The gnomes of Scandinavia are said to live under the ground, and they have a tendency not only help but also misbehave with those that interact them. Christmas gnomes are known as nisse in Norway- where it is believed these spirits bring gifts at Christmas time!
Much like the American Santa Claus, julenisse visits homes on Christmas Eve to give presents. Children leave a bowl of porridge out for him and in return he brings them gifts from his present sack!
The Swedish gnome called Tomte is similar to Santa Claus, but he’s always watching you. He wears grey clothing and has an overall Father Christmas-like appearance with white beard!
The Tomte is famous in the world of Scandinavian folklore and shares a lot of the features of the traditional gnome which is why they sometimes get confused for each other. They are typically found on people’s homes and farms and are thought to keep these and the adults and children of the place safe.
A Tomten has a red hat, long white beard and their body shape is similar to a gnome and these things are why they are often mistaken for gnomes.
They have been featured in some literature over the years such as Viktor Rydberg‘s pre-1900s poem called ‘Tomten’ which is often read at Christmas time.
Yes, gnomes are certainly still popular for 2021! This is especially true of Christmas Gonks which are from Scandinavia and what people see as the true Christmas gnomes. People love using gnomes as indoor ornaments around Christmas time as they share a lot of similarities to Santa Claus, such as a big red belly, similar color clothes, big, black boots and long beards and so they are a great addition to the various Christmas decorations that people have both inside and outside their house.
A particularly popular trend this year are light up gnomes. These gnomes contain lights inside, often around the eye area, and are a great way of adding some lighting to your displays. Lights are added to many different types of gnomes such as Nordic ones and others with the classic red hats, green jackets and black boots.
This will be due to a number of factors; possible the main one being that they look very similar to Santa Claus which makes them perfectly placed to be given a Santa-style look. This means giving them a red outfit and the same kind of boots that they big man has every year too. They also have the beard and big belly, of course, which all adds up to them almost looking the same!