Tonight is Krampusnacht (or Krampus Night) - the dark alternative to St Nicholas Day. Here’s why you should be very afraid.
ADVERTISEMENTEvery year, on 5 December, is Krumpusnacht – or Krampus Night.
In central European popular legend - specifically in Germany - the half-goat, half-demon anthropomorphic figure is the anti-St. Nicolas, who punishes misbehaving children at Christmastime.
You see, tomorrow (6 December) is the St. Nicolas Day, when good old Nic rewards nice children with presents. The night before, however, all the naughty scamps get a visit from Krampus, who traditionally beats kids with branches or gifts them coal. In some cases, he eat them or take them to hell.
Leave it to the Germans!
The hairy monster’s name derives from the German word Krampen, which means “claw”, and according to legend, he is the son of Hel, the Norse god of the underworld.
So, when he’s taking the kiddies to hell, he’s just getting them to meet his pops.
Misunderstood, much?
We can't excuse the serpentine tongue shackling the babas though... (See below)
The Catholic church tried to ban him for his resemblance to the devil (spoilsports), and the Nazis even had a go, banning Krampus for its pagan origins.
More recently, concerns have been expressed in Austria about whether the tradition is appropriate for children.
However, the popularity of Krampus lives on. There are still traditional parades celebrating Krampus – especially the Krampuslauf (Krampus run), in which people dressed as Krampus attempt to scare the younglings with their antics.
The figure and its celebrations are even getting something of a cultural resurgence.
While the centuries-old tradition of Krampusnacht is mostly celebrated in Germany and Austria, the creepy legend has made its way into wider popular culture in recent years – in TV, movies and video games.
The character has featured in episodes of Scooby Doo and American Dad!; the 2015 horror film, Krampus, starring Adam Scott and Toni Collette (it’s not half bad); and a series of sequels / spinoffs, like the kill-it-kill-it-with-all-the-fire Krampus: The Reckoning, Krampus Unleashed, Krampus: The Devil Returns, and even Mother Krampus.
We haven’t seen the last three, so we reserve judgement. That said, the marketing looks atrocious, so we’re not hopeful.
So, for all of you who were missing Halloween and need a less cheery option before the seasonal cheer inevitably kicks in, today’s your day. Or should that be night.
Just pray you’ve been good and that you’re not about to meet Papa Hel.
