When American children wait for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, they expect him to arrive alone, without the elves who help him make his Christmas gifts. But in Denmark, children wait for the elves instead!
The Danish gift-bringers are called the nissen, small gray-haired creatures who look much like elves and are supposed to be 4,000 years old. Danish families put out a bowl of porridge for the nissen during their visit.
But in modern times, Julemand, the Danish version of Santa Claus, is becoming more popular. So the nissen have a lot less porridge to eat on Christmas Eve.
