Happy Krampusnacht! (Unless you’re a naughty child…)
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(WHTM) Krampusnacht (Krampus Night) takes place every December 5. This is the day before the Feast of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, and the patron saint of children and gift-giving.
So what is a Krampus? Well, the word Krampus is derived from krampen, the German word for claw. The Krampus is described as half demon and half goat. He has horns on his head, a mouth full of fangs, is covered with fur, and oh yes, he has long pointy claws. The rest can be left to your imagination, or you can just look at some pictures:
A man dressed as a Krampus, the companion of St. Nicholas and one of Austria’s unique Advent traditions, is seen during a traditional Krampus procession in the city of Unken in Salzburg province on Friday, Dec. 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson) A Krampus scares spectators during a traditional Krampus run in which men and women dress up as pagan Krampus figures to scare people in Hollabrunn, Austria, Saturday, Dec.1, 2018. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) A Krampus scares spectators during a traditional Krampus run in which men and women dress up as pagan Krampus figures to scare people in Hollabrunn, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) Reveler depicting devil poses for a photo during a traditional St Nicholas procession in the village of Valasska Polanka, Czech Republic, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. This pre-Christmas tradition has survived for centuries in a few villages in the eastern part of the country. The whole group parades through village for the weekend, going from door to door. St.Nicholas presents the kids with sweets. The devils wearing home made masks of sheep skin and the white creatures representing death with scythes frighten them. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) A participant wearing a traditional Krampus costume and a mask performs during a Krampus run in Hollabrunn, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Gruber) A participant wearing a traditional Krampus costume and a mask performs during a Krampus run in Hollabrunn, Austria, Sunday, Nov. 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Gruber) A Krampus scares spectators during a traditional Krampus run in which men and women dress up as pagan Krampus figures to scare people in Hollabrunn, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) A man dressed as Krampus scares a girl during a Krampus run in Hollabrunn, Austria, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak)
The Krampusnacht celebration comes from Europe, particularly in German-speaking areas, and dates back hundreds of years. In folklore, the Krampus arrives the night of December 5, and whips naughty children with a birch switch. He is sometimes described as a servant to St. Nicholas. (Never thought of Saint Nick as somebody needing an enforcer, did you?) Mostly, though, he seems to be doing his own creepy thing.
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Modern Krampusnacht celebrations tend to tone down the punishing children part. Instead of whippings, children are given bundles of birch sticks called ruten, or sometimes lumps of coal. (You’ll notice the kids in the photos don’t seem particularly terrified.) One popular Krampusnacht activity is the Krampuslauf (Krampus Run) where people run through the streets near people costumed as krampuses. (Krampusen? Krampusii?)
Sometimes women dress up as Frau Perchta, a pagan goddess/Christmas witch who is in many ways scarier than the Krampus.
Krampusnacht is becoming more popular, and spreading around the globe, including the United States. There are Krampusnacht festivals across Pennsylvania; locally, we have Fang Around: Krampusnacht, which takes place in downtown York on December 16. For more information, click here.
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