Page 39 - All About History - Issue 59-17

The Secret History of Christmas

Meet Krampus and
The DarK siDe of ChrisTmas his evil associates

Half devil, half goat, Krampus is Santa Claus’ evil through the streets — however, this behaviour in popularity, with their tales becoming
counterpart as depicted in Germanic folklore. has not always been accepted. For years, the increasingly commercialised.
While it was Santa’s job to travel around and myth of Krampus became lost across Europe as There are also characters out there that were
deliver gifts to the children who had been good, the Catholic Church, which disapproved of the known terrorise at Christmas but who were not
it was left to Krampus to punish those who had rowdiness, effectively sanitised Christmas. necessarily associated with Santa Claus. The
been naughty. He is known to carry around a The tales of Santa’s other evil companions, best example is the Kallikantzaros, goblins from
large sack to kidnap the naughty children to such as Le Père Fouettard, who whipped southeastern European folklore that resemble
eat, drown or drag down the underworld and he naughty children, and Knecht Ruprecht, who little black devils. It was said that they would
would use sticks to beat them. would gift them lumps surface from underground during the 12 days of
Krampusnacht, also known as Krampus Night, of coal, also similarly Christmas to trouble the humans on earth. To
is a celebration held on 5 December, the day faded from popular protect themselves, people would burn Yule logs
before Saint Nicholas’ Day, because this is when memory. Having said as the Kallikantzaros could not walk through
Krampus would supposedly arrive to dole out this, in recent years the fire. According to legend, any child born during
his various punishments. Today, the event is scary counterparts to the 12 days of Christmas was at risk of turning
known for the raucous and drunk celebrations Santa have seen a into a Kallikantzaros.
where people dress up as Krampus and run recent resurgence
figgy
pudding “He is known
or else!
to carry
The carol ‘We Wish You a Merry
Christmas’ was sometimes a threat. Sung
on Christmas Eve, it was traditionally around a large
performed for the wealthy. The line
“We won’t go till we get some” sack to kidnap
literally meant they would not
leave until they got their
the naughty
sweet treats.
children”

Kallikantzaros is a Christmas goblin
in Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia