Kallikantzaroi take the whole Christmas monster in a different direction, a human direction.
They're little, hairy, black monsters with red eyes, hooves, and long, black tails. They're known to pee in your food.
So even though this once-popular Christmas monster fell into obscurity, you might want to keep a fire burning this holiday season.
Even though the folklore's origin is rooted in Greek culture, versions of the legend span cultures across the Mediterranean.
Kallikantzaros spend most of the year underground, trying to chop down the mythical tree that holds up the earth, which would bring about the collapse of the world.
But every year, just before they saw through the world tree, Christmas Day arrives, and kallikantzaroi join humans in the mortal world to wreak havoc.
During the 12 days of Christmas, from December 25th to January 6th, they roam the earth, terrorizing their human victims.
Their main targets are sinners or those who are just plain lazy, but anyone is fair game. It's said they drain people of their life force.
So does that make kallikantzaroi a type of vampire, as some claim?
While it is vampiric draining the life force from the living, it isn't undead. So therefore, not a true vampire.
