JIM CARREY is terrified of Christmas - because his parents used to go out of their way to scare him with tales of SANTA CLAUS.

The funnyman, who is set to top the box office this festive season with new movie HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, loves the run up to Christmas but fears the big day itself - and especially Christmas Eve.

He says, "My family was so into Christmas, they thought it was this great opportunity to scare the hell out of the kids. "I was terrified of Santa. He was like, 'I'm checking a list, I saw what you did last summer, I saw you in the gym and I'm coming to get ya.' By the time Christmas Eve came I would be freaked out - it was like judgement day. "My folks would start drinking when we went to bed, and they'd get on the roof with a beer in one hand and sleigh bells in the other. "They'd even tie sleigh bells to the legs of our beds so, everytime we stirred in bed they'd jangle and we'd be like, 'Argh, Santa's on the roof.'"

(KL/WNV/RGS)

Source: WENN