What is a Jultomten?

What is a Jultomten?

In Sweden, Christmas gifts are brought by the Jultomten. The word Jultomten combines the Swedish word for Christmas, Jul, with the word tomten, which means household fairy or elf. The Jultomten is often depicted as a portly gnome with a white beard and a pointed red cap.

What do Swedish call Santa?

jultomte
Father Christmas comes in two forms in Sweden: a gnome-like figure from Swedish folklore, called a jultomte, and a rather jolly old man with a white beard and wearing a fur-trimmed red suit, known the world-over as Santa!

What is a Tomten in Sweden?

Tomte (Swedish) or Tonttu (Finnish, also called Nisse in Norway) are solitary, mischievous domestic spirits, responsible for the protection and welfare of a farmstead and its buildings.

What does Jultomten look like?

Jultomten is often depicted as a corpulent figure with red clothes and a long white beard, similar to, but not the same as, the US image of Santa Claus popularised by the Coca Cola commercials of the 1930s. The Swedish image of Jultomten, a hybrid of St.

What are gnomes called in Sweden?

Gnome in Swedish is called Tomte, with other words a Tomte is a Swedish gnome. They live in and around the houses and sheds on farms and remote houses according to the gnome folklore.

Is Tomte Santa Claus?

The name of the Swedish Santa Claus is Jultomte, who was not always the Santa Claus of the Swedes. He is a mythical creature, born of legends. According to old Scandinavian legends, Christmas Eve is surrounded by magic and superstition.

What is the difference between tomte and tomten?

Jultomten didn’t replace tomten, but nowadays when people talk about “tomten” they are normally referring to the Swedish Santa. The traditional “house gnome” tomten is called a hustomte or tomtar. Christmas gifts, he doesn’t use the chimney, but comes straight through the front door.

Are gnomes and tomte the same?

Gnome in Swedish is called Tomte, with other words a Tomte is a Swedish gnome. They live in and around the houses and sheds on farms and remote houses according to the gnome folklore. If you are wise you will show them “due respect”. If you respect him, he will protect your household from accidents and disasters.

Why do Swedes celebrate St Lucia?

Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.

Are gnomes Swedish or German?

What is known is that the modern day depiction of gnomes is more Dutch than Scandinavian. Thus, it is speculated that Dutch tradition created gnomes as they are known today out of Norse dwarves, and from there gnome belief spread to Germany and back into Scandinavia.

What does a gnome symbolize?

Gnomes are known as symbols of good luck. Originally, gnomes were thought to provide protection, especially of buried treasure and minerals in the ground. They are still used today to watch over crops and livestock, often tucked into the rafters of a barn or placed in the garden.

What is the difference between a tomte and a gnome?

Are tomte just for Christmas?

These Handmade Swedish Tomte Dolls Are Welcome Any Time of the Year. Not Only for Christmas. The tomte is one of the most familiar creatures of Scandinavian folklore. Legend has it that this mythical creature of Scandinavian folklore protects a farmer’s home and children at night and also from misfortune.

What is the Lucia tradition in Sweden?

Tradition has it that Lucia is to wear ‘light in her hair’, which in practice means a crown of electric candles in a wreath on her head. Each of her handmaidens carries a candle, too. Parents gather in the dark with their mobile cameras at the ready.

Why is St. Lucia so important?

The Real Saint Lucia One of the earliest Christian martyrs, St. Lucia was killed by the Romans in 304 CE because of her religious beliefs. One of the more well-known stories about St. Lucia is that she would secretly bring food to the persecuted Christians in Rome, who lived in hiding in catacombs under the city.