According to Alpine folklore Krampus appears in towns on the night of December 5th, known as Krampusnacht or Krampus Night. Krampus is a horned figure who scares children during the Christmas season who have misbehaved. It is said that he works along side Saint Nicholas and apparently the two, Krampus and Saint Nicholas, visit children on the night of December 5th and Saint Nicholas rewards the well behaved children with gifts of chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and oranges while the badly behaved children receive a punishment from Krampus.
The origins of Krampus are unclear although it is believed that Krampus originated in Germany and his named comes from the German word Krampen meaning "claw". There are Krampus parades and in Austria there is the Krampuslauf known as the Krampus run, where participants dress up as Krampus and try to scare the audience with their antics. Krampus was thought to have been apart of pagan rituals for winter solstice and according to myth and legend, he is the son of Hel, the Norse god of the underworld. Over the years Krampus has become associated with Christmas despite all the efforts made by the Catholic church to ban him. Most recently Krampus has become more globally known with parades, films, books, cards, artwork and tree ornaments; making his way into pop culture and North America.
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