Let’s Put The Krampus Back In Christmas

Santa use to have an evil friend named Krampus.  I guess you'd call him 'evil', for me he's just a polar opposite.  For instance, Santa gives the good kids toys and candy, Krampus takes them to eat for Christmas dinner and/or sends them to hell.  Okay, so maybe he is a little evil.  More after the jump.

In the Alpine regions of Germany during the first week of December, but usually on the 5th, Krampus comes to town.  Krampus is a wild goat-beast-man who drags rusty chains and rings bells. Krampus usually has a bag full of switches on this back so he can properly spank kids.  He also usually has a bag or washtub to make abducting the kids easier.

Apparently the 'job' of having a Krampus was to scare kids into behaving from the beginning of December into Christmas (that and posing for pictures for the cover of heavy metal albums).

Myself and my friends have a Krampus celebration in which we burn a Santa Claus in effigy.  As far as I know the burning of St. Nick isn't a normal part of Christmas, but it somehow seems appropriate.  We like to stand around a fire with some treats, pass a bottle around and watch Santa burn. We don't mean any ill intent, it's more of a way that we don't buy into the 'holly-jolly' aspect of Christmas.

I think you need black to go with white, quiet to go with loud, yin with yang and Krampus with Santa.  So this year tell your kids that Santa Claus is coming and so is a devil that likes to pull the ears of bad children.  Okay, maybe you shouldn't do that.

Here's some Krampus badasses

Here's more on the history of Krampus