Pósturinn, the Icelandic post company, has received more than 100 letters and Christmas cards this year addressed to the Icelandic Santa Claus.
Two of the Dimmuborgir Yule Lads. Copyright: Mývatnsstofa.
They are forwarded to Mývatnsstofa, the Mývatn Tourist Information Center in northeast Iceland, and from there to Dimmuborgir, lava fields where the 13 Icelandic Yule Lads live. The Yule Lads reply to all letters and cards if the sender’s address is provided.
Jóna Matthíasdóttir, the Yule Lads’ assistant, told Morgunbladid that she expects even more cards to arrive until after New Year’s Eve, as has been the case in previous years. The record was almost 400 letters and cards a few years ago.
The vast majority of the letters and cards are sent from abroad, mostly from the UK, but also Germany, France and Russia. Not many letters arrive from the Nordic countries.
Matthíasdóttir said the Yule Lads are variously efficient in writing back as not all of them can read and write and they cannot expect much help from their ogre parents, Grýla and Leppalúdi.
Candle Beggar and Stubby are the most enthusiastic, she stated, but all of the Yule Lads can seek assistance from and use the facilities at Mývatnsstofa if they like.
“Sometimes a treat comes with the Christmas mail such as candy, drawings and pacifiers which children are delivering back to Santa. The Yule Lads are happy about the letters and treats; Christmas is a joyous time around here. They also love it when their greetings are returned with a follow-up letter,” Matthíasdóttir said.
The Icelandic Yule Lads are in competition with their Nordic neighbors as to where Santa’s true habitat lies. The Dimmuborgir Yule Lads have visited the Santa who lives in Rovaniemi in Lapland in northern Finland to familiarize themselves with the place.
Click here to read more about Christmas mail and here to read more about the Yule Lads.
