The Krampus is an imaginary Christmas character that dates back to the 12th century in Germany and other Alpine countries in Europe. He is traditionally a devil-type figure with cloven hooves instead of feet, and long horns atop his head, along with fangs and a forked long tongue. On the night of December 5th, the Krampus would go door-to-door and snatch up any bad children, put them in his basket, and bring them back to the underworld with him. The very next morning, St. Nicholas Day, St. Nick would come through and leave candy and treats for the good children Krampus left behind. This legend has regained popularity in recent years, and many towns in Europe have a Krampusnacht festival where townspeople dress as the monster and chase naughty children around. In the US, Krampus events are held in December by a growing number of companies who run “Haunts” for Halloween.
