They"ve got long beards, red hats and a knack for stealing a tad bit 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:
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The envy of postcards and snow globes
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Polar bear, Churchill, Manitoba
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Colourful bathing huts on the beach in Skåne County, Sweden
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Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
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Pinnacles National Park, California, United States
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Dusky eagle-owls, Pakistan
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Ribblehead Viaduct, North Yorkshire, England
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Happy Diwali!
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Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles, Bavaria, Germany
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Celebrating art in the city
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International Tea Day
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SantaPark, Lapland, Finland
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World Water Day
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Polar Bear Week
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International Sloth Day
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Winter solstice
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Notre-Dame reopens
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Barracudas at Shark Reef, Ras Mohammed National Park, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt
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Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
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Go fly a kite!
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Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, United States
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Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, United States
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Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
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Postcard from the Canadian Rockies
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El Capitan in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas, USA
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International Trails Day
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Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy
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‘A sustainable and peaceful common future’
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Peña Roya beech forest, Moncayo Natural Park, Aragon, Spain
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Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

