Who has 13 Santa's?

Icelandic children get to enjoy the favors of not one but 13 Father Christmases. Called the Yule Lads, these merry but mischievous fellows take turns visiting kids on the 13 nights leading up to Christmas. On each of those nights, children place one of their shoes on the windowsill.

Why does Iceland have 13 Santa Clauses?

On the 13 nights leading up to Christmas, Icelandic homes are visited by the 13 Yule Lads ("Jólasveinar") – creatures from festive Nordic folklore. Starting on 12 December, they descend one by one from the mountains. According to legend, the Yule Lads are the sons of a troll named Grýla.

What are the names of the 13 Icelandic Santas?

What are the 13 days of Yule Lads?

The Yule Lads are the sons of Grýla and Leppalúði. They are a group of 13 mischievous pranksters who steal from or harass the population and all have descriptive names that convey their favorite way of harassing. They come to town one by one during the last 13 nights before Yule.

What is the story of 13 trolls?

No Santa: 13 trolls, a child-eating ogress and a monster cat

This means that the first Yule lad comes to town in the early morning of December 12 and the last on the 24th. They then depart in the same order as they arrive, each spending 13 days with us humans.

The Story of Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads

Is troll kid appropriate?

Trolls features scary creatures like the Bergens and large spiders. It also has scenes that show the trolls being chased and eaten. Therefore, it might be too scary for children aged under five years, but children over this age and their parents are likely to enjoy it.

What killed the trolls?

Unfortunately, time runs out because sunlight streams down and turns the troll into dead rocks, just like in the fairytales. The being falls to the floor and dies in a heartbreaking scene, which leads to Andreas and Nora naming the boulders after her dad.

Where is Krampus from?

The legend of the Krampus dates back centuries, originating as a German Christmas tradition during the 12th century. Beginning in early December, the children of Germany would begin to hear whispers of a dark haired creature bearing horns and fangs, carrying a bundle of birch sticks used to swat naughty children.

What is Christmas called in Iceland?

But there are two important things to know about Icelandic Christmas before you visit. Firstly, in Iceland, Christmas is known as Jól—like the English word “yule”, which was the name of the Germanic winter festival before it became part of Christian tradition.

What religion celebrates Yule 12 days?

According to Old Norse experts, the principle of Yule is all about celebrating and making oaths. Germanic people used to celebrate Yuletide over a period of 12 days during December, with the winter solstice being at the heart of the festivities.

What was Santa's old name?

Santa Claus—otherwise known as Saint Nicholas or Kris Kringle—has a long history steeped in Christmas traditions.

What is Santa's Russian name?

Unlike the bloated, red-coated father Christmas of the West, Russia's Santa Claus, known as Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), is slender with a wizard-like flowing beard and he wears a long robe that comes in different colors, such as blue and white.

What are German Santas called?

Traditionally, Santa Claus, or Weihnachtsmann in German, does not drop down chimneys and deliver gifts the eve of Dec. 25 in Germany. Instead, the Christkind or Christkindl, an angel-like creature with blond hair and wings, brings gifts to families on the eve of Christmas.

What age is no more Santa?

Multiple surveys and studies from the United States and around the Western world show that the typical age that kids stop believing in Santa Claus is age 8.

Are the Yule Lads evil?

The Yule lads appear in old stories and folk tales. Historically the Yule lads and the other Christmas spirits were far meaner and more evil, but beginning in the 18th century and then especially during the 19th century they become more gentle.

Why are there no reindeer in Iceland?

Cold weather, harsh winters, limited food supply and volcanic eruptions made it difficult for the reindeers in Iceland and most of them died.

What food does Iceland eat on Christmas?

Ham, smoked lamb and ptarmigan – these 3 main meat dishes are by far the most common and popular Christmas cuisines that every Icelander will eat on Christmas Eve. The meat dishes are typically served with side dishes such as peas, corn, cabbage, beans, gravy, jam, etc.

What language does Iceland speak?

Icelandic is a North Germanic language spoken by about 314,000 people, the vast majority of whom live in Iceland where it is the national language. It is most closely related to Faroese and Western Norwegian. The language is more conservative than most other Western European languages.

What does Iceland call Santa?

The Yule Lads originate from Icelandic folklore, but are, of course, very much alive and well. In Icelandic, they are called Jólasveinar and are the Icelandic multiplied version of Santa Claus!

How old is Santa?

If you think, judging by that white beard and hair, Kris Kringle might be around 70 or 80, the truth is he's far, far older. According to History.com, the monk who over time would evolve into Santa Claus was born in what is now modern-day Turkey in 280 A.D., making him a whopping 1,741 years old!

What is the name of evil Santa?

The Alpine legend is the original bad Santa.

What animal is Krampus?

Krampus, in central European popular legend, a half-goat, half-demon monster that punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime.

How do trolls get pregnant?

Since it's been established that most or all species of trolls have babies via eggs, it's possible that they (both male and female) have a womblike space in their lower bodies to carry a baby troll before it's developed enough to have a protective shell form around it.

Why do trolls hate bells?

The reason why Troll don't like bells is because they experience the ringing of a bell much louder than humans, to the point that it hurts them, thus causing the trolls a great amount of psychological distress. Hilda discovered this herself when she was turned in to a troll in the story "Hilda and the Mountain King".

Who eats the trolls?

They are discovered by the gigantic, ugly, and miserable Bergens, who believe they can only feel happy by consuming a Troll. The Bergens imprison the Trolls in a caged tree, and eat them every year on a special occasion, Trollstice.