Meet Krampus: the ‘half-goat, half-demon’ figure of Christmas folklore in Austria

As clanging chains and pounding metal drums fill the snow-covered streets of Austria, the whispers spread among children, “Watch out, Krampus is about.”

Naughty children in the U.S. may dread a lump of coal from Santa, but naughty children in central Europe fear Krampus, a “half-goat, half-demon” figure of folklore that punishes poorly behaved children during Christmas time, Tirol Info reported.

The holiday traditions connected to Krampus date back centuries and continue to evolve and spread today.

Origins of Krampus

Krampus is a figure of central European Alpine tradition that may originate from winter solstice rituals, according to Britannica. The ominous, devilish figure served as a contrast to the generous, kind figure of Saint Nicholas. The name “Krampus” supposedly came from the creature’s long claws, or “krampen” in German.

While depictions of Krampus vary, costumes usually have “bells, shaggy pelts, curved horns and terrifying masks,” according to Salzburg’s Tourism Department.

Typically, Krampus carries a birch rod to hit, chains to bind, or a basket to carry off naughty children, the University of Southern California reported.

Celebrations for Krampus

Krampus-related celebrations have many regional variations across Austria, Karl Berger, the director of the Museum of Tyrolean Regional Heritage, told Tirol Info. These celebrations are usually referred to as either Krampuslaufs, meaning Krampus Runs, or Krampusnachts, meaning Krampus Nights, Britannica and The London Evening Standard reported.

The celebrations commonly involve a procession of people dressed as Krampus parading through the street, sometimes chasing onlookers or generally scaring people.

In the city of Rattenberg, Krampus participants bang on metal canisters and march through town, Tirol Info reported and videos show. In Hollabrunn, masked Krampus performers light flares as they parade through, photos show.

These processions take place annually in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia, The London Evening Standard reported. They take place around Christmastime, but the dates vary by location.

Krampus in the U.S.

Increasingly, Krampus and related folklore traditions have spread to the U.S. through movies, video games and festivities with growing popularity since the 2010s, the University of Southern California reported.

Horror movies in 2015 and 2018 helped introduce Krampus to wider audiences, IMDB reported.

The video game Fortnite released a Krampus skin in 2018 and has made the player outfit sporadically available ever since, according to the game’s fandom page. In 2021, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Call of Duty: Warzone Festive Fervor, included a Krampus enemy character, according to the video games’ Wiki.

Simultaneously, the group “Krampus Seattle” formed in Washington and “Krampus in America” formed on Facebook in 2018, Crosscut reported previously. These groups formed to bring Krampus traditions to U.S. cities.

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