by Loke, age 8, asks Jultomten your name means Christmas Gnome. Are you a gnome too?, about Stockholm’s fourteen islands, and the Nobel Prizes
Dear Jultomten,
My name is Loke and I am 8 years old. I live in Stockholm, Sweden, where my family watches a very old Donald Duck Christmas special on television at exactly three o’clock every single Christmas Eve, and nobody in Sweden ever misses it.
First, your name means Christmas Gnome. Are you a gnome too?
Second, a geography question: how many islands is Stockholm actually built on?
Third, a school question about my country: why is Sweden known around the world for the Nobel Prizes?
I left you pepparkakor cookies and a glass of milk.
Love, Loke, age 8, Stockholm, Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
From the Desk of Jultomten
Dear Loke, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Your name means Christmas Gnome. Are you a gnome too?
In the oldest Swedish stories, yes, a small farm gnome who watched over the barn animals, grown a bit over time into the figure you know today.
How many islands is Stockholm actually built on?
Stockholm is spread across fourteen islands connected by dozens of bridges, which is part of why it is sometimes called the Venice of the North, and it makes for a beautifully glittering, watery city to fly over on Christmas Eve.
Why is Sweden known around the world for the Nobel Prizes?
Alfred Nobel, the Swedish scientist and inventor who created dynamite, left his fortune to fund prizes for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, and literature, first awarded in 1901. These Nobel Prizes are presented in Stockholm every December, among the most respected honors in the world.
God jul, Loke.
Ho ho ho, Jultomten
