Jólakötturinn

This Icelandic Christmas cat dates back to the 19th century. According to the legend, Jólakötturinn is a huge cat that roams the streets around Christmas time, praying on those who don’t wear new clothes. Those unable to buy new clothes for the holidays, the Yule cat eats. Some say the story was created to make people work harder around the holiday period.

Source: emgn.com

Yule lads

In another Icelandic legend, the Yule lads range from being bloodthirsty murderers to mischievous pranksters. Originally there were 13 Yule lads that would travel from the mountains where they live with their mother, Grýla, to the villages to scare unsuspecting victims. They take turns visiting kids 13 days before Christmas. Each Yule lad leaves a small gift for nice kids or a rotten potato for naughty kids.

Source: emgn.com