Yule Lads

Thirteen night visits

Starting on 12 December, the brothers arrive in towns individually, one each evening. Children put a shoe on their window ledge before going to sleep. Well-behaved youngsters wake to discover a tiny treat or gift tucked inside. Those who have misbehaved find only an old, decaying potato left behind. Each visitor remains for thirteen days. After the first brother departs on Christmas Day, the others head back to their cave in succession, ending the visits on 6 January.

Grýla and her cave

According to traditional tales, the brothers are the sons of an ogress named Grýla and her lazy third husband, Leppalúði. They share a cave in the Dimmuborgir lava fields along with a massive, vicious black pet called the Yule Cat. Older stories painted Grýla as a terrible monster who searched settlements for mischievous children to boil in her cooking pot. The dreaded cat hunted anyone who failed to get new clothing before Christmas Eve. Leppalúði stays behind in their dark refuge while his wife and sons set out.

From fright to gifts

The first written reference to the brothers appeared during the seventeenth century in a poem about Grýla. At first, their numbers, names, and habits differed by district, and parents used them to terrify youngsters into obedience. Because the stories caused severe fright, the Danish crown intervened in 1746 to forbid using the tales to terrorise children. Author Jón Árnason compiled their first recorded names in 1862. Later, a 1932 poetry volume by Jóhannes úr Kötlum popularised the current roster of thirteen distinct personalities.

Pranks and changing dress

Every Lad has an individual way of creating chaos, whether snatching food or playing tricks on households. Early tales portrayed them in regional forms, such as maritime spirits from eastern Iceland or pairs who stole melted fat. Today, figures are usually shown in late-medieval Icelandic attire, though modern appearances sometimes borrow the red costume of Santa Claus. In recent times, the brothers have softened into kinder figures who mirror benign gift-givers rather than the kidnappers described in early folklore.

How Yule Lads is kept

Beginning on 12 December, children across Iceland place a shoe on a window ledge at bedtime. Over thirteen consecutive nights, one Yule Lad arrives each evening to leave a modest gift for obedient children or a rotten potato for those who misbehaved. The visitors each stay for thirteen days before leaving in the same order they arrived, concluding their stay on 6 January.

When and where

The tradition runs each winter during the thirteen nights before Christmas, beginning on 12 December. Each figure stays for thirteen days, with the earliest visitor departing on Christmas Day and the final Lad leaving on 6 January.

The custom is observed throughout Iceland. In folklore, the brothers dwell in the mountains and specifically in a cave among the Dimmuborgir lava fields before walking down to towns and farmsteads.

What Yule Lads means

Originally, the figures served as cautionary warnings to encourage good conduct during the winter months. Today, the custom blends excitement and playful mischief into the holiday countdown. Getting a small surprise or a spoiled potato reminds children of proper behavior while making the dark winter nights feel festive.

Days Yule Lads is marked

Questions people ask about Yule Lads

See also

RisalamandeA chilled Danish Christmas rice dessert with cream, chopped almonds and cherry sauceCandlemasA Christian feast of candle blessings marking the end of the Christmas seasonAdvent calendarA daily countdown to Christmas using doors, images, or small gifts.JiaoziCrescent Chinese dumplings filled with meat or vegetables, eaten for fortune and feasts

Good reading and sources

• Before the Yule Lads Evolved Into Icelandic Versions of Santa Claus, They Terrorized Children Into Following the RulesSmithsonian Magazine, Article
• Before the Yule Lads Evolved Into Icelandic Versions of Santa Claus, They Terrorized Children Into Following the RulesSmithsonian Magazine, Article

• Icelandic Christmas folklore on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.