In Scandinavia, a 'Nisse' is a type of pixie that looks after the household. At Christmas, the 'Nisse' becomes the bearer of gifts, and is referred to as the 'Julinesse' (Yule 'Nisse').

According to tradition, a 'Nisse' is a short man or woman that wears a red cap. Around the houses and farmlands, the 'Nisse' performed chores, such as grooming horses and carrying bales of hay. Whenever a chore had been completed more efficiently than usual, the home or farm owner declared it must have been done by the 'Nisse'.

Poorly done work was also blamed on the 'Nisse'. If the household displeased its 'Nisse', it would turn against its master. To keep it satisfied, the family would leave out a single bowl of porridge with butter in it on Christmas Eve.

Since the 1840s, the role of the 'Nisse' has changed from household pixie to the bearer of Christmas presents. In Norway, it is called the 'Julenisse', but other countries use different names, such as 'Jultomte' (Sweden), 'Julemand' (Denmark) and 'Joulupukki' (Finland).

The 'Julenisse' supposedly lives in a forest, field or stream, although the Danish believe he lives in Greenland. Similarly, the Finnish believe he lives in Lapland.

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