Date
21. Jul 202521. Jul 25
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5 min
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Jólakötturinn (the Yule Cat, or Christmas Cat) illumination in downtown Reykjavík.
Come and experience a very merry and cozy Christmas in Iceland, full of fine food and fantastical folklore.
If your mother was a fearsome ogress, your father a lazy ogre, and you lived in a cold and grimy cave up in the mountains, do you think you’d be very nice? Well, the Icelandic Yule Lads aren’t particularly. There are 13 of these troublesome brothers, each arriving on the 13 nights before Christmas to wreak havoc in Icelandic homes.
But who are these characters? And where do they come from? Let’s dive deeper into this curious Icelandic tradition.
According to Icelandic folklore, the Yule Lads are cheeky troublemakers who come down from the mountains just before Christmas, in order to pull pranks. The first brother comes into town on the night of December 12, and every night until December 24, one of the 13 Yule Lads will come out of their cave to cause mischief.
But there’s also a somewhat dark side to the stories, designed to scare children into good behavior. Alongside the Lads and their pranks, it’s said that Grýla, their mother, has an appetite for children and collects naughty kids in a large sack to turn into stew!
Her cat, known as Jólakötturinn (the Yule Cat), also eats people and will go after those who haven’t received any new clothes for Christmas. That’s why many Icelanders give small items like socks or a scarf at Christmastime.
Stories about Grýla and the Yule Lads have softened over the years, but she’s still a scary figure. Fortunately, over time the Lads seem to have picked up a few manners from visiting Icelandic homes and these days like to leave little presents in the shoes of nice children (and a potato in the shoe of naughty kids!). Children place a shoe on their windowsill each night before Christmas, waking up to a treat. Today, instead of one central figure, Icelanders essentially have 13 Santas, with each Lad leaving a small gift in the days leading up to Christmas.
So, now you know the origins, it’s time to meet these crafty characters and learn their names.
GRÝLA The mother of the Yule Lads, and an awful ogress who eats naughty children. Why she hasn’t eaten her own unruly sons a long time ago is a riddle.
LEPPALÚÐI (Lappeylooder) Grýla’s good-for-nothing husband neither eats anyone nor gets into any kind of mischief. Obviously the black sheep of the family.
JÓLAKÖTTURINN (The Yule Cat) Not a fluffy kitty you want to pet. It eats anyone that doesn’t get something new to wear for Christmas.
STEKKJASTAUR (Sheep-Cote Clod) The first of the Yule Lads to come down from the mountains has a favorite pastime: Teasing sheep. Luckily for him, Iceland has lots.
GILJAGAUR (Gully Gawk) Likes to hide in gullies and give people a fright when they pass by. BOO!
STÚFUR (Stubby) The tiniest brother has a big appetite. His favorite is stealing the crust off pans.
ÞVÖRUSLEIKIR (Spoon-Licker) There’s not a lot of food on spoons, so if you prefer to stick to spoon licking, you’ll end up just as thin as this brother.
POTTASKEFILL (Pot-Licker) Hates food waste and likes to scrape pots and eat what sticks to the sides and bottom.
ASKASLEIKIR (Bowl-Licker) Notorious for stealing the wooden bowls Icelanders ate from in the old days. Today any old IKEA bowl will do.
HURÐASKELLIR (Door-Slammer) SLAM! You think the wind did this? Think again. Door Slammer might be on the prowl.
SKYRGÁMUR (Skyr-Gobbler) This one can’t get enough of skyr. Well, skyr is a very healthy, Icelandic food. Have you tried it?
BJÚGNAKRÆKIR (Sausage-Swiper) Better keep an eye on your hot dogs and salamis. Except the vegan ones, perhaps.
GLUGGAGÆGIR (Window-Peeper) If you think you see an ugly face on your window, it’s probably this one. Just draw the curtains. He’s harmless.
GÁTTAÞEFUR (Doorway-Sniffer) Having a huge nose comes in handy to sniff out food. Especially the Icelandic leaf bread made before Christmas.
KETKRÓKUR (Meat-Hook) Smoked lamb is a delicacy eaten at Christmas in Iceland. Except of course if this brother has beat you to the larder.
KERTASNÍKIR (Candle-Beggar) Candles used to be made from fat in old times and were edible. What this funny fellow eats these days, we have no idea.
Want to experience this unique Icelandic tradition for yourself? Read more about the Yule Lads, and how you can meet them on a trip to North Iceland. You can even spot them illuminated on walls around Reykjavík in December!
There’s plenty to see and do in Iceland at this time of year, so take a look at our article about Christmas in Iceland to plan your perfect December visit.
And if you’re still searching for a gift to leave in someone’s shoe or put under a tree, an Icelandair Gift Certificate might be just what you’ve been looking for.
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