Tomtegubbar Invasion

Lucia in a sea of Tomtegubbar at the Gamla Stan Julmarknad

Tomte outside a restaurant in Gamla Stan

Tomtegubbar is plural for tomte. The tomte is an elf who secretly lives in the Swedish house or farmyard, protecting animals and children, and bringing good luck to the family. But tomtegubbar are easily offended and will make mischief if they're displeased. To keep their tomte happy, Swedes should leave a bowl of porridge out for the him on Christmas night. The tomte is the guy who brings the Christmas gifts, so don't forget the porridge!

Looks like the Swedes love their tomtegubbar. Stockholm is full of them this December. They're everywhere!

The tiniest tomtegubbar we found in Stockholm

According to Wikipedia, "a tomte is no taller than three feet, and has a long white beard and colorful clothes.” We did see some three-foot tall tomtes, but most were smaller. The smallest were a shade over 1/4 inch tall. I bought some of these cute mini-tomtes to take home for friends. 

The majority of tomtegubbar are dressed in red, but you can find them outfitted in every color here, some with polka dots, stripes, or other patterns on their caps. A stall at the fantastic Skansen Julmarknad (Christmas market) offered the little elves in pastel outfits.

 Tomtegubbar in a variety of colored caps at the Skansen Julmarknad

The tomte is a popular decoration in Swedish store displays at this time of year. A lot of them have their pointed caps pulled down tight over their eyes. Probably because tomtegubbar are very shy and uncomfortable with all the shoppers looking at them...

A variety of  Tomtegubbar decorate store windows in Stockholm

Marzipan Tomtegubbar!

Tomtegubbar appear on greeting cards, dishes, tea towels, and in many other forms for sale at Christmastime. I bought a bag of tiny marzipan tomtes for a hefty price, in an elegant candy store near the Kungsträdgården (King's Garden, a park in central Stockholm). A unique Swedish Christmas treat to take to the friends back home.

Can you tell that I find tomtegubbar hard to resist? In addition to the mini-tomtes and marzipan tomtegubbar, I bought a really cute little red-capped tomte in a shop in Gamla Stan. He's about an inch tall, made of ceramic. This tomte is moving from Sweden to Coopersburg with us. The best possible souvenir of our trip to Stockholm: our own household tomte, to keep us safe and lucky.