85: Naughty or Nice pt.1: Under Wraps

Naughty or Nice pt.1: Under Wraps

It is time for some Christmas traditions around the world! Maia explores some crucial questions like "where did Santa come from?" and "who was St. Nicholas?". Along the way we learn about ancient drama and modern traditions in this very special Christmas podcast episode! We cover everything from the origins of a mid winter celebrations (Sleipnir the horse has how many legs?), to how Christianity affected various Christmas Cryptids as we know them now (Ugly and Beautiful Perchtas?), to traditions around the world (Iceland? How are you handling the Yule Cat and the 13 trolls?), and more! Happy Holidays, from Well, I Laughed! 

 

Photos Referenced:

An example of Mari Lwyd - courtesy of Llantrisant Mari Lwyd	A group of people with a Mari - courtesy of Cas Smith
Schiechperchten, “Ugly Perchtas” in the streets of a Tyrolean market on Jan 6 - courtesy of Holger Uwe Schmitt, Wikimedia	An example of an Italian Christmas Tree

 

Sources:

The History of Christmas - History

St. Nicholas - Britannica

Santas Around the World - World Strides

The real story behind Charles' Dickens A Christmas Carol - Penguin

First Council of Nicaea - Britannica

Bishop Nicholas Loses His Cool - St. Nicholas Center

When Jesus Was Really Born - Jews for Jesus

Biblical Evidence Shows Jesus Christ Wasn't Born on Dec. 25 - United Church of God

Odin - Britannica

My Sheep's 19th Century Lifestyle - Suzy the Shepherdess

How 25 Christmas Traditions Got Their Start - History

The Mysterious Tradition of Hiding a Pickle on Christmas Trees - Atlas Obscura

What are the Pagan Origins of Christmas - History Cooperative

5 Things you May not know about Kwanzaa - History

Kwanzaa - National Museum of African American History & Culture

Official Kwanzaa Website - Kwanzaa

The Monsters of Christmas - Atlas Obscura

Is Santa a cryptid? The man, the mythology and the legend of St Nicholas & Santa Claus - Mythfolks

Cryptid - Merriam Webster

Black Annis - Astonishing Legends

The Legend of the Night Marchers - Medium

31 Mythical Creatures Used to Scare Children into Being on Their Best Behavior on the School Playground Equipment - Playground Equipment

Krampus - Britannica

The midwinter majesty of the Mari Lwyd - Wales

The Story of La Befana - Italian Sons and Daughters of America

Babushka's Christmas Legend - Spotlight

Fearsome Frau Perchta Is an Ancient Alpine Winter Goddess - Atlas Obscura

Frau Perchta, Terrifying Christmas Witch - Boroughs of the Dead

What - or who - is Belsnickel? - Pennsylvania's Americana Region

The Bizarre Legend Of Belsnickel, The Centuries-Old Christmas Figure From German Folklore - All That's Interesting

Père Fouettard: Unraveling the Dark Side of Christmas in France - French Moments

Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood Is a Force of Nature - Smithsonian

The Icelandic Yule Lads and Gryla | Iceland's Christmas Trolls - Guide to Iceland

4 Unique ways Asian countries celebrate Christmas - Teaching Nomad

Why KFC at Christmas is ‘really big’ in Japan, as a Michelin-star Tokyo restaurant chef and a cookbook author explain what makes fried chicken great - SCMP

A brief history of the gingerbread house - The Guardian

TIP OF THE DAY: Christmas Cookie Exchange & Its History - The Nibble

Gingerbread Christmas tradition - The Times Gazette

Why Do We Eat Gingerbread at Christmas? - Yummy Bazaar

Why Do We Kiss Under the Mistletoe? - History

History of Christmas Trees - History

7 Winter Solstice Celebrations From Around the World - Britannica