5 Christmas Traditions That Are Actually Terrifying

The Yule Lads — Thirteen Trolls Who Ruin Your Christmas

Iceland doesn’t have one Santa. It has thirteen. They’re called the Yule Lads, and they’re not jolly—they’re trolls who spend the thirteen days before Christmas causing chaos. Each one has a name and a specific crime: Sheep-Cote Clod harasses sheep. Gully Gawk steals milk. Stubby steals pans and eats crusts. Spoon-Licker licks spoons. Pot-Scraper scrapes pots and steals leftovers. Window-Peeper peeks through windows. Doorway-Sniffer sniffs for food. And Meat-Hook hangs on doorways to snatch meat. They’re also the sons of two trolls named Grýla and Leppalúði. Grýla is a giant ogress who boils children alive. The Yule Lads are still celebrated in Iceland with children putting shoes on windowsills for small gifts. The terror is part of the fun.