8 Legendary Monsters of Christmas

The traditions of the holiday season, encompassing St. Nicholas Day, New Year’s Day, and Epiphany, as well as Christmas, often blend ancient pagan practices that have been repurposed for modern celebrations. Many customs aimed at encouraging children to behave well in order to earn their Christmas gifts also carry a darker undertone: the threat of punishment from a fearsome creature if they misbehave. Here are eight such infamous figures.

1. Krampus

While Santa motivates children to behave with rewards, Krampus serves as the punishment. This anti-Santa figure resembles either a devil or a wild Alpine creature, depending on the region and the materials used for costumes. Celebrated on December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day, Krampus Night sees these creatures roaming the streets in Austria and other European countries, seeking mischief-makers to scare. The tradition has gained popularity in recent years, with many American cities now hosting their own Krampus Nights.

2. Jólakötturinn

Jólakötturinn, the Icelandic Yule Cat or Christmas Cat, is far from friendly—this feline might even devour you. Rooted in an Icelandic tradition, the story goes that those who completed their tasks on time received new clothes for Christmas, while the lazy did not (though this was mostly a warning). Parents used the tale of the Yule Cat to motivate children, claiming Jólakötturinn could identify lazy kids by their lack of new clothing and would punish them. This fear often drove children to complete their chores. A poem about the cat even encourages helping the less fortunate, ensuring they, too, have new clothes for protection. It’s no surprise that Icelanders work more overtime than most Europeans, though the rise of the four-day work week might shift this trend.

3. Frau Perchta

In German and Austrian folklore, Frau Perchta, a witch-like figure, dispenses both rewards and punishments during the 12 days of Christmas, spanning from December 25 to Epiphany on January 6. She is infamous for her brutal retribution against the wicked, such as tearing out their organs and replacing them with trash. During Austrian Christmas celebrations, Perchta’s terrifying visage often appears in processions, similar to Krampus.

Perchta’s origins trace back to an ancient Alpine goddess of nature, who spends most of the year tending to the forest and only interacts with humans during the Christmas season. In contemporary festivities, Perchta or a similar figure often appears in Fastnacht processions, an Alpine festival preceding Lent. Some scholars suggest a possible link between Frau Perchta and the Italian La Befana, though La Befana is more of a kind, albeit unattractive, witch who delivers gifts.

4. Belsnickel

Belsnickel, a figure from southwestern German folklore, made his way to the United States and remains part of Pennsylvania Dutch traditions (fans of The Office will recall Dwight’s portrayal of him). He visits children before Christmas, dressed in ragged clothes and fur, carrying both a switch to scare them and candy to reward good behavior. Nowadays, the switch is used more for noise and as a warning for children to behave before Christmas. Polite children are then given candy. The name Belsnickel combines the German belzen (meaning “to wallop”) and nickel for St. Nicholas.

Knecht Ruprecht and Ru Klaas are comparable figures from German folklore who punish misbehaving children with beatings, while St. Nicholas rewards the well-behaved with gifts.

5. Hans Trapp

Hans Trapp, another anti-Santa figure, delivers punishment to naughty children in France’s Alsace and Lorraine regions. The legend claims Trapp was a real person—a wealthy, wicked man who worshipped Satan and was excommunicated by the Catholic Church. Exiled to the forest, he terrorized children while disguised as a scarecrow with straw protruding from his clothes. Just as he was about to devour a captured boy, he was struck by lightning and killed—a divine punishment. Yet, he still appears before Christmas, dressed as a scarecrow, to frighten children into behaving.

6. Père Fouettard

The French legend of Père Fouettard, meaning “Father Whipper,” tells of a wicked butcher who desired to feast on children. He (or his wife) enticed three boys into his shop, where he murdered, dismembered, and preserved them. St. Nicholas intervened, revived the boys, and took the butcher captive. The butcher became Père Fouettard, St. Nicholas’s servant, tasked with punishing misbehaving children on St. Nicholas Day.

7. The Yule Lads

The Jólasveinar, or Yule Lads, are 13 Icelandic trolls, each with unique names and traits. Originally, they were troublemakers who stole and caused chaos during Christmas, used to frighten children into good behavior, much like the Yule Cat. However, in the 20th century, the influence of the kind Norwegian figure Julenisse (Santa Claus), who brought gifts to well-behaved children, merged with the tradition. Over time, the once-mischievous Jólasveinar transformed into gift-givers, leaving presents in shoes—but only for good children.

8. Grýla

All the Yule Lads are ruled by their mother, Grýla. An ancient Icelandic ogress, she predates the Yule Lads and is known for kidnapping, cooking, and eating disobedient children. By the 17th century, she became linked to Christmas as the mother of the Yule Lads. Legend says Grýla had three husbands and 72 children, whose antics ranged from harmless pranks to deadly deeds. Her chaotic household also includes the Yule Cat. Grýla’s reputation for causing trouble is so notorious that The Onion humorously blamed her for the 2010 Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption.

This list was originally published in 2013 and has been revised for 2022.