This tradition can be traced back centuries, when people believed in nisser (elves, leprechauns, spirits or mystical entities rarely or never seen directly).
The julenisse is still, however, "celebrated" and he acts as a stand-in for julemanden in early December, to entertain the childish mind, bring small gifts and sometimes plays tricks on the household, kindergarten etc.
The gift-giving nisse that became nissekongen seems to have drawn influences from the American Santa, when American culture began making an impact in Denmark,[6] but rather than outright copying him, local traditions were tweaked, eventually resulting in a Father Christmas-type character with only traces of the original nisse and in some respects indistinguishable from Santa.
[7] In an attempt to attract more than 800,000 tourists, the Tivoli theme park in Copenhagen replaced their julemanden display to that of its Russian counterpart, Father Frost, in 2011.
[8] In Denmark a special postal address is used by Post Danmark for children who want to write to julemanden: Rensdyrvej translates as 'Reindeer Way', while the PO Box number 2412 is a reference to 24 December.