The odd side of a European Christmas: Krampus, witches and Yule Lads

The odd side of a European Christmas: Krampus, witches and Yule Lads

By December, Europe has already made up its mind. The songs are in the shops, the markets are up in every square and somebody on your street has had their decorations on since November. Alongside the familiar cheer sits another layer of Christmas: the strange, dark, occasionally scatological stories that have survived centuries of retelling. Some began as pagan customs, others arrived in the Baroque era, and all of them are still performed by ordinary families who see nothing odd about any of it.

Here are some of the best, from the Alps to Iceland to Ukraine.

Krampus, the companion you would rather not meet

You have never seen Christmas look this frightening. In Austria, on 5 December, the eve of Saint Nicholas’s Day, around a thousand people dress as Krampus, a furry, devil-like creature with a reputation for kidnapping children, and take part in the Klagenfurt Run.

Since the seventeenth century, Krampus has been imagined as Saint Nicholas’s terrifying companion in Alpine folklore. During the Christmas season he punishes children who have misbehaved, whipping them with branches. If you had been really bad, he would snatch you up in a wicker basket and carry you to the underworld.

Where the figure came from is not clear. One theory traces him to pre-Christian traditions; Maurice Bruce described Krampus as connected to the Horned God of the Witches. Another suggests he is the son of Hel in Norse mythology, though he also shares features with the satyrs and fauns of Greek myth. What is certain is that the run is loud, sooty and not for small children who have not been warned.

Schmutzli, the Swiss version

In Switzerland the companion is called Schmutzli, and he is generally less terrifying than his Austrian cousin. According to a curator of religious folklore in Lucerne, “Schmutzli means an ugly character with a concealed face, and this figure appeared with a black face, red eyes and a black cap.” The fifth of December is celebrated differently here. In some places, Santa and a milder Schmutzli walk through the snow with a donkey and bring gifts: oranges, gingerbread and chocolate.

Source: newlyswissed.

Basel takes it further. There you can see Santas and a Schmutzli cross the Rhine by boat, and Santas making their way around the city on Harley Davidson motorbikes, handing out presents to children. The bike parade takes place on 8 December; the official details are here. It is called Niggi Naggi, and it is as good a reason as any to be in the city in early December.

The thirteen Yule Lads of Iceland

Iceland does not do one Santa. Children there are visited by thirteen mischievous Yule Lads, who have had a reputation for harassing people and kidnapping since the sixteenth century. They are said to be the sons of Grýla, a figure who eats naughty children, and their escapades were accompanied by the Yule Cat. The cat targeted lazy or naughty children and ate those who had not received new clothes, since only hardworking children were given new clothes. (Source: Inspired by Iceland.)

These days the Yule Lads are far less alarming. They visit in the run-up to Christmas, leaving sweets and gifts. At worst, a naughty child gets a potato.

Catalonia’s Caganer, and the log that delivers

The Caganer is a small figurine that appears in nativity scenes in Catalonia, Spain, and he stands out for an obvious reason: he appears to be defecating. The figure is believed to have entered nativity scenes in the late seventeenth or early eighteenth century, during the Baroque period. He is usually a peasant, tucked into a corner so that he is nowhere near the manger. Modern Caganers take many forms, including politicians, famous sportspeople and even Queen Elizabeth. Nobody is entirely sure why the figure was created, but he is certainly here to stay.

Photo: Valerie Hinojoso via Flickr.

The same region has the Caga tió, or Tió de Nadal: a log with four legs and a smiling face. Families place it at home with its rear end towards the fireplace, if they have one. Through December the log is cared for and “fed”, and on Christmas Day the children hit it with a stick and order it, in song, to produce gifts.

Spider webs in Ukraine

In Ukraine, many people decorate the Christmas tree with artificial spider webs and sometimes hide a fake spider in the branches. The custom comes from the legend of a poor widow who was granted good fortune by spiders at Christmas. She and her children were too poor to decorate their tree, but while they slept a spider spun a web around the branches. In the morning, when the sunlight caught it, the web turned to gold and silver.

Norwegian brooms, hidden for a reason

Norwegian folklore holds that Christmas Eve is the night witches come looking for a good broom to ride. They cannot walk on the ground, or so the story goes, and must steal a broom in order to fly. For that reason, every broom in the house is hidden. Men might also go outside and fire guns into the air to frighten the witches away.

Poor witches, and silly muggles, as I think to myself. But the habit of hiding the broom before bed on Christmas Eve is a small, practical piece of folklore that has outlived the belief behind it, which is how most traditions survive.

Why these stories last

What I like about this collection is that none of it is manufactured for tourists. The Krampus run is a local event with a thousand participants. The Caganer is sold in Christmas markets alongside the usual figurines. The Yule Lads appear on television. These are living customs, odd enough to make a visitor stare and ordinary enough that nobody in the room thinks twice.

If you know of another strange Christmas tale, from anywhere in Europe, tell me in the comments. I am collecting them. And if you are planning a trip around the season, this guide to Christmas markets in Europe is a good place to start.