twelve Father Christmases

[Eva Maria]

Hablando sobre distintas tradiciones navideñas en diferentes partes del mundo, me he topado con esta frase sobre Islandia:

- I heard that Iceland gets twelve Father Christmases.

- He oído que en Islandia tienen doce Papá Noeles ?

He estado documentándome acerca de la Navidad en Islandia - supuesto hogar de Santa Claus -, pero ni rastro de esos doce papanoeles!

Does anyone understand?

EM

 

[Jeromed]

Como que son más bien trece:

Iceland

The people of Iceland believe in thirteen Santas, known as Jólasveinar. The wee folk are said to be descendants of a mythological figure known as Grýla the Ogre and Leppalúði. Each begins visiting Icelandic homes on December 12th and, by Christmas Day, they've all arrived. Each character makes his presence felt in mischievous ways. Door Slammer awakens sleepers by slamming doors. Candle Beggar snatches candles. And Meat Hooker tries to run off with the roast.
Aðfangadagur (Yule Eve) is the time that all Icelandic children await impatiently, as after the evening meal they can open their Yule presents. TV transmission stops in Iceland around 5 p.m. on Aðfangadagur and only restarts at 10 p.m. Usually the family listens to Evensong on the radio then partakes of the evening's meal. Only then are presents opened and, according to the children, the real Yule begins. It is usually the immediate family that spends Aðfangadagur together

 

[Mr. Chaz]

Santa Claus no vive en Islandia sino en el Polo Norte.

The closest land areas to the North Pole, the northern coast of Ellesmere Island [Canada] and northernmost Greenland [Denmark], are both roughly 450 statute miles away and virtually uninhabited.

 

[Jeromed]

De Wikipedia:

Iceland: Jólasveinn. In Icelandic folktales, there are 13 Santa Clauses.

 

[Jeromed]

De un sitio británico:

There are 13 Jolasveinars (Father Christmas) in Iceland. Each one has a different name. See if you can pronounce their names: Stekkjarstaur, Giljagaur, Stufur, Thvorusleikir, Pottaskefill, Askasleikir, Hurdarskellir, Skyrgamur, Bjugnakraekir, Gluggagaegir, Gattathefur, Ketkrokur and KertasnikirJolasveinars are different from the Father Christmas we know because they do naughty things like slamming doors. They are sometimes called 'Christmas boys because of the mischief they do.
Each Jolasveinar is naughty in different ways. Candle Beggar snatches candles. Meat Hooker tries to run off with the roast and Door Slammer awakens sleepers by slamming doors.
The 13 Jolasveinars each arrive on a different day, beginning Dec. 12 until Christmas Day.
December 23rd is St. Thorlakur's Day named after Iceland's major native Saint, Thorlakur Thorhallsson. There is a tradition in Iceland to eat the fish named skate on this day.
In Iceland they open their presents around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
The traditional Christmas dinner is smoked lamb.
The last day of Christmas is celebrated on 6th of January and is called "Threttandinn". Bonfires are lit and they have fireworks.

 

[romarsan]

De un sitio británico:

There are 13 Jolasveinars (Father Christmas) in Iceland. Each one has a different name. See if you can pronounce their names: Stekkjarstaur, Giljagaur, Stufur, Thvorusleikir, Pottaskefill, Askasleikir, Hurdarskellir, Skyrgamur, Bjugnakraekir, Gluggagaegir, Gattathefur, Ketkrokur and KertasnikirJolasveinars are different from the Father Christmas we know because they do naughty things like slamming doors. They are sometimes called 'Christmas boys because of the mischief they do.
Each Jolasveinar is naughty in different ways. Candle Beggar snatches candles. Meat Hooker tries to run off with the roast and Door Slammer awakens sleepers by slamming doors.
The 13 Jolasveinars each arrive on a different day, beginning Dec. 12 until Christmas Day.
December 23rd is St. Thorlakur's Day named after Iceland's major native Saint, Thorlakur Thorhallsson. There is a tradition in Iceland to eat the fish named skate on this day.
In Iceland they open their presents around the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.
The traditional Christmas dinner is smoked lamb.
The last day of Christmas is celebrated on 6th of January and is called "Threttandinn". Bonfires are lit and they have fireworks.

wow!!! nice story Jeromed

 

[ter_]

Santa Claus no vive en Islandia sino en el Polo Norte.

Isn't he supposed to live in Lapland? (Finland).

At least that's where the British one ("Father Christmas") lives... I think.

(Sorry for slightly off-topic post).

 

[Jeromed]

To Americans, he lives in the North Pole. I guess people around here cannot stand the thought that he would live in a "foreign country" and, since the North Pole is a no-man's land, someone must've thought it appropriate to place him there.
(Better there than in Buffalo, New York)

 

[Eva Maria]

Jeromed & Chaz & Jeromed (otra vez) & Jeromed (de nuevo), Ros & Ter & Jeromed (sí, él!),

Con razón no los encontaba con el 12! (Pero ¿por qué el autor del cuento me pone doce? Is he superstitious? Twelve is his favourite number? Es un tonto del bote?)

Thanks very much for finding this beautiful story, Jerou!

And thanks to all the rest for calling to say something!

EM

PS: Puede que el hogar de Santa sea Terranova! (jejejeje!)

 

[ter_]

To Americans, he lives in the North Pole. I guess people around here cannot stand the thought that he would live in a "foreign country" and, since the North Pole is a no-man's land, someone must've thought it appropriate to place him there.
(Better there than in Buffalo, New York)

Ah okay, thanks for the info . To be honest, I'm not sure if everybody here would know which country Lapland is in, just that it's somewhere cold in the polar region. I guess that for people in most northern European countries that's where he lives, although it seems not in Iceland, so who knows...

 

[Mr. Chaz]

Well Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. I don't know where Father Christmas, Papa Noel and the other 10 (or 11) live.

 

[romarsan]

Well Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. I don't know where Father Christmas, Papa Noel and the other 10 (or 11) live.

... or twelve...

 

[ter_]

Well Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. I don't know where Father Christmas, Papa Noel and the other 10 (or 11) live.

Or at least the American version does . They are essentially the same character. "Santa Claus" originated as a mispronunciation of Dutch Sinterklaas, which in turn is just a contracted form of Sint Nicolaas (yep, I got that info from Wikipedia ).

 

[Jeromed]

En República Dominicana le dicen Santi Clo, y no Papá Noel.
En México, Santo Claus. Debe de ser por temor a que se cuestione la sexualidad del pobre viejecito.