In this Saturday, Nov. 24, 2001, file photo, Saint Nicholas, right, and his companion Krampus participate in a parade in St. Johann in the Austrian province of Tyrol. Austria ...

The Yule Lads, their parents and their cat Origin: Iceland The Yule Lads are 13 mischievous boys, each with a distinct name and description, who cause mayhem in the 13 days leading up to Christmas.

The Yule Lads, their parents and their cat Origin: Iceland The Yule Lads are 13 mischievous boys, each with a distinct name and description, who cause mayhem in the 13 days leading up to Christmas.

The Yule Cat isn't the only sinister character that comes around Christmas. Another European folklore character is Krampus, an anti-Santa demon that kidnaps and punishes naughty kids, according to ...

Krampus “helps balance the Mariah Carey and the Hallmark Channel,” says Jason Swarr. “It gives us a little bit of that spooky, that fun, that mysterious, that dark side of things.

Ransom will lead the Mari Lwyd group in this year’s Krewe of Krampus parade, in which a procession of frightening figures hit the streets of Bywater on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The Icelandic folk monster, Jólakötturinn, which translates to Yule Cat, stalks the hillsides of towns looking for children to eat. But only those who aren't wearing their new Christmas clothes.

The Icelandic folk monster, Jólakötturinn, which translates to Yule Cat, stalks the hillsides of towns looking for children to eat. But only those who aren't wearing their new Christmas clothes.

The Icelandic folk monster, Jólakötturinn, which translates to Yule Cat, stalks the hillsides of towns looking for children to eat. But only those who aren't wearing their new Christmas clothes.