LONDON — Santa’s rounds in Europe can be hungry work.
The jolly old elf can count on mince pies and sherry in Britain, but in Denmark the food is left out for gnomes, not for Julmanden (Santa). In desperation in Belgium, St. Nick could always grab one of the carrots left out for his horse.
In short, the American tradition of leaving a snack for Santa — and his faithful helper, Dad — holds no sway in much of Europe. Factor in those countries where gifts are said to be delivered by St. Nicholas, the Baby Jesus or the Three Wise Men, and it gets more confusing.
Several days before Christmas Eve, Danish children leave a bowl of “risengroed” — rice porridge — for the “nisse,” the gnomes or elves who are least 400 years old and live in attics. Those who don’t offer the porridge risk having bad luck.
In times past, a sweet, low-alcohol beer called “hvidtoel” would be left next to the porridge.
The gnomes play an even bigger role in Sweden and Norway, where in addition to bestowing good or bad luck, and demanding bowls of rice porridge, they also bring gifts.
Finland is regarded as Santa’s home in some countries. But if that’s the case, he doesn’t eat well at home. There is no tradition in Finland of leaving snacks for Santa because he comes while children are still awake. The Finnish Santa Claus — Joulupukki — knocks on the door and demands to know if there are any well-behaved kids in residence, and he may be accompanied by several Christmas elves.
Customs of offering food to spirits, deities or ancestors are rooted far back in time.
“There are plenty of medieval references to popular customs of leaving out food and drink on certain winter nights for mythical nocturnal figures who visit people’s homes and bestow gifts of good fortune or prosperity for the coming year on the homes where the visitors are welcomed,” said Caroline Oates, librarian of The Folklore Society in London.
In Belgium and the Netherlands, St. Nicholas arrives by horse from Spain on Dec. 5 or Dec. 6, accompanied by his sidekick Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). Kids leave a snack only for the horse; Black Pete carries his own supply of marble-sized spiced cookies called pepernoten, which he distributes freely.
Sinterklaes, as he is called in the Netherlands, was the figure who inspired Washington Irving’s stories of Dutch times in New York, stories which deeply influenced the American celebration of Christmas.
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