The Christmas Cat is among the best known Christmas creatures in the Icelandic folklore. It’s a huge animal, immortalised by the hugely popular poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum. As the legend has it, the cat eats those who don’t get new clothes for Christmas. To avoid this horrible fate, you’d better do your chores in order to receive if only new socks before Christmas.
Furthermore, the cat is often believed to be the household pet of equally terrifying creature, the giantess Grýla and her lazy hubby Leppalúði, the parents of the Yule Lads. The Jólasveinar (Yule Lads) is group of nine scoundrels who come from the families’ mountain cave before Christmas, one on every night and just to be general nuisance, play tricks on people and stealing food.
Some Christmas spirit in this family!
