You better not shout. You better not cry. You better not pout, I’m telling you why . . . Krampus is coming to town!

That’s right, kids! Hide under your blankets, and seal your window tight, because this Holiday Season not only calls for the arrival of our good friend St. Nick, but along with the classic jolly do-gooder also comes his hungry devil friend!

No, my words are not tied. You heard it right! A devil friend! Every year for many hundreds of years, European tradition has depicted a very cruel and very hideous counterpart to Santa known as Krampus.

Krampus is pretty much your stereotypical vision of the devil: red fur, horns, claws, even a weird sick little tongue he likes to stick out. Best part of all is he likes to carry around chains to beat and whip the kids that get in his way!!!

Throughout Northern Italy, Austria, and other parts of Europe, people celebrate Krampusnacht in honor of this holiday beast. Party-goers dress up as demons, devils, and witches, masquerading through the town intoxicated and terrifying adults and children, alike!

Many people believe this tradition dates back thousands of years to Pagan traditions where both Krampus and Santa Clause can be seen in the archetypes of Old Man Winter and the Goat-Man. This must also be part of the whole SANTA = SATAN mythology.

Krampus isn’t a character you see anymore in the mainstream, but during the 19th Century and early 20th Century a huge craze for Krampus Greeting Cards swept Europe.

Surreal and a little cheeky, there is no avoiding the grim horror of such a devil beast actually torturing and even eating children for Christmas! But, seeing as this is The Eye of Faith, we thought some of these cards would be the perfect thing to share with our readers, and perhaps we may even start to see a resurgence! (This would make Krampus very happy . . .)

{Special Thanks to Morbid Anatomy for some of the Krampus pics . . . }

I always thought something was missing to the story of Christmas. Now it all seems to make (a bit more) sense . . .

Don’t forget to share these with your friends, and for more images and to learn more about the traditions of Krampus, please visit the official site!

Thanks for reading, and Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

{theEye}

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