The Yule Lads, Iceland's 13 Bad Santas

Today, December 12th, is a very special day for children in Iceland. It marks the arrival of Stekkjarstaur, the first of "The Yule Lads," Iceland's 13 mischievous, misbehaving Santa Clauses. One Yule Lad arrives each night from now until "Yule," aka Christmas Day. According to tradition, The Yule Lads are the unruly sons of the mountain-dwelling troll Grýla and her henpecked elf husband Leppalúði. They're a far cry from jolly old St. Nick, but a lot more fun. For example, Stekkjarstaur, whose English name is Sheep-Cote Clod, loves to irritate sheep but has trouble because of his awkward peg legs. He is often depicted attempting to mount a sheep, which I suspect is a tongue-in-cheek joke for the adults! He is a particularly fitting first arrival in Iceland where sheep outnumber people.

The story of The Yule Lads was originally developed to scare children into behaving. The 13 ne'er-do-wells are always looking for something to steal and even have an evil cat named Jólaköttur, who eats children who don't receive new clothes for Christmas. Tonight's visitor Sheep-Cote Clod will be followed tomorrow by Gully Gawk, who steals cow's milk, Stubby, a very short Lad who steals pans to eat the crust, then Spoon Licker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Door Slammer, Skyr Gobbler (Skyr being a very tasty Icelandic version of yogurt), Sausage Swiper, Window Peeper, Doorway Sniffer, who is trying to find laufabraud, a special fried holiday bread, to steal, and finally Meat Hook and Candle Stealer, who traditionally thieves tallow candles made of lard and eats them.

Every night, the wee ones will put out a shoe in their windowsill and hope that they have been good and will receive a present in the morning. If they've been bad, they will probably wake up to find a potato. Children are encouraged to place an appropriate bribe in the shoe for each Yule Lad to have a better chance, and there are plenty of publications suggesting the best treat for each one, such as a carrot or some cookies. Candle Stealer, naturally, responds best to a delicious candle.

Window Peeper, the voyeuristic Yule Lad

Sausage Swiper

Skyr Gobbler and Window Peeper depicted on Icelandic milk carton

Chicago Joe and Boxcar Willemina, the Hobo Kittens

Two disheveled and dehydrated kittens were recently discovered stowed away after a five day train ride from Chicago, Illinois to Edmonton, Canada.  Dubbed Chicago Joe and Boxcar Willemina by their rescuers, the origin of the traveling kittens is unknown.  Needless to say, they did not have tickets or passports.  It's anyone's guess why these adorable hobos were trying to hop the border.

Kittens Survive 5-Day Train Ride from Chicago to Canada

Today's Wackadoodle - Mayor Stubbs

A yellow tabby cat who also happens to be the Mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, is recovering today after a brutal attack.  An as yet unidentified local dog ambushed and mauled the long-time Mayor Saturday while he was making his nightly rounds of the town.  Mayor Stubbs suffered serious injuries and had to be placed on a breathing tube.

The brave cat has been successfully governing the town of 800 humans for nearly 16 years.  He was first elected as a write-in candidate when he was only a kitten and has continually proven himself more capable than any available humans.  Under his rule, the tourist town has thrived as a base for expeditions to Mt. McKinley.  Despite Stubb's quirks, such as his insistence on drinking his catnip and water mixture out of a wine glass, the Mayor is considered an effective leader and a positive representative of Talkeetna.

Even though Mayor Stubbs has always enjoyed strong support among the voters, the town is also home to over 800 dogs.  After 16 years living under feline rule, slowly simmering tensions in the canine community may finally be coming to a head.  This weekend's assassination attempt has come as a shock to the townsfolk, who previously believed that the dogs in Talkeetna all respected the Mayor's authority.    

Our thoughts are with Mayor Stubbs as he continues to recover.

Stubbs the cat, Alaska town mayor, mauled by dog