Holiday Tales: Krampus

We all know the drill for the holidays – festivities all around, gifts and meals are shared and the traditions that are merry as can be. And of course, the holidays wouldn’t be complete without the traditions. For different countries all around the world, holiday traditions differ and the same goes with the characters that make them all the more memorable.

One name that’s almost synonymous to the Holidays is Santa Claus. It’s easy to spot him from a mile away, after all, he’s the only jolly fellow with a plump belly, flowing white beard and all in a white and red garb giving away gifts to all the kids in the world. Not to mention the world-renowned reindeer-powered sled he uses to deliver all the presents before Christmas day. But one name comes up behind jolly old Saint Nick that is ever growing in popularity these days. No, it’s not one of his elves that make the gifts but his counter, the half-goat, half-demon, Krampus.

If Santa is known for his rewards and merry persona, Krampus is known for his punishments and menacing aura. From appearances alone, Krampus looks fearsome to kids with his goat-like physique, long horns, and frightening demeanor. That’s all part of Krampus’ character – Santa rewards, he on the other hand punishes. He’s the one responsible for scaring children into behaving properly since once a kid goes into his naughty list, he pays them a visit and give them the spanking and scaring they deserve.

Old stories tell the fate of the children who’ve been on the naughty list all year round. They get their behinds slapped with birch sticks, frightened with chains, whipped with horsehair, and sometimes even put inside a wicker basket or sack and then taken into Krampus’ lair in the underworld. Now if that doesn’t scare the kids into being good then maybe nothing will.

Krampus is deeply rooted in alpine and Germanic pagan traditions. According to some accounts, the story of Krampus predates Christianity. Today, the tradition of Krampus is alive and well in some parts of Austria where people dress up as the frightening character and parades around town wielding cowbells, birch sticks, chains, and whips. They are part of the merrymaking and still chase around children and even adults to give them a bit of the holiday scare.

So the next time you think of doing something naughty, remember that if Saint Nick can see you, surely Krampus does too. And he’s someone you wouldn’t want to mess with especially on the eve before Christmas, or Krampusnacht (other places celebrate this day on December 5, right before Santa Claus arrives the next day.)

All information used in this article was sourced from National Geographic , Smithsonian Mag , and Ancient Origins.

Scritto da cheeo il 2016-12-25 in #cultura #luoghi #culture #holidays #krampus #lomoholidays #holiday-tales