Christmas is Creepy

Welcome to the first in a 5-part series dedicated to Christmas is Creepy...

PART 1: CREEPY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

Pop-culture references may confuse me, but when it comes to creepy, I am well-informed.

I make it my business to know all things creepy. Because let’s face it, creepy can sometimes be fun!

Haunted houses, spooky thrills, The X-Files, vampires, werewolves, and unexplained phenomena are just my thing. With the exception of romantic relationships, I love a good creep. So it should come as no surprise that in my unprecedented decision to embrace the Christmas spirit this year, I naturally began researching season’s creepings, and discovered—much to my delight—that Christmas IS creepy!

Here’s why:

Satan's Santa's Little Helper ... Krampus

Many Europeans are familiar with St. Nicholas’s infernal companion Krampus (Der Wilde Mann in Germany) – depicted as a devil-like horned god – who travels with St. Nick on Christmas eve to punish bad children with spankings  while Santa rewards good children with treats. In various countries around the world (Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and Croatia) Christmas traditions still embrace their pagan origins which include local traditions such as townsfolk (typically intoxicated young men in their teens and twenties) dressing up as Krampus during the first two weeks of December and roaming the streets frightening children with rusty chains and bells. 

Americans may not realize it, but we pay homage to Krampus every time we sing the Christmas carol “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” with lyrics containing a warning to bad little children -- allegedly referring to Santa's stingy gift-giving for naughty boys and girls -- but who's to say who the song's lyricist was REALLY thinking of with lyrics like:

“You Better Not Pout/You Better Not Cry/You Better Watch Out [for the child-spanking Krampus]/I'm Telling You Why [in code because radio broadcasting in 1934 will not allow me to include lyrics about a Christmas demon]…Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

If the above video seems more harmless than creepy, take a look at the annual Krampus festival celebrated in Austria in which people costumed as Krampus run around seizing strangers from the crowd to beat on the ass with sticks!




And last but not least, the Krampus commercial to frighten little children into good behavior or be dragged down to hell...




As the countdown to Christmas continues, stay tuned for more creepy Christmas thrills. (I found so many bizarre and downright disturbing Christmas stuff out there, I couldn't fit all of it into one post.)