Icelandic legend: if you don't get new clothes at Christmas, you will be eaten by a giant cat

[steve2470]

According to a legend in Iceland, if you don’t get new clothes at Christmas, you will be eaten by a giant cat.

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I had to research this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_Christmas_folklore

The Yule Cat is a huge and vicious cat who lurks about the snowy countryside during Christmas time (Yule) and eats people who have not received any new clothes to wear before Christmas Eve.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Yes, there's even a hit song about the Yule Cat.

I had to learn this song in Icelandic for a performance of a choral arrangement. Lots of fun!

[In_The_Wind]

2. And that, my pretties, is why we always get new clothes as presents.

Nice kitty.

[Siwsan]

3. I guess I received Christmas clothes when I lived there since I'm giant Cat gnaw marks free.

[Solly Mack]

4. Just need a huge box to distract a huge kitty.

[PoliticAverse]

5. Clearly invented by parents that give their kids clothes as a Christmas present. n/t

[Bayard]

6. That had to be started by some clothing retailer

And why a cat?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. The cat is the pet of a family of evil trolls.

There are 13 brothers called the Yule Lads who play mean tricks on people, and their mother is the troll-giantess Gryla, who has an appetite for mischievous children, whom she cooks in a huge stew pot.

[Bayard]

9. I thought trolls had to be small enough to fit under a bridge?

Isn't that where they generally live?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. Some are very large, like the Norse giants

called jötnar who live in the mountains, sometimes are called mountain kings.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Alas! Socks and underwear count.

Alas! Socks and underwear count.

Sorry, kids.

[Harker]

10. Okay.

It's never too late to thank my mother for all the plaid shirts.