Christmas is a lot of things for people: spending time with family, an awkward Christmas dinner, the return of Mariah Carey, and PRESENTS!
Oh yeah, and Santa Claus.
Who doesn’t love the idea of a chubby man sliding down their chimney to give them presents.
I sure don’t.
There are mixed opinions on where Christmas originated, from the birth of Jesus or an early pagan holiday, but one thing is always the same: a mystical gift-giver.
All cultures have their own version of Santa Claus aometimes this is a completely different person entirely. To start this off, I’ll tell you about the old fat man we all know and love, Santa Claus.
Actually, I don’t need to introduce him, we already know him.
Santa Claus has many variations such as Black Santa, Olentzero (Basque), Ded Moroz (Russian), Father Christmas, Befana (Italian), and Saint Nicholas who all essentially all do the same thing. Gift giving.
Saint Nicholas (who was a real early Christian bishop known for his generosity and kindness. He is the patron saint of children, sailors, students, brewer, and toymakers).
Now let’s get into the folklore!
Befana is an Italian witchlike folklore old lady. On Epiphany Eve, the fifth of January, she delivers gifts to children throughout all of Italy.
Krampus Krampus Krampus, the son of Hel, not to be confused with the place but the Norse God of the Underworld. The word Krampus is the German word for claw because he has claws (duh).
Krampus is the peak illustration of what I think the devil would look like. He carries a basket on his back, this basket is where he puts evil children to ship them off hell, drown them, or eat them.
…Coal isn’t looking so bad anymore…
The Yule Lads are an Icelandic mischievous bunch of pranksters whose sole purpose is to harass the public. The number 13 represents the number of them and each year they show up 13 days before Christmas day.
Their names represent their favorite way of stealing and harassing:
Þvörusleikir (Spoon-licker) shows up on 15th December and you can already guess what he does. He steals specifically long wooden spoons and licks them.
Hurðaskellir (Door-Slammer) shows up on the 18th of December. He is a mothers worst nightmare. The phrase “Stop runnin’ in and out of my house!” fears him.
Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage-Swiper)… Don’t laugh. On the 20th of December he hides in the people’s rafters to steal sausages.
These legends are chaos, but in a charming way. They aren’t same and have their own charm.
What’s your favorite Christtmas legend?