Creepy and bizarre Christmas customs around the world.

1. Krampus (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, northern Italy)

Austrians believe that on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus delivers gifts to good children, while naughty children are the "job" of the demon Krampus. Krampus is a terrifying demon, half-human and half-goat, with a large body, cloven hooves like a goat, long horns, and a bright red tongue sticking out.

This demon uses a whip to punish disobedient children, even putting them in sacks. In Austria, there is a festival called Krampusnacht dedicated to this character. At the festival, men dress up as Krampus by wearing a terrifying wooden mask and goat horns and scaring children. Krampus has become a distinctive Christmas cultural feature of Central Europe, especially the Alpine regions.

2. Perchta (Austria, Bavaria)

Perchta was a witch whose "job" was to punish naughty children by slitting their stomachs open and stuffing them with straw. This tradition is similar to the belief that Santa Claus throws coals into the houses of naughty children, but far more horrifying.

3. Mari Lwyd's horse skull (Wales)

A rather macabre custom in Wales during Christmas is called Mari Lwyd – people parade through the streets carrying a horse skull and singing traditional songs. Locals believe this tradition helps ward off evil spirits as the new year approaches.

4. Grýla and the Yule Cat (Iceland)

In Icelandic culture, there is a malevolent goblin named Grýla who preys on children. This goblin has 13 children called Yule Lads, or mischievous goblins. According to legend, 13 days before Christmas, these Yule Lads appear and harass families. Many places also believe that the Yule Lads kidnap and eat children during the holiday.

Another monster that terrified Icelandic children on Christmas Eve was Jólakötturinn, or the Yule Cat, Gryla's "pet." This cat was described as incredibly bloodthirsty and vicious, roaming around to devour children who didn't have new clothes for Christmas.

5. Hans Trapp (Alsace-Lorraine, France)

Hans Trapp is a character in the Christmas folklore of the Alsace and Lorraine regions of France. Legend says that Trapp was a wealthy, greedy, and wicked man who worshipped Satan and was expelled from the Catholic Church. He was banished to the forest, disguised as a scarecrow wrapped in clothes, to hunt children. He would appear in December before Christmas, threatening naughty children and giving gifts to good ones.

6. Kallikantzari, the Underground Demon (Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Türkiye)

In Greece, it was believed that Kallikantzaroi demons lived underground and would appear 12 days before Christmas to cause trouble for the household. Children born during this time were thought to be susceptible to becoming Kallikantzaroi.

The Greeks also believed that a devil's tree existed underground, which the Kallikantzaroi used to drag people down to their world; therefore, before Christmas Eve, families would hang pig's teeth in their chimneys to prevent the devil from entering their homes.

7. Father Fouettard (France, Belgium, Switzerland)

French legend tells of Father Fouettard, a cruel butcher who craved the flesh of children. He or his wife lured three boys into their butcher shop to kill them, dismember them, and marinate them. Saint Nicholas arrived to rescue them, resurrected the boys, and gained custody of the butcher's children. The imprisoned butcher became Father Fouettard, a servant of Saint Nicholas, tasked with administering punishment to naughty children on St. Nicholas Day.

Huong Thao