Icelandair showcases Iceland’s folklore with Yule Cat Christmas message

Icelandair has unveiled its new Christmas commercial – a modern, humorous, and heartfelt take on Icelandic folklore that places the legendary Yule Cat at the centre of a story about kindness, connection, and being “travel-ready” for the holidays.

Okay, it’s a bit dark, but so is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Partnering with creative agency, Hvíta húsið, the narrative draws directly from Iceland’s dark Christmas folklore. Traditionally, the Yule Cat (Jólakötturinn) is a giant, menacing feline said to roam around before Christmas, devouring anyone — especially children — who do not receive new clothes for the holiday. The legend historically served as both a moral lesson and a tool to encourage hard work and gift-giving.

In the film, a young boy discovers the bedraggled Yule Cat alone in an alley and takes it upon himself to help the fearsome feline prepare for a Christmas journey abroad -teaching manners, tidying up, and attempting the impossible: getting an old Yule Cat to sit. Their unlikely friendship blends wit, warmth, and the universal joy of helping others, transforming a creature long feared into a symbol of care and generosity.

Icelandair’s commercial honours this fearsome folklore while reframing it through compassion: rather than punishing the unprepared, the Yule Cat is embraced, cared for, and helped along its journey.

The story also nods to the final verses of the beloved poem by Jóhannes úr Kötlum, which urges kindness toward those who “receive nothing” and “suffer from the world’s lack of light.”

Icelandair’s Director of Global Marketing, Gísli S. Brynjólfsson explained: “We wanted a Christmas story that feels unmistakably Icelandic yet instantly relatable. By reimagining the Yule Cat through a child’s eyes, we celebrate the joy of helping others – and getting ‘travel-ready’ for the holidays. It’s a love letter to our heritage, showing that kindness is the true spirit of the season, no matter where your travels take you.”

For more about the Christmas Cat, go to https://www.icelandair.com/blog/icelands-incredible-yule-cat/ .