Why These Stories Matter in the Dark of WinterWhy These Stories Matter in the Dark of Winter
Morning has come again. I am home now. I have finished the journey and put the sleigh away. The last quiet street is long behind me. Snow rests where it
Month: December 2025
What Santa Thinks of the Yule TrollsWhat Santa Thinks of the Yule Trolls
I have been traveling winter roads for a very long time, long enough to know that not every place welcomes the season in the same way. Some winters are loud,
How Icelandic Children Celebrate with the Yule LadsHow Icelandic Children Celebrate with the Yule Lads
By the time the Yule Lads have finished filling their family’s mountain home, something else has already been happening across Iceland. Shoes have been appearing in windows. Not all at
The Last Four Yule LadsThe Last Four Yule Lads
By the time the ninth lad arrives, their home among the lava fields feels different. Not quieter, exactly. Just used to itself. Boots settle into the same places by the
As the House Fills: The Middle Five Yule LadsAs the House Fills: The Middle Five Yule Lads
By the time the first four Yule Lads have arrived, the household among the lava fields has already changed its rhythm. Boots line the doorway in uneven pairs. Someone is
The First Four Yule LadsThe First Four Yule Lads
On the first night of the Yule season, something changes in the house among the lava fields. It is not loud at first. A door creaks. Boots shake off snow.
Jólakötturinn: The Great Yule Cat of IcelandJólakötturinn: The Great Yule Cat of Iceland
A week ago, when we first met the Yule Troll family, I told you that every household has one mysterious member. Tonight, let us step quietly into the snow outside
Leppalúði: The Quiet Troll FatherLeppalúði: The Quiet Troll Father
If Grýla is the voice of the mountains, then Leppalúði (LEP-pal-LOO-thee) is the hush that settles after the echoes fade. He is the quiet father of the Yule Troll family,
Grýla: Winter Mother of the MountainsGrýla: Winter Mother of the Mountains
When we first met the Yule Troll family, I introduced them as one great noisy household tucked among the lava fields of Iceland. Tonight, let us draw a little closer.
Santa’s Northern NeighborsSanta’s Northern Neighbors
Meet the Yule Troll Family of Iceland Far to the north of the North Pole, past snowy oceans and volcanic mountains, lives a holiday family unlike any other I have