Holiday Myths and Stories: Around the Globe
By Rilewa Ayoade
With the holiday season in full swing, people are taking part in traditions all around the world. Depending on where you are, you yourself may be taking part in holiday storytelling and traditions of your own right now. Not every country celebrates this season in the same way, though. Holiday myths, stories, and pastimes vary greatly by continent, and country. How different can these myths, mythological characters, and stories really be, though? Read on to find out!
"a pixie walks down the stairs" by Øyvind Holmstad
Holiday Gnomes - Scandinavia
Nisse, the name for the gnomes in Danish and Norwegian, are also known as Tomte in Swedish, and Tomtenisse, or Tonttu in Finnish. They are Scandinavian holiday gnomes. Depicted similarly to garden gnomes, they sport tall, pointy hats which are a vivid shade of red. Nisse are seen dressed in farmers clothes, usually in faded shades of gray, or navy blue. Due to being gnomes, they are short in stature, and their height is said to range from around 2 feet to a maximum of 3.
In myth, it is said that Nisse secretly live on houses or farms to watch over and protect residents and pets from misfortune, and act as guardians. They also help with chores, and farmwork when applicable. Nisse are said to possess extreme strength, have playful tempers, and to be easily offended. They are said to require both respect, and porridge on Christmas Eve in exchange for their work. When houses did not respect the Nisse, farms and houses were dirty, and unkempt. If a Nisse is not given the gift of porridge on Christmas Eve, he will cause mischief where he resides. Mischief includes, but is not limited to breaking things, and turning things upside down.
"Vieni anche tu a Locana a spasso con la Befana!" by Ele G.
Befana - Italy
Befana, or La Befana is a housewife, and/or witch. She carries a broom, and is sometimes depicted wearing a handkerchief on her head or a witches hat. In some depictions she also has a soot covered shawl due to entering houses through the chimney. La Befana carries around sweets or toys, to deliver to children.The name “La Befana” is said to come from the word “epifania”.The Befana is celebrated at the Italian feast of the Epiphany, a national religious holiday in Italy that happens every year on the 6th of January . She visits children on Epiphany Eve to give them gifts, and in more modern tellings, ‘naughty’ children receive coal, sticks, or rock candy.
As the Befana is part of a religious celebration, her story is also one with roots in religion. One of the more recognized ways that her story goes is that it starts with the three Magi on a journey. They are on their way to present their gifts to the Christian figure, baby Jesus, in honor of his recent birth. On their way, the Magi needed a place to rest, so they knocked on her door. They asked the Befana if they could rest there, and she obliged, and then asked about their journey. The Magi explained they were following a star, and traveling to bring gifts to baby Jesus. They asked if she would like to join them. She declined, as she had other obligations and was too busy. The Magi then left, but shortly after they did she changed her mind. By the time she gathered gifts and went to follow, the Magi were gone. The Befana then followed the path they did, following the star they pointed out, and left gifts at every child’s door that she passed by in hopes that she would find the baby Jesus.
"Illustration of a kallikantzaros" by Katolophyromai
Kallikantzaroi - Greece
The Kallikantzaros(καλικάντζαρος) is a mainly Greek mythological character, but has names in a few languages. Called Караконджул in Bulgarian, and Karakoncolos, the Kallikantzaros is pretty well known in association with the holidays in countries such as Bosnia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, and Serbia. Kallikantzaros is said to come from kalos-kentauros, meaning “beautiful centaur”. Karakoncolos, another name for the creature, comes from kara (black), and koncolos (bloodsucker, werewolf). Descriptions of its appearance vary greatly, but it is consistently said to be a malevolent creature, or goblin. Kallikantzaroi are small, sometimes humanoid, and are hairy, with dark hair. They have various animal features depending on the version of their tale, including monkeys, arms, horses legs, donkey’s ears, and tails.
In myth, the Kallikantzaroi live underground, or in the underworld. They have one thing that they do there, which is trying to cut down the World tree so that the trunk will collapse, destroying the earth. As they saw, and are close to cutting down the tree, due to the passing of time, it is Christmas. They are able to come to the surface once the sun stands still and Christmas has dawned. Once there, they then begin to terrorize mortals. On Theophany Eve (also called Epiphany), the sun starts moving again, and they have to go back to the underworld. They go back to sawing the tree, and see that while they were gone the trunk of the tree had healed. They have to start over, sawing, and the cycle repeats.
Kallikantzaroi are creatures of the night, and darkness. Due to this they burn in the sunlight. Known for causing mischief and wreaking havoc, there are many ways people used to traditionally ward off Kallikantzaroi. One of these ways was keeping a yule log lit in the fireplace of a house for the duration of the twelve days of Christmas that Kallikantzaroi roamed free. Other ways included sprinkling holy water, hanging offerings of food in chimneys, and leaving out colanders to distract them. A Kallikantzaros cannot count to higher than two, due to three being a “holy” number, so a colander would prove to be an effective distraction.
In some cultures, traditions don't involve mythological characters. The emphasis is on storytelling, and legend. Below are a variety of stories that explain holiday traditions!
Flickr Photo: 2018 - Mexico - Oaxaca - La Noche de Rábanos - 4 of 26 by Ted’s photos - Stand by Ukraine license: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Noche de Rábanos “Night of the Radishes” - Mexico
One year, there was an especially abundant crop of radishes on farmland in Mexico. Since there was excess, a section of it was left unharvested for a long period of time. In December of that year, a townsperson harvested some of the radishes from the field. Upon harvesting, it was discovered that the radishes were interesting shapes, so the radishes were brought to a local market. They attracted attention, and soon radishes brought to the market began to be carved intricately to show off more shapes and figures that radishes could be made into. In 1897 the mayor decided to make the contest official, and now Night of the Radishes happens every 23rd of December in Oaxaca.
Flickr Photo: KFC No1 Japan at Christmas by clamshack
Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii “Kentucky for Christmas” - Japan
In the 1970’s Kentucky Fried Chicken launched the first KFC Christmas campaign. The ad campaign suggested that KFC’s chicken should be used in Christmas celebrations in Japan, and eventually their recommendations caught on. It has also been said to originally be used as a substitute for turkey, around the holidays when it was in short supply. Kentucky for Christmas has evolved, and now there are Christmas specific menu items. In order to accommodate the volume of customers each year, advertising, reservations, and preorders also start earlier in the year due to the increased popularity of KFC.
Flickr Photo: Broom by 1024greenstreet
Hiding brooms - Norway
In Norway it is/was believed to be unwise to leave out brooms on Christmas Eve. If brooms were left out, on Christmas Eve when witches and spirits were roaming around frightening people, families held the belief that witches would ride brooms if they were easily found. That would enable them to get around faster. Brooms were hidden in the most secluded part of the house in an effort to deter such beings. Today, some Norwegians still hide brooms in their homes on Christmas Eve.
Flickr Photo: IMG_9838 by Madbuster 75
Spider webs - Ukraine
Once there was a widow living in a small hut with her children. One day, a pine cone dropped from a tree outside onto the dirt, and it took root in the ground. The children were excited, and tended to the tree, making plans about how they would decorate it for the holidays. By the time Christmas approached, the family still lived in poverty, and realized that they were not going to be able to decorate their tree. They accepted that fact, and then went to sleep as it was Christmas eve. Later that night, the spiders in the household heard the children's sobs. They then spun intricate webs on the tree, so that it wasn't bare. When the family woke up, they found the webs. As the sun rose that Christmas morning, the threads glittered silver and gold when the sun hit the webs. Today, some Ukrainians decorate their trees with artificial spider webs or spider web ornaments due to this tale.
Flickr Photo: X-mas boat in Alexandroupoli by Tilemahos Efthimiadis
Karavaki “boat” or “small boat” - Greece
Ancient Greece was a seafaring country. Sailors were gone for extended lengths of time, so when families saw their sailor’s ship return home, they would celebrate. Celebrations included festive, decorated wooden boats. It was traditional to decorate your boat, but if you did not own one, you would decorate with model boats instead. Decorated boats represented a successful journey, and a welcome home. They also demonstrated a longing for family members who couldn't be around for Christmas due to being at sea. Later on, throughout the holiday times, boats were decorated in honor of the patron saint of sailors, Saint Nicholas, to thank him for protecting people who worked at sea. Boats were usually decorated for the holidays instead of trees, and sometimes Greek people still do continue that tradition.
"Junkanoo" by MissChatter is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Junkanoo - The Bahamas
There are a few different stories pertaining to the creation of Junkanoo, but the main one involves a man named John Canoe. John Canoe was an African tribal chief, and while enslaved, he demanded the right for his people to be able to celebrate the holidays. Another version of the story, tells the tale of an evolution of the event. Enslaved Africans on plantations in the Bahamas were given three days to celebrate the holidays at Christmas time. They celebrated with dancing, music, and costumes. The celebrations grew bigger every year, and Junkanoo today is a lively, joyous holiday event. It happens annually from the 26th of December to the 1st of January, starting as early as 1 AM, and sometimes lasting as late as 10AM in the morning. Junkanoo is recognizable by its music in the form of drums, cowbells, and brass instruments, and its parade. The parade consists of bands, ornate floats, and performers, wearing costumes made from a variety of colorful materials. Junkanoo demonstrates creativity and represents the history of the Bahamas.
Myths and stories are a way for people to connect, no matter the circumstance, and these holiday stories show that a sense of belonging can always be found, no matter where you are. The holidays are a time to spend with people you care about, so Happy Holidays!
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