The Yule Cat is a legendary ‘monster’ in Iceland that is said to eat anyone who doesn’t get at least one item of clothing for Christmas. The threat of being eaten by the giant, ferocious Yule Cat was once used by farmers to scare their workers into processing the autumn wool before the holiday arrived. If they obeyed, they would get new clothes. If they didn’t, they’d be devoured by the Yule Cat. Source Source 2 Source 3