Have Yourself a Merry Little Krampusnacht

By Jillian Owens
December 6, 2013

Have you been good this year?   If so, congratulations!  I’m sure Santa Claus will pay you a visit and give you goodies aplenty!  But what if you haven’t been good?  What if you’ve been pretty awful all year?  What if you’ve been kind of a jerk?  What if you’ve talked on your cell phone while at the register at Starbucks?   What if that was you who cut me off in traffic this morning?  What if positive reinforcement isn’t enough to make your kids behave in public?

Well…I have the holiday for you!  Krampusnacht!

Here’s a little background info.  In Alpine countries, Santa doesn’t travel alone.  He brings his good buddy, Krampus!

 
Terrifying, No?  As you can probably surmise from this guy’s grim visage, nothing good is going to happen when he’s around.  While Santa is busy rewarding the good, Krampus punishes the bad by beating them with tree branches and chains.  If you are particularly naughty, he’ll toss you in his sack and drag you to his evil lair.

During the first week of December, it’s a traditional for young Austrian men to dress as Krampuses and roam the streets, scaring children with rusty chains, branches, and bells.   There have been many attempts to squash this tradition which some think is inappropriate for the wee ones, but it continues to thrive.  

It has even spread to Columbia!  Columbia, SC and Portland, OR are tied for the longest-running Krampuslauf in the U.S.  A Krampuslauf is basically a just-for-fun grownups bar crawl version of the holiday.  On Thursday, December 5, Krampuses will roam the streets of Columbia playfully punishing the naughty for their bad behavior.  Don’t worry…no one is going to actually get hurt.  If you don’t want to be bothered by a Krampus, you won’t be.  It’s all in good fun.

 
(A group of Krampuslauf revelers met at the State House grounds on Thursday, December 5 at 8:00pm!  Check out the Krampusnacht Facebook Page for more details).

Merry Krampusnacht to all! 

Jillian Owens is a writer, designer, and eco-fashion revolutionary. A Columbia SC transplant, she graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BFA in Theatre and English. When she’s not gallivanting about, she’s busy refashioning ugly thrift store duds into fashionable frocks at ReFashionista.net. Jillian has been featured on The Rachael Ray Show, Good Afternoon America, ABC Columbia, Jasper Magazine, Skirt, Columbia Metropolitan, The Free Times, Grist, and NYC’s Guest of a Guest. She also reviews local theater productions for Jasper Magazine and Onstage Columbia. 

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