by Freya, age 8 from Duluth, asks Jultomten about Swedish Christmas traditions and the famous Yule Goat.
A Letter to Jultomten from Freya in Duluth, Minnesota
Dear Jultomten, my name is Freya and I am eight years old. I live in Duluth, Minnesota, and my great grandparents came from Sweden, so I have a lot of questions for you:
- Are you short and small like a gnome?
- Do Swedish children leave out rice pudding for you?
- Do you bring gifts to every child in Sweden?
- Do you come on Christmas Eve in Sweden?
- Do you have a goat helper called the Yule Goat?
- Do you have a long white beard?
- Do you live in the forest, or do you live at the North Pole?
- Do you look similar to the Norwegian Julenissen?
- Do you wear a red pointed hat?
- Your name means Christmas Gnome, are you a gnome too?
- Geography: What is the capital city of Sweden?
- Social Studies: What is the Yule Goat, and what is its history in Swedish Christmas traditions?
Love, Freya
Jultomten Writes Back
Are you short and small like a gnome?
Fairly short and small, yes, closer in size to a large garden gnome than a full grown adult.
Do Swedish children leave out rice pudding for you?
Yes, a bowl of risgrynsgrot, rice pudding, is often left out for me, sometimes with a hidden almond tucked inside for good luck.
Do you bring gifts to every child in Sweden?
I try to reach every household that leaves out a little something for me and treats their home, and their animals, with kindness throughout the year.
Do you come on Christmas Eve in Sweden?
Christmas Eve is my night, right in the middle of the biggest family celebration of the Swedish year.
Do you have a goat helper called the Yule Goat?
Yes, the Julbock, or Yule Goat, is a longtime companion of mine in Swedish tradition, originally a much older midwinter symbol before I came along.
Do you have a long white beard?
A proper white beard, yes, along with a wool cap and simple farm clothes rather than a fancy suit.
Do you live in the forest, or do you live at the North Pole?
Traditionally the forest or farmland near the homes I watch over, not the North Pole. I like staying close to the families I care for.
Do you look similar to the Norwegian Julenissen?
Very similar, since Julenissen and I share the same old Scandinavian nisse folklore, just with slightly different Norwegian and Swedish traditions layered on top.
Do you wear a red pointed hat?
Yes, a red pointed cap, very much like a classic garden gnome.
Your name means Christmas Gnome, are you a gnome too?
Jultomten does mean Christmas Gnome, and yes, I really am a tomte, a small guardian spirit from Swedish farm folklore, rather than a full sized Santa Claus.
Geography: What is the capital city of Sweden?
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, a beautiful city built across a chain of islands, which makes for some very scenic rooftop landings around Christmastime.
Social Studies: What is the Yule Goat, and what is its history in Swedish Christmas traditions?
The Julbock, or Yule Goat, began as an old pre-Christian midwinter symbol long before Christmas gift giving existed, often made from straw and displayed in homes for good luck. Today the tradition lives on through decorations, and even a giant straw goat built every year in the town of Gavle, though I will admit that one has a habit of mysteriously catching fire before the season is over.
