#christmas folklore

[emwheezie]

Beware! The Yule Cat is coming!

[vichugos]

I’m soooo late to Krampusnacht but I am also not German so here is Krampus 🙏

[ladyvictoriart]

Hans Trapp is a frightful being said to emerge on Christmas to terrorize misbehaving children. He was once a proud Knight named Hans von Trotha who turned to foul magic and cannibalism. As punishment, God transformed him into a scarecrow and cursed him to eternally wander the Palatinate woods of Southern Germany.

[mask131]

Some non-French Christmas trivia

After going in France for Christmas folklore twice, let's have a final Christmas post that drops some trivia from other countries! Those already versed in European culture won't learn anything new, but there's always someone ready to learn little fun tidbits!

Belgium:

They have a special Christmas beer brewed for the holiday

There is also a special Christmas pastry called the "cougnou" that Child Christ is supposed to place at the foot of kids' beds (at least in the Nivelles region), or that you must eat after returning from Midnight Mass. The cougnou is ofte called "the Jesus bread" or "Christ bread" because this brioche's shape is meant to evoke... baby Jesus wrapped in cloth. So yes, you eat sweet little babies. It seems that it started during the Middle-Ages as a gift given to the local lord and members of the Church, and only started becoming a holiday-gift for regular people (especially children) in the 19th century.

Andenne has a specific cougnou-related tradition. You prepare five specific cougnous of different sizes called the "trairies", each one with its name (Li Prumi, Li Deuzin, Li Trwezin, Li Quatrin, Li Troye) - first, second, third, fourth and fifth from the biggest to the smallest. And then these brioche-breads are won by a card game also called "trairies". Gather around a table, mix the cards and place them in a deck at the center of the table - every player picks a card then turns it over, and whoever has the highest card get to eat a cougnou, starting with the biggest one from the first round all the way to the smallest one.

In Gand, you don't say "Happy New Year!" but "Eentje mee suiker" or "Eentje mee zeem" (a slice with sugar / a slice with honey) based on the traditional food eaten at the time (either a gingerbread slice wrapped in sugar, or dipped in honey).

Germany:

A traditional pastry of Christmas in Germany is... The House of the Witch (Hexenhaus). A house usually made of gingerbread (though I heard it could also be made of almond paste or sponge cake with candied fruits or icing sugar on the roof). Sounds familiar? Yes it is a reference to the fairytale "Hansel and Gretel".

The Christmas Tree is a German invention! Yes indeed. Not just the Christmas tree but also the Advent Calendar! While the Advent Calendar tradition was a 19th century habit that became a commercialized tradition and then spread to other countries, the Christmas Tree habit seems to be a much older Germanic tradition, a sort of inverted May Pole going back as far as the Middle-Ages. But it only truly became the iconic tree we know today by the 19th century and made fashionable by the German royalty and nobility who spread the tradition to other European courts. It is also said that it was the German immigrants who brought the Christmas tree to the USA (the same way it was the Dutch immigrants who brought the Sinterklaas that would become Santa Claus, and the Irish immigrants brought what would become Halloween).

Spain:

In Spain the Christmas log, as in piece of wood (not the cake of the same name), is usually picked up on the 13th of December (Saint Lucy's Day) and then wrapped in a cloth (so it doesn't get cold). It is then beaten up by with sticks by dancing children to get candies. Because the "Tio de Nadal" has been "fed" sweets and candies throughout the month, and when Christmas come you need to force it to... "poop" it out. (In truth the sweets are hidden under the cloth the log is wrapped in). This is why it is also called the "Caga Tio" (the Poop Log). If you have been around Tumblr, you probably saw this comic that connected the Log tradition with another Spanish specificity - in Spanish Nativity scene a character called the "caganer" is usually added, the crapper who was pooing while baby Jesus was born. Some evoke a more noble reason for this character's presence - reminder of the humility and rusticty of the Christ's birth, an ancient symbol of fertilizing the land... But others defend the idea that it was rather a good joke that really made people laugh. Sometimes the caganer is "hidden" in the Nativity scene and the children must try to find it out.

In Spain the big "gift-giving" holiday is not Christmas itself, nor any December holiday (like Saint Lucy or Saint Nicolas). It is rather the Epiphany, when the "Reyes Magos" (Three Wise Men) come to give gifts to children as they gave to baby Jesus. Spain remain one of the rare countries in Europe where Santa Claus did not impose itself and where there is no Father Christmas entity rooted in the culture.

Not Christmas-per-se but on New Years it is a very well-known tradition to eat twelve grapes for the twelve times the clock strikes at the end of the old year. This ensures prosperity for the twelve next months. [Also, apparently Spain has the figure of Home Del Nassos? I am putting a question mark here because I only heard of this entity as part of some French obscure regional folklore, but maybe it is a shared legend - the idea is that there is a supernatural man with as many noses as there are days in the year, The Man of Noses, and he loses one nose every year, so that he can only come out among ordinary people, looking like a regular being, on the last day of the year].

Greece:

In Greece the iconic piece of decoration your ornate for Christmas is not a tree... but a boat. The Karavaki, Christmas boat, reflecting how very focused on the sea and sailing the "land with 6000 islands" is. This tiny wooden boat seems to have started as a "thanks-meal" tradition, with the sailors and fishermen thanking God/the world/the sea for having returned home and survived the sea dangers. Decorated with pretty ribbons and colorful papers, the children then hid in the boat the various sweets and pastries they obtained by going door-to-door singing Christmas carols. The Christmas trees were introduced in the mid 19th century when Germanic princes and royalty took over Greece, but they remained a "wealthy household only" tradition until World War Two and the boat still remained more "common" and "folkloric".

Similarly to how France used to have gift-giving by New Year with a Père Janvier/Bonhomme l'Année, the gifts in Greece are usually exchanged on New Year rather than Christmas, with the gift-giving saint not being Saint Nicolas but Saint Basile, in Greek Saint Vassilios ("Agios Vassilis"). Though, just like saint Nicolas, he is also a protector of children doubling as a patron of sailors. In his honor there is an Epiphany-similar tradition, the "vasilopita", a cake in which a coin is hidden and whoever gets the coin will be lucky for the next year. (This is tied to a legend from how saint Vassilios managed to distribute money and jewels hidden in cakes and sugary breads when the Romans had taken over Greece and pressured people with taxes - I am simplifying here, the real story is more complex)

I won't expand on it because this folk-belief is pretty well known, but of course you can't mention the Greek Christmas and not drop the word "Kallikantzaroi".

[schweizercomics]

Companions of Christmas: ČERT AND ANDĚL

Each year, St. Nicolas gathers two of his littlest companions on December 5th: unlikely best friends Čert and Anděl, who accompany him to the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Slovakia.

While old St. Nick (called "Mikuláš" and "Miklavž" in these countries) usually has to hunt down the mischievous Čert, Anděl can be found patiently waiting in Heaven. When the three are all together, Anděl lowers them to Earth on a golden rope.

The pair delights in each others' company, and in playing their favorite game: trying to convince St. Nick as to whether a child is naughty or nice, with each making giving examples of behavior and making arguments.

The children in these countries usually prepare a song or poem to recite when the trio visits. If they do well, Anděl rewards them with candy; if they haven't, Čert shakes and howls, reminding them that they have all year to prepare for next time to avoid his little tantrum.

[victusinveritas]

[briefbestiary]

Merry Christmas! Among the whimsical collective of Santa Claus's popular image in culture, his sleigh-pulling reindeer are an indispensable fixture.

[thecreaturecodex]

Yule Lad

"Gryla and the Yule Lads" © Marc Potts, accessed on his Threads account here

[It's been a while since I made a new Christmas monster, hasn't it? I woke up this morning with an uncontrollable urge to stat up the Yule Lads. It's December 21st at the time of posting, so look out for Window Peeper!]

Yule Lad CR 4 CN Fey This odd little man has a red cap, a white beard and a look of disheveled mischief about him. His fingernails are claw-like, and the shadows around him cast eerie shapes.

The Yule Lads are a gang of gnomish pranksters, each of them specializing in a particular brand of theft or harassment. They are so named because their habit is to descend upon communities during the winter solstice in order to wreak their mischief. They are the sons of the wicked troll Grýla and the lazy ogre Leppalúði, but themselves are not evil. They once were, and happily abducted children for their mother to eat, but they have mellowed somewhat with the passing of the ages. A household that endures their thefts and torments with good humor may find themselves rewarded with small strange gifts (often those stolen from other households).

There are thirteen prominent Yule Lads who travel together, coming down from the mountains one by one to prey on the same community before leaving in turn after a few weeks of mischief. Each one is named after their preferred targets or habits. They are, in their typical order of operations:

Sheepcote Clod, who harasses sheep and drinks their milk straight from the udder

Gully Gawk, who peeps on milkmaids and steals milk once it has been collected

Stubby, who steals burnt food and dirty pans and has very short legs

Spoon Licker, who licks the stirring spoons between uses to contaminate them

Pot Scraper, who steals leftover food before it can be stored

Bowl Licker, who eats food left out for domestic animals

Door Slammer, who wakes families up in the night with loud banging noises

Skyr Gobbler, who is voracious for skyr, yogurt and other fermented dairy products

Sausage Swiper, who hides in the rafters of smokehouses to steal sausages

Window Peeper, who is a voyeur and general thief

Door Sniffer, who can smell fresh baked bread from miles away

Meat Hook, who uses an ogre hook to steal meat from butchers and pantries alike

Candle Beggar, who steals candles in order to eat them

The Yule Lads prefer not to fight if they can help it. They use their mastery over shadows to teleport in and out of houses to rob and to frighten off anyone who attempts to stop them. If they are met with lethal violence, they will fight back, but typically attempt to flee if they see an opportunity. If one of the Yule Lads is slain, however, his brothers will declare a vendetta against his killer and retaliate in turn. These feuds end with the death of the killer and their associates, or with the killer paying off the Lads with sufficient weregild. Rumors circulate that there have been as many as fifty Yule Lads over the centuries, some of whom were slain and others of whom have grown bored of vexing people and retreated into the wilderness for good.

Yule Lad CR 4 XP 1,200 Variant advanced ogrekin redkind CN Small fey (giant) Init +6; Senses low-light vision, Perception +7 Aura twisted shadows (30 ft., DC 14)

Defense AC 22, touch 17, flat-footed 16 (+1 size, +6 Dex, +5 natural) hp 28 (3d6+18) Fort +7, Ref +10, Will +5 Weakness giant-blood, situational blindness

Offense Speed 30 ft. Melee 2 claws +6 (1d4+5) Spell-like Abilities CL 3rd, concentration +6 At will—dancing lights, darkness, detect thoughts (DC 15), ghost sound (DC 13), lullaby (DC 13) 1/day—grease (DC 14), minor image (DC 15), snare

Statistics Str 20, Dex 22, Con 23, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 17 Base Atk +1; CMB +5; CMD 21 Feats Alertness, Deft Hands Skills Climb +9, Disable Device +11, Escape Artist +12, Intimidate +10, Perception +9, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +14, Stealth +18; Racial Modifiers +4 Intimidate Languages Common, Giant, Sylvan SQ deformities (varies), shadow jump

Ecology Environment cold mountains and urban Organization solitary or family (2-13) Treasure standard (thieves tools, other gear)

Special Abilities Deformities (Ex) Each of the Yule Lads has two deformities, one beneficial and one disadvantageous. These are as follows:

Sheepcote Clod: gnarled hands (claws deal 1d6 damage); stiff back (-4 to grapple and trip combat maneuver checks; can only stand from prone as a full-round action)

Gully Gawk: bulging eye (darkvision 60 ft.); light sensitivity

Stubby: thick feet (+4 CMD vs. bull rush, overrun and trip, +2 AC vs. charge attacks); stunted legs (-10 ft. movement)

Spoon Licker: lanky (+5 ft. reach); fragile (-4 Con)

Pot Scraper: thick skin (+2 natural armor); distractible (when rolls a natural 1 on an ability check, attack roll, saving throw or skill check, confused for 1 round)

Bowl Licker: oversized maw (bite attack dealing 1d4 damage); brittle bones (creatures gain a +4 circumstance bonus to confirm critical hits against him)

Door Slammer: vice grip (+2 to CMB to disarm and grapple, +4 CMD vs. disarm and grapple); obese (-2 Dex)

Skyr Gobbler: quick metabolism (+2 to Fortitude saves), weak mind (-2 to Will saves)

Sausage Swiper: long fingers (Climb speed equal to ½ land speed); offensive odor (-2 Cha, detectable at double range with scent)

Window Peeper: enlarged skull (+2 Int, [3 ranks in Appraise]); deformed hand (only one claw attack, -2 to attack rolls with two-handed weapons)

Doorway Sniffer: snout (scent); trusting (-2 to Will saves vs. mind-influencing effects, -1 initiative)

Meat Hook: oversized limb (can wield Medium weapons without penalty); flaking skin (-1 natural armor, vulnerability to nonlethal damage)

Candle Beggar: grotesque ears (blindsense 10 ft., +4 Perception); massive girth (-4 to Stealth)

Giant-Blood (Ex) Although the Yule Lads are fey creatures, they are the children of giants, and as such are treated as having the giant subtype for the purposes of spells and abilities. Situational Blindness (Su) The Yule Lads have trouble targeting creatures who can’t see them. Any creature that can’t see a Yule Lad (such as by closing its own eyes) gains partial concealment from it. Any creature that covers itself entirely (such as by hiding under a blanket) gains full concealment, even if the creature would not otherwise be considered hidden. Shadow Jump (Su) A Yule Lad can travel between shadows as if using a dimension door spell. The Yule Lad must begin and end its transportation in an area of dim illumination. A Yule Lad can travel up to 40 feet a day in this fashion, and can split this distance up in 10 foot increments if he so chooses. Twisted Shadows (Su) In areas of dim illumination or darker, a Yule Lad’s presence animates the shadows within 30 feet of it into leering or wicked shapes. The first time a creature ends its turn within this aura, it must succeed at a DC 13 Will saving throw or become shaken for 10 minutes. If the creature succeeds at the saving throw, it cannot be affected again by the same Yule Lad’s twisted shadows for 24 hours. This is a fear effect, and the DC is Charisma-based.