Christmas is celebrated by billions of people throughout the globe, yet not many have heard of the tales surrounding Krampus. Santa and the topic of Christmas stem from the real world Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas, who was well familiar with the action of giving. As Christianity spread throughout Europe in 300 AD, so did those tales of St.Nicholas. Within the modern Austrian and German area, the story of Christmas has a little spin to it. As St. Nicholas goes house to house, his devilish companion closely follows behind. This devilish companion was called Krampus. Those who have been nice are treated to gifts by Santa, while those who have been naughty get something that is not the most desirable gift. Krampus greets those unfortunate enough to receive his “gift” by beating them with sticks, a one way trip to hell, or the inner stomach of an unholy devil. The contrast of this good spirited being and this devilish, utterly evil character may be able to describe the two different moralities involving Christmas. The scary nature of Krampus was made in the goal of inspiring kids into being more well behaved, following a common theme of human history involving mythology. Similarly, the St. Nicholas and Krampus are like the concept of Yin and Yang, where there is always a balance of the forces of good and evil, rather than one living without the other. It shows the moral duality of man and how those who came up with these tales believed that there is only one true/correct approach to life as a human being, being that akin of St. Nicholas.
Although Krampus may be on the darker side of things and less popular, traditions and customs surrounding it are still fairly popular today among the Alpine regions of Europe. Specifically, Krampuslauf or “Krampus Run” is a festivity that occurs on the night of December 6th every year where a bunch of individuals dress up in Krampus costumes and run around chasing, terrorizing ongoing spectators all throughout a town or a city. All these costumes are not the same as there are various depictions of Krampus with horns, fur, whips, and other gnarly details that would instill fear within a child, or even grown adult! However, the scare is not there just to scare people. It is seen as an effort to maintain cultural heritage, and these efforts have allowed for cultural exchange and for cultures to learn about each other internationally. Krampus has become so popularized overtime that it has received media representation through movies like Krampus (2015) and even has appeared in iconic cartoons such as Regular Show (2010). To enjoy Christmas, you can enjoy spending time with friends and family, loved ones, whoever that may be. Krampus is just another way to put a spin on your classic Christmas tales and narratives.
