Krampus

For centuries, Alpine parents used a horned, whip-carrying demon to scare their children into good behavior every December — and the tradition was so intense that one European government actually tried to ban it.

Krampus is a horned, demonic folklore figure from Alpine European tradition, said to accompany Saint Nicholas each December to punish misbehaving children, in contrast to Nicholas's rewards for good behavior. The tradition, rooted in pre-Christian Alpine folklore, remains actively practiced today through annual "Krampuslauf" (Krampus run) events across Austria, Germany, and neighboring regions.

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Quick facts

→Krampus folklore is rooted in pre-Christian Alpine pagan tradition, later syncretized with the Christian Saint Nicholas holiday celebration.
→Traditional Krampus figures are depicted with horns, dark fur, chains, and bundles of birch branches or whips, historically used to threaten (and in some regional traditions, lightly swat) misbehaving children.
→In the 1930s, Austria's authoritarian government at the time attempted to suppress Krampus celebrations, associating the tradition with socialist and other disfavored political groups.
→Modern "Krampuslauf" (Krampus run) events, featuring elaborately costumed participants parading through towns, remain an actively practiced, popular annual tradition across Austria, Germany, and neighboring Alpine regions today.

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Krampus (event)

Horned demonic folklore figure from Alpine tradition who punishes misbehaving children each December; rooted in pre-Christian folklore, actively celebrated today.

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