Handmade gnomes at a Christmas market Dec. 16, 2025

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.

© Veronika Seppanen/Shutterstock

palette

Today in History

Let there be lights!
Dec. 16, 2023Guild houses of Grand-Place, Brussels, Belgium
Dec. 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun. 3, 2025World Bicycle Day
Nov. 9, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
From victory to festivity
An ocean of stars above the desert
Jun 16, 2026World Sea Turtle Day
Meet for lunch?
Dec. 21, 2025Winter solstice
Jul 5, 2026Lavender rows, Plateau de Valensole, Provence, France
Dec. 19, 2024Sibiu Christmas Market, Romania
May 15, 2026Endangered Species Day
Apr. 21, 2024Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
Dec. 26, 2024Boxing Day
Happy Canada Day!
Nov. 25, 2025Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Feb. 14, 2026Happy Valentines Day!
Dec. 30, 2025Whooper swans, Kotoku Pond, Japan
Celebrating the tropics
Jan. 15, 2024Northern Lights
Apr. 12, 2024Arches National Park, Utah, USA
Jun. 17, 2025Maritime forest in Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia, United States
Whats blooming so brightly?
The sea that acts like a lake
Nov. 21, 2025World Hello Day
Sep. 2, 2023Allens Hummingbird
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Dec. 4, 2023Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
An experiment in sustainability
Sep. 21, 2025Sea Otter Awareness Week
A sea of humanity
Hot enough to howl