Krampus, is a half-goat, half-demon figure popular in Austria, Germany and other Alpine regions during Christmas. (Envato Elements pic) Did you know that Christmas folklore has a dark side devoid of ...

Mark Mennold leads a parade of Krampuses up Troy Hill Road on Dec. 5, 2025. Under the glow of twinkling lights and jingle bells, something darker emerged to mark the start of the holiday season this ...

In Salzburg, Austria, Christmas involves both St. Nick and Krampus, a mythological punisher with roots stretching back to late antiquity and many... It's Christmastime — and if you live in the Alps, ...

SALZBURG, Austria — As you approach Salzburg's Max Aicher Stadium on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, you'd be forgiven if you thought that, from a distance, there appeared to be a Chewbacca ...

When Edgar Loesch was growing up, his Christmas was filled with family, friends and St. Nicholas. But his German parents also had one, terrifying addition: a hairy monster named Krampus who they said ...

If Santa Claus is the good cop of Christmas, then Krampus is the bad one: a creature from European folklore who scares children into behaving themselves, complete with goat horns and gnashing teeth.