on the butter!
The rest of the year, an elusive nisse might live in your barn, helping with livestock and chores, or stick to his cave in the woods, but come Christmas Eve, he's the Julenisse! He may come on foot or on skis with a sack of gifts on his back, or load a sledge or goat with his pack of parcels, but a happy nisse is a generous nisse. Just remember the porridge (lots of butter!); a jug of beer and a bit of lefse wouldn't go amiss... maybe even a marzipan pear or a dollop of cloudberry cream? This Julenisse is Norwegian, but the folklore reminds me of childhood holidays in Danish tradition - from the style of the painted wooden ornaments and paper hearts on the tree to the serving of rice pudding/porridge on Christmas Eve. Our rice pudding, though, had one almond hidden within. Whoever got the almond was awarded a fat marzipan pig. That person (hint: it was always the youngest grandson) would then slice and serve some to the table, keeping the rest and trying to balance good manners with his own sweet tooth!