​

Uh oh! If you thought coal in your stocking was the worst thing that could happen to you for any naughtiness in the run up to Christmas ... think again! The Krampus, sinister companion to St. Nicholas, is a long-horned, shaggy, goat-like monster with a fearsome expression and a lolling, forked red tongue who menaces children and sometimes grownups into good behavior before Christmas. A traditional folk figure originating from Tyrol, the Bavarian and Austrian Alps, the Krampus, on the eve of St. Nicholas' Day, December 6th, is said to visit the home of misbehaving children to punish them - generally beating them with birch sticks and bringing them down to his underworld lair to live for a year! Europeans have been exchanging Krampuskarten, greeting cards featuring the Krampus since the 1800s, which often feature the Krampus looming over, beating, or abducting terrified children! You can still send Krampus Christmas cards if your holiday mood tends more towards the naughty, rather than the nice! This chocolate, licorice, cherry, and royal icing coloured tartan blends the delicious with the sinister - perfect for some terrifying Christmas cheer! Happy Holidays, kids! “Gruß vom Krampus!” 🤎 🖤 ❤️ 🤍 🤎 👹 🎄 🎅 🎁

Today is the feast day of Saint Nicholas, known across cultures as Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Santa Claus, and many other names. All trace their folkloric roots to a 4th-century Christian bishop from Myra in Asia Minor.

Known for his quiet generosity, Saint Nicholas became the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, and students—a remarkably wide circle of protection. His legendary practice of secret gift-giving shaped the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas, which in turn inspired our modern Santa Claus.

This tartan uses red for the traditional garb of Santa Claus; green for the evergreen holly and mistletoe associated with Christmas traditions; and includes three bands of yellow to represent the three bags of gold from one of the most cherished legends of St. Nicholas. In this story, a destitute merchant faced the heartbreak of being unable to provide dowries for his three daughters. Learning of their plight, Nicholas quietly tossed three small bags of gold through the family’s window on successive nights—anonymously preserving the daughters’ futures and giving rise to centuries of charitable tales. The two bands of white in the tartan symbolize purity and the snow of the North Pole.

In traditional portrayals, Sinterklaas wears a long red cape or chasuble over a white bishop’s alb, sometimes with a red stole. He dons a red mitre, wears a ruby ring, and carries a gold-colored crosier with its distinctive curled top. A large red book is always at hand, said to contain the record of each child’s behavior over the past year!

Across much of Europe, the holiday season begins with St. Nicholas Day on December 6, when children traditionally receive small treats left in their shoes. Exchanging gingerbread or lebkuchen is also a customary delight of the day. These traditions set a warm tone for the weeks ahead, while Christmas Day remains the larger celebration focused on the Nativity, family gatherings, and the exchange of more substantial gifts.

And although our modern concept of Santa is associated with reindeer and wintry northern scenes by the 1820s, he didn’t originally reside at the North Pole. That familiar detail was the invention of Victorian cartoonist Thomas Nast, whose December 1866 illustration in Harper’s Weekly firmly established Santa’s polar home in popular imagination. Ho Ho Ho! ❤️ 💛 💚 🎅 🎁 🎁 🎁

Christmas is on its way! Today marks the feast day of Saint Nicholas, known around the world by names such as Kris Kringle, Father Christmas, Santa Claus, and more. These beloved figures trace their roots to a 4th-century Christian bishop from Myra in Asia Minor. Saint Nicholas’ legendary acts of secret gift-giving inspired the Dutch tradition of Sinterklaas, which evolved into our modern concept of Santa Claus. Saint Nicholas is celebrated as the patron saint of a fascinating array of groups, including sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, and students. Traditionally, Sinterklaas is depicted wearing a long red cape or chasuble over a white bishop’s alb, often paired with a red stole, mitre, and a gold-colored crosier—a ceremonial shepherd’s staff with an ornate curled top. He carries a big red book recording whether children have been good or naughty over the past year. By the 1820s, Santa Claus gained his iconic association with reindeer and snowy landscapes, though his home at the North Pole hadn’t yet been imagined. This detail was added by Victorian cartoonist Thomas Nast, who famously illustrated Santa and his North Pole workshop in an 1866 issue of Harper's Weekly. On this festive day, many indulge in spicy Lebkuchen, the honey-sweetened German cakes shaped like gingerbread, a cherished part of Germany's Christmas traditions. Ho Ho Ho and Yum Yum Yum! ❤️ 💚 🤍 💛 🎅 🎁 🍪 🍬 🍬 🍬

Dear and deer tartan friends, this red, white, and green design was originally created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Red Deer Highland Games in this Alberta township. Over time, it has taken on a broader identity as a District tartan—one that feels especially fitting for the festive season with its cheerful, traditional holiday palette.

Its namesake, the red deer, is found across Scotland, parts of Europe, and Canada. Among the largest of the deer species, red deer are known for their majestic antlers, warm reddish coats, and the important roles they play in cultural symbolism throughout history and folklore. Their presence has long evoked strength, grace, and a connection to the natural world.

The link between deer, reindeer, and Christmas emerged in the early 19th century with Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas”—better known today as “’Twas the Night Before Christmas.” This was the first time Santa Claus was described as having magical flying reindeer, an image that instantly captured the public imagination and transformed the reindeer into an enduring symbol of Santa’s sleigh. Previously, Santa arrived on foot, or sometimes by goat, horse or an unspecified magic manner!

As Santa and his sleigh became fixed the public imagination, reindeer became iconic symbols of winter wonder and the holiday spirit. Their association with Christmas now extends far beyond their natural habitats, embodying the enchantment, warmth, and whimsy of the season. On Dasher, on Dancer, on tartarned up Prancer! 💚 🤍 ❤️ 🦌 🦌 🦌

For many in a certain generation, Christmas memories are steeped in nostalgia. They include the classic bright red and green decorations, the challenge of finding the single faulty bulb in a string of Christmas lights, and the shimmering weight of old-fashioned tinsel on the tree. Among these cherished traditions, especially in the United States, is the animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas. First airing on CBS in early December 1965, this beloved program brought Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts characters to life with an unforgettable score by jazz musician and pianist Vince Guaraldi. His lively "Christmas is Coming" and reimagined traditional carols created a soundtrack that continues to delight during the festive season. The iconic "Linus and Lucy," originally released the year before, found enduring popularity through this broadcast, becoming a favorite among piano players. This traditionally coloured tartan welcomes the Christmas Season with rich and elegantly patterned hues! ❤️ 💚 ❤️ 🎄 🎅 ❄️

Tis the Season for merriment and Yuletide pranksters! This wintry warm but merrily designed tartan is a tribute to the Yule Lads of Icelandic folklore, those mischievous, gnome-like figures who descend from the mountains during the 13 nights leading up to Christmas to delight children by leaving small gifts in their shoes—or occasionally playing pranks upon the household!

Now known for their playful antics, the Yule Lads once shared a darker reputation, akin to the menacing European Krampus! In centuries past, their frightening tales were used to scare children into good behavior. But so exaggerated were these stories that, by 1746, parents were officially banned from terrifying their offspring with such grim descriptions! Over time, the Yule Lads mellowed into more lovable tricksters.

Among the most colorful of the Yule Lads are Stekkjarstaur, the Sheep-Cote Clod, who tries (and hilariously fails) to harass sheep due to his peg legs; Bjúgnakrækir, the Sausage-Swiper, who lurks in rafters to pilfer smoked sausages; and Gáttaþefur, the Doorway Sniffer, who uses his enormous nose and keen sense of smell to track down Icelandic leaf bread.

But beware! Even today, misbehaving children risk the wrath of Grýla, the Yule Lads' fearsome mother. This ogress has a particular taste for naughty children, whom she abducts and stews in her cauldron! And let’s not forget the looming menace of the Christmas Cat—a gigantic black feline said to prowl the countryside on Christmas Eve, devouring anyone who hasn’t received a single new item of clothing! Goodness gracious!

For a bit of festive fright, here’s the full roster of these quirky pranksters and the order in which they make their appearances.

****

Sheep-Cote Clod: He tries to suckle yews in farmer's sheep sheds

Gully Gawk: He steals foam from buckets of cow milk

Stubby: He's short and steals food from frying pans

Spoon Licker: He licks spoons

Pot Scraper, aka Pot Licker: He steals unwashed pots and licks them clean

Bowl Licker: He steals bowls of food from under the bed (back in the old days, Icelanders used to sometimes store bowls of food there—midnight snacking?)

Door Slammer: He stomps around and slams doors, keeping everyone awake

Skyr Gobbler: He eats up all the Icelandic yogurt (skyr)

Sausage Swiper: He loves stolen sausages

Window Peeper: He likes to creep outside windows and sometimes steal the stuff he sees inside

Door Sniffer: He has a huge nose and an insatiable appetite for stolen baked goods

Meat Hook: He snatches up any meat left out, especially smoked lamb

Candle Beggar: He steals candles, which used to be sought-after items in Iceland

Kilt up and keep watch! You've been warned! 🤪 🖤 🤍 ❤️ 💛 🧡 🧝‍♂️ 🧝 🧝‍♀️

As delicious and warm a tartan as you could wish, this sett contains all you might imagine if ginger, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, coriander, star anise, mace, cardamom, and black pepper were baked into the warp and weft. Whether in gingerbread loaf, gingerbread men, or gingerbread house form, the hard gingerbread cookies (often gilded with gold leaf and shaped like animals or kings and queens), were a staple in times past as far back as medieval fairs in England, France, Holland and Germany. Medieval ladies often gave their favourite knights a piece of gingerbread for good luck in a tournament or superstitiously ate a "gingerbread husband" to improve their chances of marriage! Queen Elizabeth I is credited with the idea of elaborate decorating of gingerbread cookies after she had some made to resemble dignitaries visiting her court. The wonderfully constructed and elaborate gingerbread houses seen today originated in Germany during the 16th century and became inextricably linked in people's minds to the Brothers Grimm fairy tale of Hansel & Gretel as the witch's house made of treats! "Nibble, nibble, like a mouse .... who's been nibbling at my house?" 🤎 🍬🏚️ 🍭 🤎

Let your eyes dance with delight at this intensely festive tartan of many colors! Paired with a cup of good cheer, it just might inspire you to take a twirl yourself. Whether your holiday calendar is brimming with special events, musical gatherings, and ceilidhs, or you're savoring quieter evenings at home with classic Christmas movies and stories, this dazzling tartan will banish any lingering "Bah, Humbug!"

Today commemorates the publication of A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of hope and redemption, first released in London in 1843. In this classic story, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three unforgettable spirits—Christmas Past, Present, and Future—who guide him on a transformative journey to rediscover the spirit of Christmas and his humanity. The story captures the essence of the season, depicting Christmas celebrations across the social spectrum.

From the lively party of Scrooge’s youth hosted by the jovial Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig—filled with music, laughter, and spirited dancing—to the humble yet heartwarming celebration of Bob Cratchit’s family, where love and good cheer triumph over poverty and illness, Dickens paints a vivid picture of the holiday's joys and challenges.

Other cherished Christmas memories echo through the pages of literature: Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales, Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory, Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows, and E.T.A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. Each offers its own reflection of the season’s magic and meaning.

However you choose to celebrate—or simply endure—the holiday season, may it bring you warmth, comfort, and a touch of festive sparkle. ❤️ 💚 🤎 💛 💙 ❤️ 📙🎄🎁 🍾 🥃

Designed to captivate—and perhaps even to mischievously encourage the wearer, or an admiring onlooker, to drift beneath an inviting sprig or wreath of mistletoe—this tartan draws on rich layers of holiday tradition and symbolism. Dressing for the season has long extended beyond festive colors in clothing to the literal “decking of the halls” with boughs of holly and mistletoe, often gathered into elaborate kissing-boughs.

The custom of kissing beneath the mistletoe is believed to reach back to the Druids of the first century, who revered the plant as sacred. Its remarkable ability to bloom in the depths of winter made it a potent symbol of renewal and new life, and it was used medicinally for both people and animals in hopes of restoring health and fertility.

Mistletoe also holds a prominent place in Scandinavian legend. Balder, the god of Peace, was tragically slain by an arrow fashioned from mistletoe, yet through divine intervention he was restored to life. In the aftermath, the plant—once an instrument of harm—was entrusted to the goddess of Love, who decreed that all who pass beneath its branches must share a kiss, transforming mistletoe into a timeless emblem of love, reconciliation, and hope.

And so, if you’ve donned this—or your favorite—tartan, mistletoe is decking the hallway, and this tale is tucked neatly into your conversational stocking, take full advantage of your splendid attire and propinquity, and let this charming holiday tradition do the rest! 💚 ❤️ 🤍 💚 💗 💋 🌱

One imagines eggnog encouraging carols and conviviality, not chaos—yet history suggests this festive drink has a rather mischievous streak!

This holiday beverage was responsible for the Great Eggnog Riot of Christmas Eve, 1826, which took place at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

With drinking well out of control at the academy, all alcohol was banned on campus prior to Christmas. This, of course, led the thirsty and rebellious cadets to smuggle in gallons of their own whiskey and whip up a potent batch of eggnog on Christmas Eve.

The drunken cadets quickly went from an attitude of good cheer to completely destroying their barracks, and one even attempted to shoot his commanding officer! In the aftermath, twenty cadets and one enlisted soldier were court-martialed for conduct unbecoming and general eggnoggery.

Whether the cadets bothered to add a pinch of ground nutmeg to their recipe before things went so spectacularly awry has not been recorded.

Today, however, might be the perfect day to whip up a batch of eggnog — particularly as many prefer to age theirs for ideal mellowness, with classic additions of rum, bourbon, and cognac, for Christmas toasts.

This tartan mirrors a classic eggnog recipe in both color and proportion: a preponderance of heavy cream, separated eggs, dark and sweet spirits, warming cinnamon and spices, and just the lightest grating of fresh nutmeg on top! Cheers! 💛 🤎 🤍 💛 🥃 🥚 🥃

For those who like their tartans dark and toasty with the colours of nature, this deep, warmly spiced design takes its inspiration from a comforting bowl of apple-and-herb wassail. It feels perfectly suited to braving frosty air and joining a jubilant chorus of carols, its rich hues echoing warmth, spice, and good cheer in the heart of winter.

Wassailing itself is steeped in ancient tradition. Originally celebrated on Twelfth Night, it involved songs and toasts offered to cider apple trees, with the hopeful aim of ensuring a plentiful harvest in the coming season. Over time, the custom broadened, becoming associated with carolers who traveled from door to door, spreading festive melodies and seasonal goodwill in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

By Victorian times, wassailing had taken on an even more communal character. Bands of beggars and orphans would brave snowy streets, offering songs of cheer and fortunes foretold in exchange for a ladle from the communal wassail bowl, a penny, a pork pie, or simply a few moments by a welcoming hearth.

The wassail bowl itself was a convivial concoction—hot ale or beer infused with apples, fragrant spices, and sweet mead—robust enough to thaw frozen fingers and warm the throats of singers mid-song. So raise a cup and toast the season of Christmases past, present, and future. Fa la la la la, and Cheers! 🤎 ❤️ 💚 💙 💛 🥃 🍎 🍊 🍋 🎄

If you find yourself sporting a bit of an elvish grin or dropping the occasional Elvish phrase, you may have Tolkien’s Middle-earth to thank. Yet long before elves became the graceful, lyrical figures of modern fantasy, they were fixtures of much older folklore—beings of supernatural power whose origins stretch back to pre-Christian times and were often far darker in character.

By the medieval period, elves were frequently described as small, elusive creatures believed to cause illness in humans and animals. This affliction was sometimes referred to as being “elf-shot,” a term used to explain sudden, unexplained pain or sickness. Such beliefs lingered well into early modern Scotland, where elves were thought to be powerful, invisible folk living alongside ordinary rural communities, capable of interfering with everyday life.

It wasn’t until the mid-19th century that elves underwent a dramatic transformation. Gradually romanticized, they became friendly and industrious companions of Santa Claus—crafting toys, tending to the reindeer, and keeping the sleigh in good condition.

Today, elves have taken on new responsibilities—managing Santa’s all-important naughty and nice list—so it’s little wonder that this tartan’s colours would delight anyone with a bit of elvish mischief on their mind… and remember, Santa is watching! Ná vesëa yávië (Quenya) - “Be a joyful winter"! ❤️ 💚 💛 💚 🤍 🎄 🧝 🧝 🧝 🎁 🎁 🎁

The ancient season of Yule, marked by feasting, drinking, and sacrifice, brought us enduring customs like the Yule log, Yule goat, and Yule boar. These traditions found their way into Christian Christmas celebrations and still echo today in the warmth of the Christmas fireside, the festive Christmas ham, carol singing, and other joyful practices that brighten the dark days of winter while promising the renewal of Spring. This tartan's festive and cheery colourways brings together a holiday kaleidoscope of crisp celebratory colours! During the Reformation, however, many Christmas traditions in Scotland were frowned upon for being frivolous or rooted in paganism. By 1583, even bakers who dared to make Yule Breads faced fines—unless they revealed their customers' names to lessen their punishment! Yet, these spirited customs eventually returned, and Scottish Yuletide traditions continue to create fun and fond memories. From the serving of Black Bun on Twelfth Night to the enchanting belief that bees swarm and return to their hives on Christmas morning, these customs capture the magic of the season. Add to this the reading of cold ashes to divine the future, the Lighting of Candles (Oidche Choinnle) on Christmas Eve, and the lively First-footing and Handseling Monday's gift-giving of the New Year! 💙 ❤️ 💚 🖤 🤍 ❄️ 🎄 🔔 🎁 ❄️

This tartan was inspired by the spirit of Christmas with colours representing the Gifts of the Magi: green for Frankincense; red for Myrrh and yellow for gold, the colour of kingship. Merry Christmas and the compliments of the season to all! 👑👑👑

Today is the day of reckoning for who has made Santa’s Naughty and Nice list, as he loads up the sleigh and readies Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, and Vixen—not to mention Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen… and of course, Rudolph. The reindeer are harnessed, the sleigh is packed, and Santa has surely finished reading every last letter sent his way.

For decades, children have known exactly where to send those wishes. Canada Post famously assigned the North Pole its very own postal code—H0H 0H0, a nod to Santa’s traditional “Ho ho ho!”—back in 1982. Each year, approximately one million letters bearing that magical code arrive, and every single one is answered by Santa’s helpers, thoughtfully replied to in the language or form in which it was written.

And if you’re eager to follow Santa’s progress as Christmas approaches, you can always keep an eye on him through NORAD, which tracks his journey around the globe and lets families know exactly when he’s on the move.

The colours woven into this tartan reflect that very magic: red to mark the points of the compass, Tiber for the deep winter darkness, and blue and white for the icy brilliance of the North Pole itself. Do you hear the jingle bells drawing nearer? Ho! Ho! Ho! 💙 🤍 ❤️ 💙 ❄️ ❄️ ❄️ 💌 🦌 🦌 🦌 🎁 🎁 🎁

Whether your part of the world during this Christmas season includes cold weather and snow or warm weather and sunshine, wishing you and yours peace and a healthy and Merry Christmas from Curious and Unusual Tartans ! ❤️ 💙 💚 🤍 ❤️ 🎄🎅 ❄️ ☃️ 🦌

Wishing you and yours health and all possible good cheer on this day and throughout the coming year! 🎄 🔔 🎁 🎄

Llamas are more popular than ever and are increasingly found on small farms where horses, cows, and pigs used to predominate. These intelligent, curious, and photogenic animals belong to the camel family, alongside alpacas and their wild cousins, guanacos and vicuñas. Unlike their camel relatives, llamas boast slender bodies, long legs and necks, short tails, small heads, and, in the llama's case, delightfully "llong" and "llarge" pointed ears! In the Andes Mountains of Peru, llama fleece has been prized for over 6,000 years, woven into textiles cherished for their lightness, warmth, and water-repellent qualities. Llamas are also vocal creatures, with an array of fascinating sounds. Their alarm call is a shrill, rhythmic cry, while their hum expresses contentment. A groaning “mwa” signals fear or anger, and the amusing “orgle” is the gargling serenade of a male llama wooing a mate! When it comes to color, llamas are as varied as the rainbow, with over 52 natural hues classified in Peru, from solid black and white to speckled grays, browns, and reds. Some of these stunning shades are even captured in tartan designs. So here’s to llamas, the stylish, endearing stars of the moment! ❤️ 🤍 🤎 🦙 🦙 🦙