24/12/2025
Kallikantzaroi
Kallikantzaroi originate from Southeastern European folklore, and are commonly recognised in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. They are malevolent, mischievous goblins who are often depicted as dark haired, with goat legs, donkey ears and red eyes. There are some variations in their descriptions by region, with some describing them with monkey arms, squint eyed or even one eyed or blind. Dependent on the area of Europe you are in they can be small or large, have horns or even a tail and many say they have prominent sexual organs. In some regions they are thought to lust after women, which links them with the satyr or Pan.
They appear over the twelve days of Christmas to cause trouble, December 25th being the first night. They are known for coming down the chimney, urinating and extinguishing the fire as they do. Tipping over and breaking furniture, eating the pork, souring the milk as well as urinating and befouling the food water and wine. They might steal items from your home, including your children. Some versions say they sit on top of doorways and jump on your back as you pass through the door. They then make you dance until you pass out or force you to give them rides through the woods.
One mid 17th century tale, believed to be recorded in Chios, states the Kallikantzaroi slash at people with sharp claws whilst sitting on their chests. Whilst demanding tow (h**p) or lead? If you choose tow you are spared, should you choose lead you are beaten and crushed half to death.
It’s believed they live underground and spend the year sawing at the roots of the world tree, hoping to destroy the world. Due to their short attention span, over the twelve days they emerge wreaking havoc, forgetting about the tree and allowing it to heal in their absence.
Like most goblin tales there are ways to ward them off or trick them so you don’t become prey to their antics.They mostly eat frogs, snakes and worms, but love pork. You can placate them with sausages or eggs and sweet treats like honey cakes, pancakes or lokma. (Doughnut like dessert soaked in syrup) Burning old shoes and salt in the fire, the foul smell may keep them at bay. Burning a Yule log for the twelve days will protect the home as long as it doesn’t go out. Also hanging a protective pigs jaw in the chimney or on the front door can deter them. Should they find a way in, it’s said if you leave a colander out you can lure them into counting the holes which keeps them busy until dawn. Some tales say they cannot pronounce the number three so would be stuck in a loop of one, two…
If you are unfortunate enough to be born on Christmas Eve, it’s believed you will eventually become a skalikántzaros, giving you the ability to transform into a Kallikantzaroi during the holiday period.
To prevent this parents would bind these children’s feet with straw and garlic then expose their feet to the fire to fuse their toenails.
So don’t forget to burn your Yule logs, dig out your colander and maybe leave a sausage or pancake outside too. If you have a partner or child born on the 24th maybe pop the colander by the bed!
