolas to work as an apprentice for the hermit carpenter, Iisakki. The child-hating Iisakki forbids Nikolas from making presents. The Christmas present tradition is in danger of coming to an end.