Monday, December 19, 2011

Yule Lads

Okay, everytime I type or say Yule Lads, it tickles my funny bone, and so, I laugh and snort and all sorts of other unseemly things. Just thought you'd like to know.

But what are Yule Lads? Well, when I was growing up, my siblings and I would put our shoe in the window on the 12 nights before Christmas so that the Santas, Yule Lads, or whatever you'd like to call them, would bring us a treat. And put it in our shoe. :D Awesome, right? It is our Icelandic heritage, and I always loved it. I do it with my kids every other year, because we do American Christmas one year (open prezzies on the 25th, etc.) and the Icelandic Christmas the next year (putting the shoe in the window, and opening prezzies on the 24th). Don't worry, we do Tongan Christmas every year! (Big feast for Christmas. :)

So yeah, back to the Yule Lads. Maliana found this awesome website that explains them a bit. And I love the little cartoon guys. So, if you'd like to learn more, have a look here. It's all fun and good times now, but they weren't so nice originally. ho ho ho.

Oh, and when the kids aren't good, they don't get a treat, they get a potato. Although, that might be a Toutai thing. hahahahahaha. Not sure.

Merry Christmas!

2 comments:

MiriamR said...

nope the potato thing is real. After all my reseach for our play quite a few said potato. Daniel wanted last nights santa to bring potatoes for all but santa didn't listen and gave toys. Do you call them yule lads at your house? that would be hilarious.

Suzanne said...

I LOVE that tradition, so much so that I think I want to do it. Could also be a powerful motivator for good behavior. :)