On December 24, Kertasníkir the candle stealer comes to town to eat your candles. He is the last of the thirteen mischievous Icelandic Yule Lads, who are the sons of the children-eating giantess Gryla and her lazy but good-natured husband Leppaludi. They come one by one on the thirteen days leading up to Christmas. Each one is named after the prank he plays on people. Originally Gryla sent them out to steal naughty children for her cauldron, but stealing made them feel remorseful. So they became friends with children, and started leaving small gifts in the shoes they had placed on their windowsills. Presents for the well behaved, and potatoes for the naughty – much better than ending up in a cauldron! Even though today candles are no longer made from edible tallow, you can occasionally find one carrying Kertasníkir’s bite marks.