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![stekkjastaur_stor[1]](/media//medium/stekkjastaur_stor[1].jpg)
In Iceland we have 13 santas
In Iceland we have no less than 13 Santa Clauses. They live in the mountains but start arriving town tonight, one by one.
The first one to come is Stekkjastaur (Sheep worrier). In the old days he was said to drink milk straight from the sheep but it was very difficult for him since he had wooden legs.
Our Santas used to be big teasers, making pranks on every home by stealing and teasing animals and people. But in time they have become more kind and friendly than before and now they give well behaved children nice presents in their shoe at night. So the first thing all children do when they wake up is to run to the window where they have placed their shoe to see what Santa brought them.
But not all children are as lucky. Those who behave badly get an old potato. So behave!
At this time of the year it is common to read from the poem “The Yuletide Lads” to children. This version being on The Sheep Worrier:
The first of them was Sheep-Cote Clod.
He came stiff as wood,
to prey upon the farmer’s sheep
as far as he could.
He wished to suck the ewes,
but it was no accident
he couldn’t; he had stiff knees
- not to convenient.
The Yuletide Lads by Jóhannes úr Kötlum
The photo and information is taken from the web-site http://www.jolamjolk.is
