Christmas today is seen almost exdusively as a time for merriment and to gather with our loved ones to exchange gifts and enjoy food. Of course, the various traditions associated with the festival vary all over the world. In recent years, attention has been drawn to some of the 'dark' folkloric figures and customs associated with the Yuletide season, the most notable of these being Krampus, the 'Christmas devil' of Alpine folklore. But Krampus is not the only frightening figure to haunt naughty children on cold winter nights. European Christmas folklore is particularly rich and there are a slew of unique creatures and fascinating customs associated with the festive period. Come with us now on a global tour of some of the lesser-known holiday folk tales…
“KRAMPUS IS NOT THE ONLY FRIGHTENING FIGURE TO HAUNT NAUGHTY CHILDREN ON COLD WINTER NIGHTS”
GREECE: Kallikanczaroi
We begin in Greece, the home of Ancient myth and magic. It is also the home of a fearsome race of creatures known as the Kallikantzaroi, who are said to cause havoc on the Earth during the dodekaimero, the 12 days between Christmas Eve and Epiphany, 6 January. “The simplest way to describe them is as 'angry goblins',” explains Paul Hawkins, the author of . “The story goes that they spend the year living underground trying to saw through the Tree
