Icelandic Christmas
The Yule Lads
Thirteen nights before Christmas
One Yule Lad a night, from 12 December
In Iceland, Christmas does not come all at once. From 12 December the thirteen Yule Lads come down from the mountains one a night, each with his own mischief, and children leave a shoe on the windowsill to find a small gift by morning. Their mother Grýla, father Leppalúði and the Yule Cat come too.
Give the figures one a night and you give a family thirteen evenings of stories, every December, for years.
Any six Yule Lads ship free to the US, Canada and Europe (orders over $200)
Set of all 16
All thirteen lads, Grýla, Leppalúði and the Yule Cat. Sets collected piece by piece rarely get finished; this one arrives complete, each figure boxed on its own.
$580.00 $657.55 Save $77.55 against buying them one by one
The thirteen, in the order they arrive
Each figure comes boxed with a small English booklet about the whole family.
The rest of the family
Grýla, Leppalúði and the Yule Cat.
Who are the Yule Lads?
The Yule Lads (jólasveinar) are Iceland's thirteen Christmas visitors. In the old stories they were troll brothers who came down from the mountains to steal food and play tricks, and parents used them to frighten children into behaving. Over time they mellowed, took to wearing red, and began leaving small gifts. They are still a little mischievous.
What are their names, and when does each one come?
One arrives each night from 12 December, in this order:
- 12 December: Sheep-Cote Clod (Stekkjastaur)
- 13 December: Gully Gawk (Giljagaur)
- 14 December: Shorty (Stúfur)
- 15 December: Spoon Licker (Þvörusleikir)
- 16 December: Pot Licker (Pottaskefill)
- 17 December: Bowl Licker (Askasleikir)
- 18 December: Door Slammer (Hurðaskellir)
- 19 December: Skyr Glutton (Skyrgámur)
- 20 December: Sausage Thief (Bjúgnakrækir)
- 21 December: Window Peeper (Gluggagægir)
- 22 December: Doorway Sniffer (Gáttaþefur)
- 23 December: Meat Hook (Ketkrókur)
- 24 December: Candle Beggar (Kertasníkir)
From Christmas Day they head home again one at a time in the same order, and the last one leaves on 6 January.
How does the shoe on the windowsill work?
From 11 December, children in Iceland put a shoe on the windowsill before bed. The Yule Lad who comes that night leaves a small gift in it, or a potato if the child has misbehaved. Many families abroad give one figure a night the same way.
Who are Grýla, Leppalúði and the Yule Cat?
Grýla is the Yule Lads' mother, a troll who in the old tales came for naughty children. Leppalúði is her lazy husband. The Yule Cat (Jólakötturinn) is the family's huge cat, said to come for anyone who doesn't get a new piece of clothing before Christmas.
Are the Yule Lads elves or gnomes?
Neither, although they are often called Icelandic Christmas elves in English. They come from troll stock, and their parents are the trolls Grýla and Leppalúði. They have little in common with Santa Claus apart from the red clothes and the gifts.
What are the figures like?
Each figure stands on a red base with its Icelandic name. It comes in its own window box with a small English booklet about the whole family. They are designed by Brian Pilkington and sold under the Sólarfilma brand, and stand between 8.5 and 15 cm tall depending on the character. They are display figures, not toys.
Do I need to buy all sixteen?
No. You can buy them one at a time, or the set of all 16, which costs less than buying them one by one. Any six Yule Lads ship free to the US, Canada and Europe (orders over $200).