Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Strange Holiday Traditions Around the World in a few clicks…

"Krampus" (Austria and Hungary)
Krampus, Austria and Hungary

St. Nick’s devil-like counterpart has one task: to punish bad children before Christmas. In other words, he’s no jolly fat man. Instead, picture a red devil with cloven hooves, horns, and a long tongue (though he can take the form of a bearded wild man or huge hairy beast). Instead of a bag full of toys, Krampus carries chains and a basket for abducting especially bad children and hauling them to hell. Experience this holiday tradition at Krampusnacht parties and Krampus Runs, during which rowdy revelers cavort through town in beastly costumes.

There’s more here.

1 comment:

Jendocino said...

LOL! My kind of Christmas saint! Have a happy holiday, Dave. I'm glad we've gotten to know each other through our blogs over the past few months. Your blog posts and comments always make me smile, and that's important during the times when smiles can be in short supply!

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