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According to Folklore, The Nisse is an old supernatural little fellow that was widespread in the Nordic countries before the advent of Christianity. There is mentions all the way back to the Vikings about the Nisse. 

The Nisse is usually described with a red hat and was believed to be a household guardian spirit that was responsible for the care and success of a farm or family. 

 

Initially, The Nisse took an active interest in the farm by performing chores such as grooming horses, carrying bales of hay, and other farm-related tasks. These chores were usually done much more efficiently and effectively than by their human counterparts.  However, Nisses have a temper, to say the least.  If the household was not careful to keep it's Nisse satisfied, usually in the form of a bowl full of rise pudding with butter on the top, the spirit could turn against their masters.

But if you treaded him, the animals and your family good, he would make sure to give you success. 

 

In the 1840s, the farm's Nisse became the bearer of Christmas presents in Scandinavia and therefore called “Julenisse.”  It has been associated with Christmas ever since.
 

The meaning behind the name of Nisse

The word ‘Nisse' is best known as the mischievous Christmas Nisse, however, it is also a personal name. Nisse is a noun formed from the name Nis, a cuddly version of the name Niels. Niels is a Danish development of the Saint named Nicolaus. Saint Nicolaus was a children’s saint and became known as Santa Clause during the 19th century.

 

The Christmas Nisse has many names in many languages.  In Danish, it’s known as "Julenisse", in Swedish; "Jultomte", Norwegian it is "Julenisse", and lastly, in Finnish “Joulupukki.”

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What is the difference between an elf and a Nisse

We have to go back to when the Vikings was roaming the Nordic lands, Back then the Nisse was a little fellow that the Vikings would use to tell them about the future. Usually your future would look good if you have been good to your community. 

When Christianity came up though Europe we started seeing a that "the little people" got divided into two groups. 

1. group stayed in the woods, the was wear green colors and was usually very handy, Elf's and Gnomes. We saw the fairies' get a role of protecting the trees, especially up high, of the forest and keep the magical in the woods. 

2. The Nisse moved into peoples houses and farms. Usually in red and grey colors. There main prepose was to keep an eye on the humans. If there was a spelling mistake in the papers, people would say "the Nisse is playing a trick with us" and people would smile from the joy. 

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The Nisse today

Today the Nisse is a uncoincidentally part of the Scandinavian Christmas traditions. 

As his home have been in hiding for many many years, usually in the actic, he is now a visual part of the family doing the holidays behind his little door. 

I think we can say that every Dane would agree "it would not be Christmas without The Christmas Nisse" 

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Even though The Nisse has changed over the many years, and now traveled overseas to North America, the thought behind the Nisse has remained the same, they are here to remind us to create special memories filled with Joy.​

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Notes; 

A lot of how we live today is coming from the Vikings. our 7 day week is based on the nordic gods - Friday Frejas day