ADVENT CALENDAR – DAY 6

Okay, I warn you right up front, if you’re devout, this one is really going to push your limits. Where do I start with Krampus?

From deep within the recesses of the Alpine psyche emerges this egregiously-horned, whiplash-tongued Christmas demon, who travels from door to door as Saint Nicholas’ barely-restrained disciplinarian sidekick. In the ultimate good cop/bad cop ploy, Saint Nicholas makes nice with children if they’ve been good. If they haven’t, they are turned over to Krampus, who beats them with a switch, slaps them in chains, and then hauls them off in his basket to be drowned in a stream or thrown into hellfire.

Oh yeah, and there are always cowbells, lots of cowbells.

Don’t shoot the messenger, folks, I’m just telling it like it is. Google him, if you don’t believe me.

The heartwarming domestic tradition was captured in this YouTube video for all to share:

For me, the acquaintance of Krampus was essentially love at first sight, and I still feel a degree of ownership when it comes to Krampus lore. Perhaps there are still some who don’t know about this twisted Christmas tradition, but every year, Krampus seems to be gaining traction – which means it is only a matter of time before he is robbed of his teeth. There are now Krampuslaufen in the United States – there’s even one in Philadelphia, for crying out loud – but they are tame affairs alongside the hardcore observances thrown by the Austrians, which often begin as parades but devolve into alcohol fueled free-for-alls.

You could spend hours on YouTube watching footage, but be forewarned that much of it has been put to unlistenable heavy metal soundtracks. In some of them, you’ll witness costumed hooligans dragging bystanders out of the crowd for a good flogging. Hey, you’ve got to know what to expect when you show up for a Krampuslauf.

Here’s a Krampus parade in Graz, with Prokofiev and Carl Orff on the soundtrack:

After hours, Krampus is as Krampus does:

In a bizarre side development, perhaps due to Krampus’ inherently salacious vibe, he has also become part of the Valentine’s Day tradition in German-speaking countries. Hence, you will find vintage postcards of Krampus casting amorous glances, terrorizing lovers, and chasing women (or running away from them).

Tonight, December 5, the eve of St. Nicholas Day, is Krampusnacht. If you’ve been especially naughty this year, you only have a few hours to get down on your knees and do some fast repenting.

More about Krampus (with a nice gallery of postcards) at http://www.krampus.com.

http://www.krampus.com/who-is-krampus.php

http://www.krampus.com/krampus-gallery.php

Krampus celebrated in song (and a catchy one, at that):