There’s a character long associated with the December-era winter holiday that, at one time, was neck and neck with Santa Claus for Christmas recognition.  Unfortunately, he was marginalized in the 1800s by the Catholic Church, who believed that the demon known as Krampus was just a little too wild and scary to be associated with a holiday celebrating Jesus.  Where Santa gave gifts to good children, Krampus gave warnings and scared the bejabbers out of children.  Thankfully, Krampus is back, and he’s better than ever.

The traditional day of Krampus is December 5, the day before the start of the feast of St. Nicholas.  On that day, young men dress as Krampus and go rampaging through the streets.  Particularly in Austria, the idea of drunken rampaging has proven to be very popular, with Krampus clubs popping up by the dozens since 1990.

Any excuse to rampage through the streets in a holiday costume is a good one, and Krampus is a great alternative to joining up in a Santarchy or SantaCon street celebration of St. Nicholas.  I say, let the Krampuses Kramp!  The more the merrier!  Just watch out for those horns!

Tags: unusual Christmas creatures, Krampus, Yule, forgotten Christmas customs, holidays, Santarchy, SantaCon, St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, demon Santa, Christmas demon

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