What is a Tomte? The Swedish Christmas Tradition Explained

The tomte — sometimes called the nisse in Norway and Denmark — is one of Sweden's oldest folk figures. Long before he was associated with Christmas, he was the silent guardian of the farm: a small, bearded spirit in a red cap who watched over the animals, the harvest, and the household through the long Nordic winter.

From farm guardian to Christmas gift-bringer

In the 1880s, illustrator Jenny Nyström gave the tomte the warm, white-bearded look you recognize today on Christmas cards. By the early 1900s, Swedish families had begun blending the old farm-tomte tradition with continental Christmas customs, and the tomte became the jultomte — the one who knocks on the door on julafton (Christmas Eve) and asks, "Are there any nice children here?"

How to keep your tomte happy

Tradition says the tomte expects a bowl of risgrynsgröt (rice porridge with butter and cinnamon) on Christmas Eve. Forget the porridge — or worse, forget the butter on top — and he might cause mischief through the year: tools misplaced, the cow gone off her milk, a stubbed toe at the worst moment.

The tomte at our store

We import hand-painted wooden and felt tomtar from Sweden each year — from miniature 5 cm ornaments to 15 cm classic figures and full Advent calendars decorated with forest scenes. See the Scandinavian Christmas collection for the full range, or jump straight to our Classic Tomte, 15 cm and Tomte Advent Calendar.

God jul

Whether you call him tomte, nisse, or simply "that little red guy", having one on the shelf is one of the loveliest ways to bring a piece of Swedish Christmas into your home — and a bowl of porridge on the doorstep on Christmas Eve doesn't hurt either.