Two Cats With Gifts by the Christmas Tree

About this drawing

Christmas cats with gifts make a sweet picture, but Iceland has a holiday cat that is far less cuddly. Its name is Jólakötturinn, the Yule Cat, and it is one of the strangest characters in Icelandic folklore.

In the legend, it is a huge cat, taller than houses, that prowls the snowy countryside at Christmastime. It peers through windows to see who has received new clothes. Anyone without a new garment risks being eaten, or at least losing their holiday dinner.

The tale had a practical side. On old farms, everyone was encouraged to finish processing the autumn wool before the holidays, and those who did were rewarded with new clothing. The cat was a spooky reminder for kids and workers alike to pitch in.

Icelandic poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum wrote a famous poem about the creature in the twentieth century, and today the Yule Cat even appears in holiday light displays in Reykjavík. Luckily, the kitties on this page just want to open presents and sip something warm. Some Icelandic families still joke with children that they had better get new socks before Christmas, just to keep the giant cat away.

• cats
• christmas
• gifts
• cozy
• pets