Nissene have arrived

It is the day before the DAY. Nissene have arrived to the living room, bringing gifts to children being kind (at least for some days), and to all others celebrating Christmas eve at our home.
Nissene were believed to take care of a farmer's home and children and protect them from misfortune, in particular at night, when the housefolk were asleep.
The Nisse or in Swedish "Tomte" was in ancient times believed to be the "soul" of the first inhabitant of the farm. He who cleared the tomt (house lot). In the 1840s the farm's nisse became the bearer of Christmas presents in Denmark, and was then called julenisse (Yule Nisse).

Gradually, commercialism has made him look more and more like the American Santa Claus, but the Swedish jultomte, the Norwegian and Danish julenisse and the Finnish joulupukk, still has features and traditions that are rooted in the local culture. He doesn't live on the North Pole, but perhaps in a forest nearby.

Today the Nisse family has arrived to us waiting for our traditional pre-christmas eve buffet to take place later. Christmas has started here at Frogner, Oslo.