Julenissen means “the Christmas nisse”. Nisser (the plural of nisse) are supernatural gnomes, elves, or sprite-like creatures. However, Santa Claus originally had nothing to do with these beings. 

One explanation could be that many believe that the word nisse is a version of the name Nils – the Nordic form of Nicholas. Saint Nichols is the saint on which most Santa Claus folklore is based. 

According to legend, Saint Nicholas was a very generous bishop who was keen to help the poor. In the Middle Ages, it became customary to give each other small gifts on Nikolaus’ feast day on December 6th. 

Norway’s version of Santa Claus falls in line with similar portrayals, wherein he’s an elderly man dressed in red who carries a sack on his back. 

Santa Claus’s history in Norway has become intertwined with elves despite there being no original link. 

They both rose to prominence at a similar time. Nisser became associated with Norway during the national romanticism period of the 1800s and started to appear on Christmas cards. 

This was around the same time as Santa Claus rose to prominence in Norway. 

Due to the similar names and becoming popular in folklore at the same time, many came to see Julenissen as the boss elf surrounded by smaller helpful nisser. 

On Christmas, many leave out a bowl of porridge for the nisser at Christmas. However, this tradition isn’t to aid Santa but to ensure they are well fed and don’t cast any ill-fortune on the household for the coming year.