Dragons are creatures with nearly unlimited life spans. They can survive for long periods of time, and no one has found a dragon that has died of old age. Adolescence is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling's wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. Once they hit adolescence, hatchlings change quickly, maturing to their full forms in only 2 years.

Dragons don't communicate with each other verbally, but they will growl to scare off predators and frighten prey. Young dragons will emit an extremely high-pitched squeal when they are frightened. To communicate, they use telepathy with each other and to speak to other creatures.

Christmas dragons are a very mysterious breed. They are only seen during winter, and even then it is hard to catch a glimpse of one. They are responsible for the general cheer that spreads during the holidays. In essence, they are the 'Spirits of Christmas.'

Anssi is a bit more outgoing than others of his kind. In winter, he may show himself to a kind-hearted human, then run away just fast enough that the human can barely catch another glimpse of him. When the chase is up, he disappears, leaving the human panting at rest. If the human continues in the same direction, they will find some sort of gift, such as a tree laden with meats and breads, a chest full of coins, or even just a roost of turkeys. Anssi not only has the ability to create these gifts, but can also turn into a white stag, bear, or hawk. No one has ever seen his kind after the first flowers bud or before the first hard frost; it is assumed that they travel to another plane of existence or hide underground. Since he is a wholly magical being, he need only feed upon snow and seems to draw his sustenance from joy.