Happy Holidays – Time For The Krampus To Drag You To Hell!
So you think getting coal in your holiday stockings is bad? Just hope that the Krampus doesn’t beat you with rusty chains and drag you to hell – (although I might prefer that to getting a computer with Windows 8 on it). Krampus is an old part of the holiday season in the Alpine countries of Europe (Germany, Switzerland, etc.) He is St. Nicholas’s….shall we say less pleasant counterpart. While St. Nicholas hands out presents to children who are good, Krampus takes the bad children and throws them into his sack. Traditionally young men dress up as the Krampus around the first week of December and roam the streets, frightening children with rusty chains and bells.
Now the tradition of the Krampus is beginning to spread beyond the Alpine countries. In U.S. cities, annual Krampusnacht celebrations are becoming a tradition – for example this is a thing in Portland and San Francisco.
Another question though is the following: Does the Krampus have pagan origins? Some people believe he does. Perhaps he is a throw back to the wild horned God of ancient times.
Why is the Krampus gaining popularity today? Perhaps this is a way to humorously fend off the more commercial and saccharine aspects of the holiday? Maybe people are also embracing a return to their more savage and barbaric past. And maybe, it’s also just really fun to drunkenly wander the streets as a deranged goat man and scare the ever living shit out of children!
You can read more about Krampus the Evil making a comeback here.
Happy holidays all!
Metal Gaia 