Speculative Fact #286: Have a Krampus Christmas!

            Christmas is a rich holiday based on Christian observances and was also heavily influenced by secular and Nordic traditions. Santa Clause is a very popular and jolly fellow based on Saint Nicholas. Not many people know about his dark Alpine counterpart: Krampus. While Santa inspired children to behave, Krampus was used to invoke fear when the children misbehaved. Like Santa, he knows which children were naughty and is ready, once a year, to bear tidings.
            Terrifying characters like Krampus have long been used by parents to adjust children’s attitudes and behaviors; the result has been a long, rich history of bogeymen among nearly all cultures.
            For the holidays, let’s revisit the classic traditions of the past and see if we can’t dredge up some old and forgotten figures. Scour the past in search of a terrible, terrifying haunt or create your own. Be good, or else...

-Jonathan Hernandez

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