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Santa's legends from around the world

Iceland - "The Yule Lads"

Yule lads are a group of thirteen mischievous creatures that have largely taken the place of Santa Claus in the Icelandic celebration of Christmas. They are known to go from lovable gift-givers to annoying pests, and they’ve even been painted as bloodthirsty creatures that kidnap and eat children in the night. They have become known for their playful nature. Each of the thirteen is known for playing a different, often quite weird, trick. Ketkrokur, for example, uses a long hook to steal meat, while Gluggagaegir spies into people's windows in order to find things to steal in the night. Stekkjastaur, a personal favorite, is said to walk on peg legs and harass sheep.

Gift-Giving Style:

The Yule Lads aren’t just about

playing strange pranks-they

also give gifts to children.

Accompanied by the Yuletide Cat,

which is described as a hungry

beast that is known to eat bad

children, they place small gifts

in the shoes of well-behaved kids

in the thirteen nights leading up

to Christmas Eve. Naughty children, meanwhile, are given potatoes.

Scandinavia "Tomte"

The Tomte legend can be found in Scandinavian countries like Norway, Finland, and Sweden. In their earliest incarnations, the Tomte (also known as Nisse) were said to be small, gnomish characters that kept watch over family farms. They were generally kind and looked out for people, but they had short fuses, and were quick to beat up or play tricks on those