If you were worried about The Yule Lads running off with your sausages and candles or Perchta filling your belly with straw and pebbles, get ready for Krampus, the German Christmas demon. Those other Christmas ne'er-do-wells might give you a present if you've been good, but Krampus strictly punishes bad children. He might capture them in a sack and drag them off to his evil lair. He might beat them senseless with birch branches. If they're lucky, he'll just frighten them out of their wits with rusty chains and bells. Krampus is simply an evil Christmas character that exists to strike fear into the hearts of kinder everywhere.
Popular in Austria and surrounding regions, Krampus has cloven hooves, the horns of a goat, and a crazy red tongue. The name "Krampus" comes from the Old High German for "claw." The Krampus legend originated in pre-Christian Germanic folklore and never mellowed over the years the way other Christmas characters like The Yule Lads did. In the nineteenth century, Krampus was often depicted working hand in hand with Santa Claus - Santa concerned himself with the good children, and Krampus took care of the bad ones. These days, drunken young men in places like Austria and southern Germany are encouraged to dress up in hideous Krampus masks and costumes during the Christmas season and roam around town traumatizing the children. This is called a Krampuslauf and traditionally takes place on December 5th, something to keep in mind if you're planning a family holiday trip to Austria!
A sight a young child isn't likely to forget
Popular in Austria and surrounding regions, Krampus has cloven hooves, the horns of a goat, and a crazy red tongue. The name "Krampus" comes from the Old High German for "claw." The Krampus legend originated in pre-Christian Germanic folklore and never mellowed over the years the way other Christmas characters like The Yule Lads did. In the nineteenth century, Krampus was often depicted working hand in hand with Santa Claus - Santa concerned himself with the good children, and Krampus took care of the bad ones. These days, drunken young men in places like Austria and southern Germany are encouraged to dress up in hideous Krampus masks and costumes during the Christmas season and roam around town traumatizing the children. This is called a Krampuslauf and traditionally takes place on December 5th, something to keep in mind if you're planning a family holiday trip to Austria!
A sight a young child isn't likely to forget
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