Crawling elves

Did you know that the charming little cardboard paper climbing elves that peek out from bookshelves and framed pictures in Danish homes every December are a thoroughly Danish invention? Many of our beloved Christmas traditions have roots abroad — for example the Christmas tree and the Advent wreath from Germany, mulled wine (gløgg) from Sweden, and the modern Santa Claus from Turkey. But two special traditions are deeply rooted in Danish soil: the Christmas seal and the use of climbing nisser as Christmas decorations.

We need to rewind to 1947 to find the introduction of the climbing elf in Denmark. It was the acclaimed illustrator Frederik Bramming who created the very first sheets, which quickly became a tremendous success. He and a number of other talented illustrators and artists produced countless climbing-elf designs over the years. So when you spot a climbing elf peeking cheekily from a bookshelf or balancing on a picture frame today, you can spare a friendly thought for Bramming for having started this wonderful Christmas tradition.

Although cardboard nisser were not entirely new when Bramming drew his first toothless climbing elves, the breakthrough was the ingenious little balance tab. That tab made it possible for the climbing elves to "climb" and sit without having to lean on anything else. Suddenly they could sit in potted plants, balance on top of a stack of books, and spread Christmas cheer everywhere.

When the first print run of climbing elves — a full 80,000 sheets — flew off the shelves, the success was undeniable. In the years that followed, several publishers and artists began creating their own climbing-elf designs for sale. The golden age of the climbing elf was the 1950s and 60s, when you could easily buy them in bookstores across the country. If you were a child in the 1980s, you might remember that climbing elves often came with weekly magazines, making them available to even more people.

Today the climbing elves have crept far beyond Denmark’s borders, and the popularity of these little climbing mood-lifters has grown far more than Frederik Bramming could ever have imagined when he drew the first lines in 1947. They have become a global ambassador for Danish Christmas coziness!

At Juleeventyr.com you’ll find a wide selection of climbing elves, both in Bramming’s traditional design with long elf hats and loose pantaloons, as well as other well-known designs by illustrators like Vilhelm Hansen. You can easily buy your climbing elves online from us and start your own tradition. When you buy a sheet of climbing elves, you don’t just get a charming new Christmas decoration. You also get a cozy activity the whole family can enjoy together. All you need is age-appropriate scissors and maybe some Christmas music on Spotify, and you’re ready to cut out your climbing elves and give them life around the home. It’s a perfect way to create Christmas coziness for children and adults.