They"ve got long beards, red hats and a knack for stealing a tad of Santa"s thunder every Christmas. Meet the gnome—known as "tomte" in Sweden and "nisse" in Norway—whose traditions vary across regions. Rooted in Scandinavian folklore, these tiny guardians watch over homes and farms, keeping families safe through long, dark winters. But there"s a catch: treat them kindly, or they may play tricks. A warm bowl of porridge on Christmas Eve is their favourite reward. Said to bring luck and laughter, they might even befriend your garden gnomes, since they often resemble them.
Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Keukenhof Gardens, Lisse, Netherlands
-
Koala in the Great Otway National Park, Australia
-
Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
-
World Penguin Day
-
A traboule in Lyon, France
-
Squirrel Appreciation Day
-
National Mushroom Month
-
Karlovy Vary, Bohemia, Czechia
-
Autumnal equinox
-
We can all just get along
-
Welcome to Black History Month
-
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
-
Palace of Westminster, London, England
-
International Roller Coaster Day
-
Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah, United States
-
The mountains are calling
-
The Great Blue Hole, Belize
-
Happy International Zebra Day!
-
World in Progress by artist Saype in Geneva, Switzerland
-
Prehistoric trails
-
World Otter Day
-
Tufa formation on Mono Lake, California, United States
-
World Giraffe Day
-
The Matterhorn reflected in Lake Stellisee, Zermatt, Switzerland
-
Maasai giraffe mother with calf in the Serengeti, Tanzania
-
Avalanche Lake Trail at Adirondack High Peaks, New York, United States
-
Marine Day, Japan
-
Bernina Pass, Graubünden, Switzerland
-
Trullo buildings in Alberobello, Apulia, Italy
-
Shark Awareness Day
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

