Krampus: The Dark Side of Christmas You Need to Know! | K12 #k12 #virtual #onlinelearning #education

You better watch out—St. Nick isn’t the only one coming to town! Meet the mythological creature that gives weight to the saying “naughty or nice,” Krampus.

Half-goat and half-demon, Krampus is said to have Pagan origins and appears in Austrian, German, and Czech folklore. On December 5, also known as Krampusnacht (Krampus Night), Krampus travels alongside his better and nicer counterpart, St. Nicholas. The dynamic duo visits children throughout the night, and as St. Nick awards good children, Krampus punishes them. In some myths, he takes them to the underworld in a sack and saves them for a midnight snack. In others, he swats them like a piñata. Coal doesn’t seem so bad now, does it?

Nowadays, you’ll only see Krampus on the big screen or in traditions like Krampuslauf, where people run amok dressed as the creature and scare children. And if you see him elsewhere, you probably didn’t make the nice list. Happy holidays!


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