When you think of Christmas celebrations, there are many different images that likely pop into your head. Religious imagery, Christmas lights, snow scenes, and of course Santa Claus.
If you are from Austria or other German-speaking countries, however, you may also picture something a little darker.
Krampus.
Thanks to the Internet, movies, and TV shows, Krampus is quickly spreading across the globe and becoming a popular part of the Christmas season, but what is Krampus?
Well, he is often portrayed as Santa Claus’ evil counterpart. He has long horns, a goat-like beard, devilish features, and is overall pretty scary-looking.
If you happen to be in a country that goes all out for Krampus, you will likely want to attend a parade, but be careful. These aren’t the types of parades where people toss candy, play music, and just have a good time.
Instead, you will see people dressed up as Krampus, including carrying a birch bundle that he uses to whip people.
A tourist who went to one of these parades, known as Krampuslauff, wrote the following about their experience:
“The narrow streets in the Old City section of Salzburg were packed with pedestrians as the Krampusse stomped through. Many people were caught unaware and reacted with terror. Some would flee and try to seek refuge in a shop or restaurant, only to be pursued by a determined Krampus. With so many easy targets, we again managed to escape largely unharmed. At times we were chased, jostled and struck, but compared with the brutality we witnessed, it was obvious we had been spared the full brunt of what Krampus could muster.”
Yikes.
These parades typically occur on or around December 5th, which is known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night.
According to the legends, this is when Krampus would go around to each house and leave bundles of sticks for bad children. In some versions of the story, he would actually beat the bad children with the sticks. Or worse, he would grab the children and put them into a sack and take them to a nearby stream and toss them in. Or even bring them straight to hell.
Overall, adding Krampus to your Christmas traditions can be a fun, or terrifying, way to take things to the next level. If you dare.
Scary snowy season? Let’s make it happen!
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