05 December, 2013

Naughty Kids Beware!

Naughty kids beware for the Krampus will be stalking the night. The Krampus is...

In the early Christmas traditions of Europe, the Krampus was St. Nicholas' dark servant -- a hairy, horned, supernatural beast whose pointed ears and long slithering tongue gave misbehavers the creeps! Whereas St. Nicholas would reward children who'd been good all year, those that had behaved badly were visited by the Krampus.

I think a Krampuslauf down State Street would be a splendid idea. The Krampuslauf is a parade of folks dressed as Krampus and no doubt involves schnapps. See here:



After the Krampus drags the disobedient children to hell, the good kids wake up on the morning of the 6th with shoes full of candy. This is St. Nicholas' Day. As far as I know, St. Nicholas Day is still celebrated/observed by a fair number of people in Milwaukee - an example of the city's German heritage.

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