From Krampus to Yule Lads, you won’t look at Christmas the same after this. Christmas isn’t all sugar plums and sleighs full of toys. Consider this: Someone who sees you when you’re sleeping (and knows when you’re awake), leaving lumps of coal in your socks, offering milk and cookies to someone who breaks into your house (through the chimney, no less), and telling tales of Christmas ghosts. Then, there’s that creepy tattletale Elf on a Shelf. But that’s not even the half of it.

While some of these tales have links to Christianity, they take a definite tailspin to the darker end of the spectrum. Whether you’re naughty or nice, we’ve discovered that Christmas has a serious dark side. Let’s set aside that warm and cozy fireside scene and take a look at the horrifying side of Christmas.

Krampus

Supposedly, jolly old St. Nick had some rather seedy friends. One of which was a character by the name of Krampus. This dude is the reason for the lyrics: “You better not pout; I’m telling you why.” With origins in Austria and Germany, Krampus dates to the 12th century. This part goat/part demon had gigantic horns, a long tongue, a furry body, and broken chains around his feet. The German word "krampen" means “claw.”

Krampus and Santa have kind of a good cop/bad cop sort of deal. A few weeks before Christmas, Santa sends Krampus around to get these naughty children. Now, Krampus might simply threaten them (the sight of him alone could terrify a child into good behavior) and beat them with a bundle of birch sticks. For the really bad kids, though … well, they get dragged to Hell.

Krampus even has his own holiday of sorts. Krampusnacht is typically held on December 5. This is when Krampus traditionally visits the naughty children. Cities around the globe still hold festivities on this day (though the dragging to Hell has been done away with).

Yule Lads

As the story goes, Yule Lads appears in the 13 days leading up to Christmas. They exist for the purpose of making the lives of children more difficult. These 13 creatures, descended from monsters, each have a unique personality and way of creating havoc—including removing lights from bedrooms (leaving the child in total darkness), slamming doors, or stealing milk, sausages, meat, and livestock. All of that may seem harmless; however, the Yule Lads also had a ferocious cat who followed them around. This cat did not care for milk, mice, tuna, or treats. It only ate children (regardless of whether they had been naughty or nice).

Some stories say these lads were from another dimension or were fallen angels. Deriving from Iceland, the government actually banned parents from telling the story. The Yule Lads have gotten a better reputation in modern times. Children now leave shoes out for them, and they present the good children with toys and candy while the bad children get a raw potato in their shoes. Apparently, St. Nick has had a positive effect on the Lads.

Pagan Festival of Yule

With origins in northern Europe, the Pagan Festival of Yule is a Pagan and Wiccan celebration of the winter solstice. It was originally celebrated around the Winter Solstice (December 21). The trunk of a hearty oak tree, known as the Yule log, would be brought inside and placed in the fire. It would keep the house warm all the way through these 12 days of Christmas.

The Festival of Yule takes place during the 12 days after Christmas (December 25 leading up to the evening of January 5, also known as 12th Night). This is the Eve of the Epiphany. The Epiphany is January 6 and is the beginning of Carnival season, which ends with Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday when the season of Lent begins. Epiphany (also called the Feast of the Three Kings or King’s Day) is the day the three kings/wise men visited Jesus in Bethlehem.

While the Festival of Yule has links to Christianity, its roots are in Pagan customs. When the Christian church tried to combat Pagan beliefs with the celebration of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, Pagan events were changed to coincide with these Christian events and the Twelfth Night festival was created. Christians see the 12th night as a finishing off of the Christmas season. Pagans see it as a time of worship to the Mother Goddess of nature. For those not in the know, paganism is a non-Christian or pre-Christian religion (something other than the main world religions of Christian, Muslim, or Jewish). It focuses on earth and nature.

One 12th Night tradition is that a cake is made with a bean and a pea baked inside. The man who gets the bean is crowned king, and the woman who gets the pea becomes queen. They each get a special seat and a paper crown. Then the celebrations start. Some Christian families still bake a 12th-night cake as a tradition.