This holiday isn’t only known for the elves, it’s also a night dedicated to all the other magical beings we so love to read about in Icelandic folklore.

Talking cows

An old myth on Icelandic farms is that on the evening of Þrettándinn, cows can suddenly speak in human tongue. But while talking cows might seem adorable, one thing is for sure: if the cows are talking, you don’t want to hear what they have to say! Around midnight, the cows all stand up and begin to speak to each other in nonsensical rhyming couplets, which are supposed to drive anyone who overhears them insane.

Seals taking on human form

There have been many Icelandic folktales about seals transforming into humans on both New Year’s Eve and Þrettándinn. In one fascinating variation, seals are actually the animal incarnations of an ancient Pharaoh’s army, drowned in the Red Sea while chasing Moses and the Jews out of Egypt. The drowned soldiers became seals, but their bones remain much like human bones. So once a year, they become human, shedding their skins and dancing naked on beaches.

The last Yule Lad leaves town

On this day Icelanders also bid farewell to Candle Beggar (Kertasníkir), the last of the Yuletide Lads, who packs-up his waxy ill-gotten gains with the rest of the Christmas spirit to join his mischief-making brethren in the mountains.

Read more about each of the 13 Yule lads here.