Krampus

Christmas! It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

If you celebrate this holiday, then December means taking part in your favorite traditions:

• Decorating the Christmas Tree,
• Baking Christmas cookies,
• Gift exchanges,
• Singing Christmas Carols,
• Watching Christmas movies,
• Christmas light shows,
• Christmas sermons (at your church)
• Nativity Scenes,
• Christmas Pageants,
• Letters to Santa,
• Visits to Santa (with a commemorative picture)

There are many traditions and ways to celebrate Christmas, and for good reason. Christmas is a time of love, hope, and peace. I firmly believe it is why we celebrate in the same month also as:

• Hanukkah
  • Winter Solstice
  • Kwanzaa

But Christmas also comes with a different side, one with a demonic creature known as Krampus.

Krampus is a half-demon, half-goat, horned creature that comes to punish naughty children during the Advent season – the time between the fourth Sunday before Christmas through Christmas Eve. Found in Eastern European folklore, he is the opposite of St. Nicholas.

Instead of rewarding good children like good ole’ St. Nick does, Krampus hunts down naughty children. When he captures them, he beats them with his whip before placing them in his sack. Once he has them in his sack, he carries them back to his lair where he feasts upon their flesh.

A far cry from a lump of coal!

Some places in Europe have annual Krampus parades or events, keeping the folklore in modern culture. So… you better watch out, you better not cry, and you better not pout. Why?

I’ll tell you why.

Krampus is out there watching and waiting…

And he is ready for his Christmas feast!