What abomination will be sliding down your chimney tonight?

Northern European folklore is rich with tales of a bigfoot-type creature whose appearance and habits (a big ol’ beard and using reindeer as beasts of burden, for instance) seem to have been adapted for our more modern-day ideas of jolly Saint Nick. Loren Coleman of Cryptomundo writes:

Old stories of the Wildpeople and Snowmen (Snomannen) are interwoven into those of Santa Claus. The traditional “Wildman of the Middle Ages” was described as a bestial, ape-like creature, with a beard. Its body was covered in thick, matted hair and smelled of a foul odor. The habitat of the wildman was the northern woods, where he lived in a cave or den.…

This may also account for why no one seems to be able to get a clear picture of The Big Red Guy on Christmas Eve, in spite of widespread reports of cookie/egg nog disappearances and unexplained presents left beneath festive displays of indoor foliage across the world…

In March, we’ll discuss the uncanny similarities between The Easter Bunny and The Loch Ness Monster. Happy holidays!