Krampus

The Krampus (German: [ˈkʁampʊs]) is a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern Alpine folkloric tradition, is said to accompany Saint Nicholas on visits to children during the night of 5 December (Krampusnacht; "Krampus Night"), immediately before the Feast of St. Nicholas on 6 December. In this tradition, Saint Nicholas rewards well-behaved children with small gifts, while Krampus punishes badly behaved ones with birch rods. The origin of the figure is unclear; some folklorists and anthropologists have postulated that it may have pre-Christian origins, although historians generally consider this unlikely, as it is not attested until the 16th century. In certain traditional parades and in such events as the Krampuslauf ("Krampus run"), some young men dressed as Krampus attempt to scare the audience with their antics. Krampus is featured on holiday greeting cards called Krampuskarten. The figure has been imported into popular culture around the world, and has… Read by DivineMeaninglessness. Recorded December 3, 2015; the article may have changed since. The article as it stood when recorded: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=734568441 Article today: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus Original recording: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:En-Krampus-article.ogg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This episode is a format-shifted (MP3) copy redistributed under the same license. This show is an independent community project, not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation.