Iceland’s Christmas traditions
Food: People and families get together to bake biscuits such as gingerbread, or a traditional thin bread called Laufabrauð (snowflake bread), which is decorated with cut or rolled patterns.
Gifts: Thirteen days before Christmas, children put their shoes out so the thirteen jólasveinarnir (‘Yule Lads’) can place gifts in them. Each of these Yule Lads represents a different kind of trouble-maker, from stealing things to eating candles and slamming doors. They’re also the sons of mountain trolls.
Christmas quirk: Another feature of Icelandic Christmas folklore is the Yule Cat, who wanders the snowy mountains and countryside at night to gobble up anyone who hasn’t been given new clothes before Christmas Eve. This is why families gift each other warm gloves and hats during the festive period.
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