#Krampus

It’s Christmas time and that means caroling, stockings, leaving cookies out for Santa and avoiding getting whipped by a half-goat demon. That’s right, while American children have to worry about getting a lump of coal in their stocking, children in other parts of the world have to worry about Krampus, the Christmas devil.
According to National Geographic, “Krampus” is derived from the German word “krampen” meaning “claw.” With roots in Norse and Greek mythology, Krampus acts as the evil counter to jolly old St. Nicholas. He's described as being half-goat, half-man with some demon thrown in. Basically an all-purpose monster.
While the man who became known as Santa is famous for rewarding children who have been nice, Krampus visits naughty children the night before Dec. 6 each year and punishes them with a switch or rusty chain before dragging them to his fiery layer in a sack. Seriously, this is something people tell children. The night is called “Krampusnacht,” according to folkore. The tradition has been suppressed over the years by the Catholic Church and later by fascists during World War II, according to The Guardian. This explains why so few people have heard about the horror tradition. In modern day, Krampus is considered a pretty bad idea in most cultures. However, in some parts of the world, the tradition is still celebrated today. Some places still honor the pre-Germanic Pagan character by dressing up as Krampus and participating in the Krampusnacht tradition of frightening children in the streets on a nighttime booze-fueled holiday romp. The Atlantic has compiled a slew of high-resolution pictures from last year’s event. What better way to spread holiday cheer than by terrifying small children into thinking they’ll be beaten and dragged to hell for not eating enough of their vegetables