Newswise — While jolly old St. Nicholas is delivering goodies to all the good little boys and girls, his 'evil twin' may be right on his heels with a sack full of coal.
"There is a Dutch belief that Santa has an alter ego or an 'evil twin' called Black Pete that follows Santa around on Christmas Eve," said William Heim, English professor at the University of South Florida. "Black Pete is the one who takes care of children who have been naughty. If you get coal in your stocking, now you know where it comes from."
In addition to Santa legends, Heim also shares the origins of using holly to repel evil spirits entering homes down the chimney.
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