by Owen, age 9 from Anchorage, asks Julenissen about Norwegian farm traditions and the country’s famous fjords.
A Letter to Julenissen from Owen in Anchorage, Alaska
Dear Julenissen, my name is Owen and I am nine years old. I live in Anchorage, Alaska, and we get plenty of snow here too, so I have a lot of questions for you:
- Are you more like an elf than a big human Santa?
- Are you short like a garden gnome?
- Do Norwegian children leave out a bowl of porridge for you?
- Do you bring presents to all Norwegian children?
- Do you come on Christmas Eve in Norway?
- Do you have a long white beard like Santa?
- Do you have reindeer?
- Do you live in the woods or on a farm, not the North Pole?
- Do you wear a red pointed hat like a gnome?
- Your name means Christmas Gnome or Christmas Elf, are you actually a gnome?
- Geography: What are the long, narrow inlets of sea between steep cliffs called, found throughout Norway?
- Social Studies: Why do Norwegian farms traditionally leave porridge out for the nisse, even outside of Christmas?
From, Owen
Julenissen Writes Back
Are you more like an elf than a big human Santa?
In a way, yes, Owen. I am closer to a small farm spirit than a big jolly human, which makes my story quite different from the plump Santa Claus you might be picturing.
Are you short like a garden gnome?
Fairly short, yes, about the size of a young child, though I make up for my size with a very strong sense of duty.
Do Norwegian children leave out a bowl of porridge for you?
Yes, families leave out a bowl of julegrot, Christmas porridge, with a pat of butter melting on top. Forgetting it is considered very bad luck around the farm.
Do you bring presents to all Norwegian children?
I try to look after every household that treats me kindly, especially farms where I have watched over the animals and buildings all year long.
Do you come on Christmas Eve in Norway?
Christmas Eve, yes, right around when the porridge is set out and the family sits down for dinner.
Do you have a long white beard like Santa?
A long white beard, yes, along with bushy eyebrows that make me look a bit more mischievous than most Santas.
Do you have reindeer?
Not really my own reindeer, no. I mostly travel on foot around the farm I already live on, since my job is more about watching over one home than delivering gifts across the world.
Do you live in the woods or on a farm, not the North Pole?
Traditionally a farm, yes, often living in the barn or an old outbuilding where I can keep a close eye on the animals throughout the year.
Do you wear a red pointed hat like a gnome?
Yes, a red pointed cap, very similar to a classic garden gnome, which is exactly where a lot of people get us mixed up.
Your name means Christmas Gnome or Christmas Elf, are you actually a gnome?
Julenissen does mean Christmas Gnome, or Christmas Elf, and yes, I really am considered a type of nisse, a small guardian spirit from old Norwegian farm folklore, rather than a full sized Santa Claus.
Geography: What are the long, narrow inlets of sea between steep cliffs called, found throughout Norway?
Norway’s coastline is famous for fjords, long narrow inlets of sea squeezed between steep, dramatic cliffs, carved out by ancient glaciers. They make for some of the most beautiful, and trickiest, travel routes in my whole territory.
Social Studies: Why do Norwegian farms traditionally leave porridge out for the nisse, even outside of Christmas?
Long before Christmas gift giving became my main job, Norwegian farm families believed a nisse lived on every farm, quietly protecting the animals and buildings all year round. Leaving porridge out was a simple thank you, and forgetting it was thought to upset the nisse enough to cause mischief or bad luck on the farm.
