Original photo by Roman Babakin/ Shutterstock
Unless you’re a child of a certain age, you’ve likely long outgrown the silly, whimsical notion that Santa Claus lives in the North Pole. Obviously, he actually resides in Santa Claus Village, which is a real place you can visit. Located in Rovaniemi, Finland, the festive locale is part of the Arctic Circle and remains quite cold year-round. Speaking of year-round, St. Nick is even available for daily visits despite his busy schedule. He isn’t the only person honored there, either; Roosevelt Cottage, which was built decades before the rest of the village, was constructed there in 1950 in honor of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s visit to the Arctic Circle.
But why has Rovaniemi been designated as Santa’s hometown, you may ask? Finnish folklore and tradition have long associated Santa with Finland’s Lapland region. Though Finns believe Santa’s real home lies in Korvatunturi, a fell in Lapland where Santa and his elves are said to listen to children’s wishes, they also believe its true location must be kept secret, so they chose nearby Rovaniemi as the “official” location for practical reasons. Santa Claus Village — which also has reindeer, more than 100 Siberian huskies, and a post office — opened in 1985 and has been delighting Christmas enthusiasts ever since.
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Instead of Santa Claus, Iceland has 13 “Yule Lads.”
Before you start feeling too sad for all the Icelandic children who don’t have a Santa Claus despite living fairly close to him, know this: They have 13 “Yule Lads” instead. Mischievous yet merry, the Jólasveinar (as they’re known in Iceland) begin descending from the mountains to visit children’s homes on December 12. One Yule Lad makes the excursion each night, leaving gifts for good kids and rotting potatoes for those on the naughty list.
The 13 Yule Lads are, in order, Stekkjarstaur (Sheep-Cote Clod), Giljagaur (Gully Gawk), Stúfur (Stubby), Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker), Pottaskefill (Pot Scraper), Askasleikir (Bowl Licker), Hurðaskellir (Door Slammer), Skyrgámur (Skyr Gobbler), Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Swiper), Gluggagægir (Window Peeper), Gáttaþefur (Doorway Sniffer), Ketkrókur (Meathook), and Kertasníkir (Candle Stealer). As you may have guessed, their names provide hints as to the particular brand of trouble they cause. This odd family’s matriarch is the cruel troll Grýla, who lives in the mountains and has a penchant for turning misbehaving kiddos into stew.
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
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