Iceland's 13 Yule Lads are mischievous Christmas figures who arrive one per night from December 12, so all 13 are in town by Christmas Eve. Each has one specialty, from licking spoons to slamming doors to swiping sausages. On Saturday, November 28, 2026, Pirates of Tokyo Bay plays them in an improvised performance at metsä Village in Hanno, Saitama.
We are an English and Japanese improv comedy group that has been performing in Tokyo since 2010. Unscripted, unpredictable. Most months that means a pub stage in Ebisu; this winter it means thirteen very specific costumes. Here is who we are trying to become.
Meet the thirteen, one night at a time
Iceland's Yule Lads (Jólasveinar) are 13 brothers who live in a cave with their parents, and each one is named after the single thing he does best. The first comes to town on the night of December 12, the next the night after, and so on until the thirteenth arrives on December 24. Then they leave in the same order, one per day, from December 25 to January 6. Japanese announcements call them 13人のサンタクロース, the 13 Santa Clauses, which is accurate on headcount if not on behavior.
| Arrives | Yule Lad (meaning) | Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| December 12 | Stekkjarstaur (Sheepcote Clod) | Hangs around the sheep pens |
| December 13 | Giljagaur (Gully Gawk) | Lurks in gullies, staring |
| December 14 | Stúfur (Stubby) | Being short |
| December 15 | Þvörusleikir (Spoon Licker) | Licks spoons |
| December 16 | Pottaskefill (Pot Scraper) | Scrapes out pots |
| December 17 | Askasleikir (Bowl Licker) | Licks bowls |
| December 18 | Hurðaskellir (Door Slammer) | Slams doors |
| December 19 | Skyrgámur (Skyr Gobbler) | Gobbles skyr, the Icelandic dairy staple |
| December 20 | Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage Swiper) | Swipes sausages |
| December 21 | Gluggagægir (Window Peeper) | Peeps through windows |
| December 22 | Gáttaþefur (Doorway Sniffer) | Sniffs at doorways |
| December 23 | Ketkrókur (Meat Hook) | Hooks meat |
| December 24 | Kertasníkir (Candle Beggar) | Begs for candles |
The family back in the cave
The Yule Lads' family is tougher than the Lads themselves. Their mother, Grýla, is an ogress who in the folklore cooks and eats children who misbehave. Their father, Leppalúði, is lazy and mostly stays home in the cave. The household also keeps the Yule Cat (Jólakötturinn), which eats anyone who did not receive new clothes before Christmas Eve. We are buying new socks before the show, just in case.
The shoe on the windowsill
Icelandic children put a shoe on the windowsill at night, and the Lads leave a small gift in it. Children who misbehaved get a rotten potato instead. We tried this in the dressing room. Results so far: potato.
From bogeymen to gift-bringers
The Yule Lads began as figures used to frighten children into behaving. Enough so that in 1746 a decree banned using them to scare children. Jón Árnason's 1862 folklore collection was the first to write their names down, and the 1932 poem by Jóhannes úr Kötlum in the book Jólin koma fixed the 13 names and personalities everyone uses today. The modern Lads are friendlier and distinctly Santa-like, usually shown in traditional Icelandic clothing and sometimes in a Santa suit.
As an improv group we could probably do the pre-1746 version too, but nobody has asked, and we would like to be invited back.
Where to meet them in Japan this winter
Iceland Christmas Weekend 2026 at metsä Village in Hanno, Saitama, runs Saturday November 28 and Sunday November 29, 2026, with the cooperation of the Embassy of Iceland, and marks December 1, the day Iceland gained sovereignty in 1918. On the Saturday, Pirates of Tokyo Bay performs twice as the 13 Santas: at 11:30, right after an opening speech by Consul Svanhildur Steinarsdóttir of the Embassy of Iceland, and again at 14:00. Both performances are at metsä Aukio in front of the tree, and both are free to watch.
The performance is improvised, built on the spot around the 13 Lads, with our members in Yule Lad costumes. It is performed in Japanese, which is worth knowing if you are an English speaker planning the trip; it is also physical enough that a licked spoon needs no translation. Costumes are in progress. The spoon licking is going well. The other twelve specialties will be ready on the day, or improvised, which is the same thing in our line of work.
One more thing, because we get asked: nothing is included at metsä except the tree and the thirteen of us. The 1st drink free is an Ebisu thing.
Event details
Event: Iceland Christmas Weekend 2026, Saturday November 28 and Sunday November 29, 2026
Pirates of Tokyo Bay performances: Saturday November 28 only
Start times: 11:30 (after the Consul's opening speech) and 14:00
Place: metsä Aukio, in front of the tree, metsä Village, 327-6 Miyazawa, Hanno, Saitama
Rain plan: moves to Craft Bibliotech, and the second performance starts at 15:00 instead
Entry and viewing: free (some workshop content is paid)
With the cooperation of the Embassy of Iceland
Official pages: event page and press release
The next day, Sunday November 29, is our 16th anniversary show at What the Dickens! in Ebisu, so expect some of the same faces, minus the knitwear, back on the usual stage the following evening.
After the Lads go home, the improv stays in Ebisu
Pirates of Tokyo Bay is Tokyo's longest-running English and Japanese improv comedy group, performing since 2010. Members from Japan and overseas build scenes on the spot from audience suggestions, with no script and no idea what happens next. Physical comedy and gibberish carry the scenes across the language gap, so you do not need to speak both languages; plenty of people in the room only know one, and they laugh at the same moments. If you are weighing it against other nights out, our guide to live comedy in Tokyo lays out the field. The usual hesitations (coming alone, first time, zero Japanese) are answered on the FAQ.
Show details
Venue: What the Dickens!, 4F, a 3-minute walk from Ebisu Station and one stop from Shibuya. The venue guide has the practical details
When: one Sunday evening a month. Doors 19:00, show 19:30
Length: about 2 hours including a 15-minute break
Tickets: ¥2,500 with the 1st drink included. Discount pair ¥4,400 until one week before the show
Google rating: 4.9 from 221+ reviews
FAQ: the Yule Lads
How many Yule Lads are there, and when do they arrive?
There are 13. They arrive one per night from December 12 to December 24, so all 13 are in town by Christmas Eve, and they leave one per day from December 25 to January 6 in the same order they came.
What is the shoe on the windowsill for in Iceland?
Icelandic children leave a shoe there so the Yule Lads can put a small gift in it overnight. In the folklore, children who misbehaved find a rotten potato instead.
Who are Grýla and the Yule Cat?
Grýla is the mother of the Yule Lads, an ogress who in the folklore cooks and eats naughty children. The Yule Cat (Jólakötturinn) eats people who have not received new clothes before Christmas Eve.
Were the Yule Lads always friendly?
No. They were once used to frighten children, and a 1746 decree banned using them that way. Jón Árnason's 1862 folklore collection was the first to name them, and the 1932 poem by Jóhannes úr Kötlum in the book Jólin koma fixed the 13 names and personalities used today. Today they are friendlier and more Santa-like.
Thirteen Yule Lads, zero scripts. See the monthly Ebisu show dates.