Christmas around the world: in Iceland
Plusieurs considèrent un peu étrange la tradition islandaise pour fêter Christmas. C’est que, voyez-vous, les enfants n’attendent pas la visite d’un Père Noël mais bien de 13!!
Et ce n’est pas tout. Plutôt que d’apporter tous ensemble les cadeaux d’une seule fois, ces Pères Noël descendent des montagnes un par un, dans les 13 jours précédant Noël, pour venir déposer un présent dans la chaussure des enfants sages. Les petits qui se sont mal conduits la veille trouveront ce jour-là une pomme de terre comme gift.
These Santas all have a nasty flaw. Here's what characterizes them:
Stekkjarstaur He is the one who tries to suckle the sheep's milk in secret.
Giljagaur, meanwhile, tries to steal the freshly drawn milk from the cows.
Stufur, the smallest, likes to scrape up anything left in the pans.
Thvörusleikir is called "the wooden spoon licker"
Pottasleikir, on the other hand, prefers to lick the pots.
Askasleikir, "the bowl licker," waits for the small deposits left by the children.
Huroaskellir, called "the door slammer," loves to make noise and keep people awake.
Skyrgámur, another gourmand, gorges himself on yogurt and looks for it everywhere.
Bjúgnakrækir, called "the sausage thief" is very fast and steals all the sausages he can find.
Gluggagægir, nosy and curious, spends his time looking through windows and stealing the toys he likes.
Gáttaþefur, on the other hand, sniffs the smell of cakes under doors and steals any that smell good.
Ketkrókur, nicknamed "the meat hooker", walks around with a hook to steal pieces of meat hanging in shops and houses.
The last one, Kertasnikir, is called "the candle blower." He enjoys blowing out candles as they are lit.
Their strange behavior can be explained by the fact that their mother is an ogress and their father, a real lazy man named Leppaluoi, does not believe in education.
At least for Christmas dinner, Icelanders imitate most countries by welcoming family and friends around a well-laden table and exchanging gifts with each other.