Lighted Spaces and Landscapes

As I mentioned yesterday, we have adopted some Icelandic traditions including the Yule Lads. One by one they start arriving on December 12 with the entrance of Stekkjastaur (Sheep-Cote Clod who harasses the sheep) who also departs on Christmas Day. Yesterday the last of the Lads, Kertasníkir (the Candle Beggar) arrived and he will depart on the 6th. I’ve heard them described as “santas,” but to me they are “their own thing.” (Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, 2025)