Would you rather have one Santa or thirteen? Can You imagine having thirteen Santa Clauses? In Iceland, that is the case; for nearly two weeks, from December 11th through the 24th, children wake up each morning with a present or surprise. Icelandic children receive a visit from thirteen Yule Lads or Jólasveinar, as they are called in Icelandic, each night starting December 11th.

The Yule Lads then leave in descending order starting on December 25th. Children leave their shoes on their windowsill each night, and the Yule Lads leave them a present.

I wonder if the children's feet get bigger during Christmas. What a magical parade.

Can you imagine the expense parents must go through?The story of the Yule Lads did not start so whimsical; instead, it was more foreboding and scarier. The story of the Yule Lads is centuries old.

They come from different stories within Norse mythology that have evolved. In this tale, the Lads are now less scary but generate just as much mayhem.

I have created an American adaptation to tell their tale. .