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Kallikantzaroi, Beans and Peas, and Mrs. Claus

I have long been fascinated by the origins of various holidays and the traditions associated with holidays. So in this column, with less than three weeks until this year’s Christmas, here are some of the interesting traditions associated with this holiday season that I have discovered through the years.

Most of us are familiar with the legendary creatures of Greek mythology called the centaurs. Stories of these creatures abound, but today they are relegated to mythological status. Yet today, in modern-day Greece, you will hear stories of the Kallikantzaroi who seem to be derived, if not descended, from the same mythological centaurs. Indeed, Kallikantzaroi is sometimes translated as “good centaurs.”

According to the stories, the Kallikantzaroi spend most of the year underground since the light of the sun repels them. But as the days grow shorter, the Kallikantzaroi begin to venture out on the surface. They are variously described, but the most prevalent descriptions refer to hoofed, shaggy creatures that move swiftly and delight in mischief. And when the local populace refers to “good” centaurs, they are applying the term “good” out of fear and superstition.

So what is the connection with Christmas? Well, according to the legend, as it has evolved through the years, the Kallikantzaroi are most active during the Twelve Days of Christmas. For the most part the actions of these creatures are simply malicious practical jokes: braiding the tails of horses, souring new milk, or “putting the home fire out in a particularly indelicate manner.”

According to the legends, one of the ways to keep the Kallikantzaroi away is to hang a pig’s jawbone by the door. The more common method, however, is to keep the fireplace burning continually (occasionally keeping the Christmas log burning is mentioned) to prevent the creatures from entering the house by coming down the chimney. Further recommendations to keep the Kallikantzaroi from coming down the chimney include burning salt and burning old shoes.

There is a related belief that any child born during the Twelve Days of Christmas is in danger of becoming a Kallikantzaroi. In order to prevent this possibility, parents sometimes wind garlic or straw into the newborn’s hair or even singe the child’s toenails.

This fear of a child becoming a Kallikantzaroi has some interesting connections with mythology, particularly with the origin of the centaurs. According to one story, a man named Ixion with virtually no redeeming values whatsoever committed the heinous crime of attempting to seduce Hera, the wife of Zeus and the queen of the heaven. Zeus became curious to see just how far Ixion would pursue his folly, so he formed a cloud image of Hera and substituted it for his real wife. True to his immorality, Ixion mated with Zeus’ creation and the monster Centaurus was born.

So, according to this particular version of the story, Centaurus was born from a man and a cloud “creature.” Modern Greeks fear that the Kallikantzaroi will enter their homes through the chimney, which, of course, emits smoke so they will often resort to burning salt or old shoes to repel the creatures. They further fear that any child born during the Twelve Days of Christmas (the time at which the Kallikantzaroi are said to be most active on the earth) might transform into a Kallikantzaroi itself, presumably because one of the creatures managed to enter the house through the chimney, attracted by the smoke, and affected the mother in some undetermined manner.

As Arte Johnson used to say, “Very interesting.”

The celebration of Christmas on Dec. 25 of each year was preceded by various other pagan celebrations, including Saturnalia. One of the features of Saturnalia was the choosing of a mock king chosen by a “bean ballot.”

This particular practice eventually became associated with the Twelfth Night and involved the baking of a cake with a bean inside. During medieval times, the cake contained both a bean and a pea, with the bean for the king and the pea for the queen. If, by chance, a woman received the piece of cake with the bean inside or if a man received the piece of cake with the pea inside, then those lucky recipients were allowed to choose the mock king or queen. This cake is variously called Twelfth Cake, King’s Cake or Twelfth Day Cake.

In New Orleans, the Twelfth Day marks the beginning of the festival season (which culminates with Mardi Gras), and the celebration includes King Cake. In this case, the cake is a braided round cinnamon loaf that includes a small plastic baby. The guest who receives the baby has to bring the cake to next year’s party.

The recipes for this cake, under whatever name, are numerous and vary widely. The important part to remember, should you ever choose to indulge in a twelfth day celebration, is to make sure all the guests know that there is a foreign object in the cake. Nothing takes the edge off a party like the results of a successful Heimlich maneuver.

And, finally, for this week at least, you might (or might not) be interested to know that Mrs. Claus is 124 years old this year. While her husband seems to have been around forever, Mrs. Claus first appeared in a story by Catherine Lee Bates in 1889, titled “Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride.” At that particular time, “Goody” was a shortened form of “Goodwife.”

As to the oft-asked question, what is Mrs. Claus’ full name? Well, according to what I’ve been able to find out, her name is Jessica Mary Claus.

So now you know.