by Aria, age 8 from Fargo, asks Julemanden about Danish Christmas Eve traditions and his connection to Greenland.
A Letter to Julemanden from Aria in Fargo, North Dakota
Dear Julemanden, my name is Aria and I am eight years old. I live in Fargo, North Dakota, and I like learning about cold, snowy places, so I have questions for you:
- Do Danish children leave out rice pudding for you?
- Do you bring presents to every child in Denmark?
- Do you come down the chimney?
- Do you come on Christmas Eve in Denmark?
- Do you have elves or nisser, little gnomes, helping you?
- Do you have reindeer to pull your sleigh?
- Do you live in Greenland, not the North Pole?
- Do you look different from the American Santa?
- Do you wear a red suit like the American Santa?
- Your name means The Christmas Man, are you the Danish version of Santa?
- Geography: What ocean surrounds Greenland, the territory linked to Julemanden’s home?
- Social Studies: What is Greenland’s political relationship with Denmark?
Love, Aria
Julemanden Writes Back
Do Danish children leave out rice pudding for you?
Yes, Danish families often leave out risengrod, a warm rice pudding, sometimes with a single lucky almond hidden inside for whoever finds it.
Do you bring presents to every child in Denmark?
I try to reach every child in Denmark, along with plenty of visits to Danish families living abroad who keep the tradition going.
Do you come down the chimney?
Chimney, when there is one, though many modern Danish homes and apartments require a bit of extra holiday magic to manage.
Do you come on Christmas Eve in Denmark?
Christmas Eve is the big night in Denmark, celebrated with a family dinner, dancing around the tree, and gifts opened that same evening rather than the next morning.
Do you have elves or nisser, little gnomes, helping you?
I work closely with nisser, small bearded gnomes who live in barns and attics and help keep an eye on households throughout the year, reporting back to me when needed.
Do you have reindeer to pull your sleigh?
Reindeer, yes, pulling my sleigh across the snowy Danish countryside and out to the smaller islands too.
Do you live in Greenland, not the North Pole?
According to popular Danish tradition, yes, my home is often placed in Greenland rather than the North Pole, since Greenland is a large, icy territory connected to Denmark.
Do you look different from the American Santa?
Quite similar these days, though older Danish pictures of me sometimes show a taller, thinner figure, closer to the nisser I work with than the round, jolly Santa most people picture now.
Do you wear a red suit like the American Santa?
Yes, a red suit, much like the modern American Santa, especially in newer books and decorations.
Your name means The Christmas Man, are you the Danish version of Santa?
Exactly right. Julemanden simply means The Christmas Man, and yes, I am considered Denmark’s own version of Santa Claus, shaped by centuries of local folklore.
Geography: What ocean surrounds Greenland, the territory linked to Julemanden’s home?
Greenland is surrounded mainly by the Arctic Ocean to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, making it one of the coldest and iciest places connected to my story.
Social Studies: What is Greenland’s political relationship with Denmark?
Greenland is a large autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, which means it governs many of its own local matters while remaining connected to Denmark as a whole. That connection is part of why Danish Christmas traditions, including stories about me, often mention Greenland’s icy landscape.
