The seven most terrifying Christmas traditions around the world
Quote:In many European countries, Saint Nicholas has companions who act as a negative counterpart. Saint Nick is the benevolent Good Cop; you do not want to meet the Bad Cop.
One particularly bad cop is Krampus, a demonic half-goat monster with horns and a long tongue. He drags chains behind him as he walks and rattles them ominously. He carries a birch to whip bad children and sometimes a basket or sack for kidnapping them.
The Eve of St Nicholas, 5 December, is Krampusnacht. Hordes of Krampuses march through Alpine towns in elaborate, sinister costumes. In recent years, the Krampuses’ tendency to go on drunken rampages, getting in fights and destroying property, has become a bit of a problem.
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