Iceland’s infamous Christmas Cat will be on the prowl in Reykjavík this year. According to an announcement made on the Miðbörg Reykjavíkur Facebook page, the creepy cat—who, per Icelandic Christmas lore, preys on children who don’t receive new clothes for the holiday—has been commemorated with a giant light-up statue that will stand in Lækjartorg in downtown Reykjavík throughout the holiday season.
The Christmas Cat was made famous in a 1932 poem by Icelandic poet Jóhannes úr Kötlum. Björk also recorded a popular version of the song in the late 1980s (listen here). This year, the fearsome feline’s likeness has been captured in a sculpture that is 5 meters [16 feet] tall and 6 meters [19 feet] wide and decorated with 6,500 LED lights.
City Council president Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir will light the Christmas Cat on Saturday at 4:00 PM, after which the Graduale Futuri children’s choir will sing Christmas carols. The cat’s owner, the giantess Grýla, and her husband Leppalúði will also be in attendance.
