When it comes to Christmas, black cats and wicked witches probably aren’t the first thing that comes to mind. But what if I told you they’re as traditional and festive as Christmas trees, Saint Nicholas… or even the Krampus?
So, if you’ve already stashed away your spooky Halloween cat decorations, maybe keep them out just a little longer, because today we’re diving into why cats are more “Christmassy” than you think.
Baba Yaga’s Cat
In Slavic folklore, there’s a famous and terrifying figure called Baba Yaga. Complex and hard to define, she’s known for living in a magical hut perched on chicken legs and flying through the night in a mortar. Talk about making an entrance!
While Baba Yaga isn’t traditionally tied to Christmas, some modern tales have linked her to Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), a popular Slavic character who bears more than a passing resemblance to Santa Claus. Though these two figures were never originally connected, recent tales have cast them as opposites: Where Baba Yaga is the chaos and the dark magic, Ded Moroz stands for kindness and generosity, both offering children moral lessons about good and evil.
And the cats? Well, while Baba Yaga often has magical servants, contemporary stories give her a loyal black cat. This feline sidekick not only emphasizes her mystical aura, but also plays a key role in some of these modern retellings.
Jólakötturinn: The Yule Cat
Jólakötturinn, o jólaköttur, is a Christmastime legend from Iceland and one of the island’s most fearsome festive characters. This enormous black cat prowls during the holidays, ready to devour anyone who hasn’t received new clothes to wear on Christmas Eve.
A fashion-obsessed feline? It might sound quirky, but there’s historical reasoning behind it. in Iceland’s harsh winters, spinning and weaving clothes was an essential task. If people worked diligently throughout the year, they’d have new clothes ready for Christmas Eve and avoid the wrath of Jólakötturinn (not to mention the freezing cold). But slackers? They’d face more than just chilly feet —they’d ned up as dinner for the Yule Cat.
Nowadays, Jólakötturinn is more of a playful reminder than a terrifying predator, but it’s still a key figure in Icelandic Christmas traditions, serving as a metaphor for gratitude and hard work.
Cats, Elves and Globins
In English Christmas folklore, cats often show up alongside elves and goblins, wrapped in an air of magic and mystery. While they might not always be the main character, their role in these stories highlights their dual nature: on one hand, cats symbolize warmth and home; on the other, they evoke the unknown and the magical.
Once creature cats frequently paired with in these stories is the brownie, a mischievous household elf who secretly helps with chores. One delightful example of this is Beatrix Potter’s The Tailor of Gloucester, where a cat named Simpkin tries to capture the mice preventing the tailor from finishing a Christmas coat.
In the 19th and the 20th century literature, cats are a recurring presence in Christmas poems and stories, even if only in passing. They often add a touch of mischief, mystery or companionship to the tales, like in Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s story, The Cat, where a feline embodies survival and the comfort of companionship in hard times.
From the dark and magical tales of Baba Yaga to the fearsome Jölakötturinn and the charming Victorian stories, cats have carved out a special place in Christmas traditions. So this year, why not save a little spot in your holiday decorations for those magical felines who, one way or another, always find their place amidst the lights and shadows of the festive season.
Thank you so much Tania for writing such interesting articles! What would I do without you? <3
The latest from Valhalla Cats and things I found interesting this week:
Did you know that you can use papertoys to decorate the Christmas tree?
In this last newsletter of the year I would like to remind you that finally our video game Stars in the Trash has been released. Word of mouth is very important for small studios like ours to keep going. If you like what we do and want to have more of us in the future consider purchasing it 🙏
Have a wonderful Christmas season,
Jose
