In certain parts of Europe, particularly the Alpine areas, they celebrate the Feast of St. Nicholas on December 6. That's Christmas to them. But, over there, St. Nicholas has a traveling companion called Krampus. And while St. Nicholas brings gifts and treats to the good children, Krampus brings coal to the bad children.
The custom of celebrating Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, the evening before the Feast appears to go back centuries, and has been resurgent for quite some time. It's kind of a fun excuse to party in that part of the world, and schnapps plays a role in the festivities.
If you check the available photos, Krampus is a pretty scary guy. This photo is from a parade near Salzburg, Austria
(AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson)
This explanation comes from krampus.com: Krampus is celebrated on Krampusnacht, which takes place on the
eve of St. Nicholas’ Day. In Austria, Northern Italy and other parts of
Europe, party-goers masquerade as devils, wild-men, and witches to
participate in Krampuslauf (Krampus Run). Intoxicated and bearing
torches, costumed devils caper and carouse through the streets
terrifying child and adult alike. Krampusnacht is increasingly being
celebrated in other parts of Europe such as Finland and France, as well
as in many American cities.
Here's an image from krampus.com, showing Krampus as very devil-like:
So while it may be too late to plan a Krampusnacht party for this year, you've got time to do the research for 2014!
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