In Recent years Krampus, the Christmas Devil, has been making his way to US shores from his home in Germanic Folklore. Each year seems to bring more articles and videos hitting facebook feeds and tweets and no doubt Krampus will become a horror icon of the holiday season in the coming years.
His origins stretch back to pre-Christian traditions where he has been both feared and celebrated by children and adults alike. He is described as a beast-like creature who is the antithesis of Saint Nicholas. He appears each Christmas season to punish naughty children in horrible ways. Of- ten he’s depicted as a large horned devil creature with fangs and hair from head to cloven hooves. He carries chains that he thrashes about and He often wears a bundle of branches strapped to his back that he uses to beat naughty children. In some stories he even takes naughty children, stuffs them into a bag and later devours them.
Krampus originated in Germanic folklore but his influence spread to Austria, Bavaria, Hungary, parts of Italy and Croatia among others where variations of his appearance and purpose have thrived.
Krampusnacht
In parts of Europe on December 6th Krampusnacht is a celebration of all things Krampus. People dress in elaborate costumes as the Christmas Devil and walk down city streets in parades to both thrill and Terrify chil- dren! These celebrations are often fueled by drink and have become increasingly popular in recent years. The video below provided to us by Frenzy Hour Productions depicts one such celebration.
It feels like its only a matter of time before Krampus gets his own horror film or and cements his place as the Devil of Christmas here in the US. Now’s a great time to get to know Krampus and see where he might fit into the Haunted Attraction Industry and Christmas Horror Events.
CLICK BELOW TO VIEW VIDEO
Video Provided by Frenzy Hour Productions
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