While Thomas and I were downtown, we stopped at a department store called NK. Inside, kids were lined up to sit on Santa’s lap, except that it wasn’t Santa. In Sweden, Tomte comes to visit. His suite was a little different (seen in entry photo) and the parents didn’t have to pay for a photograph.

• More shopping downtown photos

I did some reading up on Tomte: (paraphrased)

For centuries, it was tradition to set out a bowl of porridge for Tomte, the Christmas gnome, on Christmas Eve. Tomte would decide the family’s fortunes for the coming year. In the 1880s, Swedish artist Jenny Nystrom drew jultomten as a white-bearded gnome in a red cone cap.

Jultomten impersonators hand out presents, or julklapp — “Christmas knocks.” The name comes from an ancient gift-giving tradition where the gift-giver would creep to a friend’s door, knock hard, open the door and throw the present inside the house — then run.

The recipient would have to figure out the identity of the giver by deciphering a little verse written on the wrapping. Some Swedes still spend hours writing clever rhymes to attach to each gift, suggesting its contents, or teasing the recipient.

Tomorrow, we’ll be delivering gifts early in the morning julklapp-style to Thomas’ family’s friends. Tomte will visit our house while we’re gone, and we’ll open presents after dinner.