NORDIC SIMPLICITY
ADVENT CALENDAR

3. DECEMBER

Shhh don’t tell the kids, but we all know that
Santa Claus was invented by Coca-Cola.

Not that we're any better over here in Norway.
I present to you the Norwegian Nisse,
probably invented by home-brewed beer.

Norwegian Nisse

This mythical creature is called the “Nisse” and he was an ancient gnome who lived in the barn and stables of the farms, looking after the livestock, and creating havoc and mischief if you didn’t treat him right. Treating him right included setting out porridge for him in the barn every Christmas Eve. And woe unto the farmer who did not do this. The Nisse looked a little different than the Coca-Cola jolly old elf with the bright red fur trimmed attire and dazzling white beard. Our Norwegian Nisse is short and squat and wears grey homespun clothes, has a tattered grey beard and completing the look is a knitted hat. Red.

Click on the old Christmas card if you want to read more about the ancient Nisse traditions of Norway.

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